The culture of any university is heavily dependent on the values and rules that are promoted among its students. Even those who are hard-working and well-motivated to study sometimes break the rules. Therefore, it is important for any school or university to create a system that will help individuals who have committed misconduct to realize their mistakes and give them a chance to correct their behavior.
The goal of this paper is to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using community service as a means of enforcement of rules and regulations at university. While the general idea of viewing plagiarism and misconduct as punishable is quite legitimate, the use of less severe punishments and the refusal to deploy suspension from classes should be considered a necessary change at the University of the Virgin Islands.
It is critical to make sure that punishment for misbehavior is adequate and does not have any negative impact on the student’s life or academic performance. Suspension of students has critical disadvantages as a form of punishment. When students are deprived of the studying process, it lowers their chances to perform well in the future and only increases the probability of students repeating their mistakes. Thus, suspension often does not lead to improvements in students’ approach to studying.
For this reason, suspension as the tool for changing the behaviors of learners at the University of the Virgin Islands should not be a part of the school’s code. Instead, the school board should consider placing emphasis on the promotion of behavioral change in the students that have been displaying the propensity toward unethical behaviors and practices. With the application of less rigid principles and the focus on positive alterations in students’ attitudes, students will be inclined toward changing their current stance on learning.
As a result, students will be motivated to improve and grow both personally and academically, challenging themselves and developing a new perception of academic integrity and research ethics. For this reason, it is essential to change the current policy of the University of the Virgin Islands in regard to the treatment of plagiarism and other ethics-related issues.
Community service may be used as a disciplinary measure for students. The identified practice has multiple benefits for both the students and the university. The individuals who are sent to perform tasks for the community are not suspended and can continue attending lessons (Cleaver et al. 157-159). In regard to the University of the Virgin Islands, the application of the proposed approach will allow building a sense of responsibility, academic integrity, and honesty in students, as opposed to the current set of principles.
Some criticize community service as a form of punishment because it can be seen as forced labor or might be humiliating for a person, especially when it involves some form of hard physical work or cleaning. Although this argument is valid and needs to be taken into account, the mentioned negative effects can be avoided. Obligatory work should not be deemed as a form of humiliation. Instead, it should be regarded as a chance that is given to students to provide valuable service for the community that would be a form of compensation for the consequences of their misconduct. It might be achieved by asking students what kind of work they are willing to do and outlining the value of their contribution.
By changing the current framework for addressing the breach of the university code at the University of the Virgin Islands, one will create the environment for encouraging a positive change in students. Properly organized honor systems have multiple benefits for students and colleges. An improved system helps to develop social awareness and a sense of responsibility among people attending a university. It is necessary for such a system to include an adequate punishment for misconduct. Despite some debates regarding it, community service should be used as a measure that is aimed to help students correct their behavior at the University of the Virgin Islands.
Work Cited
Cleaver, E., et al. “Connecting Research and Teaching through Curricular and Pedagogic Design: From Theory to Practice in Disciplinary Approaches to Connecting the Higher Education Curriculum.” Developing the Higher Education Curriculum: Research-Based Education in Practice, vol. 1, no. 1, 2017, pp. 145-159.