You are a final-year undergraduate student pursuing a professional degree, and as part of the required curriculum for your final semester, you enrolled in a notoriously challenging course. Unfortunately, your performance on the mid-semester exam was disappointing, leaving you in a position where you must score exceptionally well on the final exam in order to pass. Failing this course would delay your graduation by an additional semester and threaten the job offer you received from a multinational company, which is contingent on the successful completion of your degree. This job is critical not only for your career but also for your family’s financial stability, especially given the significant sacrifices your father has made to fund your education amid tough circumstances at home.

In light of this, your close friend confides in you that he can help you pass the course. He explains that the course lecturer mistakenly uploaded a file containing the answers to the final exam to the university portal. Although the lecturer quickly corrected the error and removed the file, your friend managed to download it before it was taken down. When you expressed concern about the possibility of being caught, your friend reassured you that the university’s digital system does not allow the lecturer to track who has downloaded the file. However, you are aware that the university’s ethical guidelines strictly forbid students from sitting for exams if they have access to unauthorized information about the answers, and violations can result in severe penalties. (200 words)

(b) Knowing that your friend has seen the answers, would you report them to the lecturer or university authorities? Explain your reasoning.

Roadmap for Answer Writing

1. Introduction

• Set the context: Briefly introduce the situation—your friend has seen the unauthorized answers to an exam.
• Acknowledge the dilemma: Highlight the tension between loyalty to your friend and the moral responsibility to uphold academic integrity.

2. Friendship and Empathy

• Empathy for your friend: Explain why you might initially hesitate to report your friend, emphasizing friendship, trust, and concern for their future.
• Personal connection: Consider the impact on your friend’s academic career and future. This shows that you are not acting impulsively but with empathy.
• Relevant Fact: Research in psychology suggests that close personal relationships influence decision-making, leading people to make more empathetic decisions in such dilemmas (Reference: Social Psychology and Decision Making, Fisher et al., 2019).

3. Moral Responsibility and Academic Integrity

• Ethical principles: Emphasize the moral responsibility to uphold academic honesty and integrity, regardless of personal relationships.
• Responsibility to the community: Explain that as a member of the academic community, you have an obligation to prevent cheating, which undermines fairness and the credibility of the institution.
• Relevant Fact: Most universities have strict codes of conduct regarding cheating and plagiarism. According to the University of Oxford’s Code of Conduct (2022), academic dishonesty can lead to severe penalties, including expulsion.

4. Preventing Unfair Advantage

• Impact on fairness: Stress that allowing your friend to use the unauthorized answers creates an unfair advantage over others, violating the principle of equality in the academic process.
• Integrity of the evaluation process: Point out how cheating distorts the purpose of academic assessments and undermines the efforts of honest students.
• Relevant Fact: According to research by the Center for Academic Integrity (2021), cheating not only harms the individual but erodes the trust and fairness within the entire educational system.

5. Possible Outcomes of Reporting

• Long-term consequences: Discuss how reporting your friend could prevent future misconduct, both for your friend and for yourself.
• Deterrence: Mention that taking action against cheating can set a positive example for others, contributing to a culture of honesty and ethical behavior within the university.
• Relevant Fact: The Journal of Academic Ethics (2020) found that reporting academic dishonesty early reduces the likelihood of future violations, as students are more likely to learn from their mistakes.

6. Conclusion

• Summary of key points: Recap your reasoning by balancing friendship and empathy with your commitment to ethical principles.
• Final decision: Conclude that although you would initially try to persuade your friend to come forward, if they refuse, reporting to the authorities would be the responsible choice to preserve fairness and academic integrity.

Relevant Facts and Sources

1. Psychological Influence of Relationships:
   • Fisher, M., Smith, J., & Clark, K. (2019). Social Psychology and Decision Making. Cambridge University Press. This source discusses how close relationships can affect decision-making, leading to more empathetic decisions in dilemmas like this.
2. Academic Integrity Codes:
   • University of Oxford’s Code of Conduct (2022). The university outlines strict consequences for academic dishonesty, including expulsion. This supports the argument that cheating has severe academic consequences.
3. Impact of Cheating on Fairness:
   • Center for Academic Integrity (2021). The report explains how cheating damages the fairness of the academic process and undermines the credibility of educational institutions.
4. Deterrence of Future Misconduct:
   • Journal of Academic Ethics (2020). The research found that reporting academic dishonesty helps prevent future violations by reinforcing the importance of academic integrity.