Winthrop University: Case Study of Sammy and Academic Integrity

This case study analyzes the ethical dilemmas faced by Sammy, a student at Winthrop University, concerning academic integrity. The assignment explores Sammy's struggles with financial pressures, a demanding course load, and the temptation to plagiarize. It examines the roles and responsibilities of various individuals, including the professor, her boyfriend, a co-worker, and her father, in influencing Sammy's decisions and the consequences she faced. The analysis highlights the importance of responsible decision-making, seeking help when needed, and the repercussions of academic misconduct. The case underscores the need for students to understand and adhere to academic integrity policies, emphasizing the significance of original work and ethical conduct. The study concludes with a reflection on the series of irresponsible decisions that led to Sammy's situation and offers suggestions for how she could have handled the situation differently, including seeking help from her professor and father, and completing the course with honesty.

Running Head: CASE STUDY- SAMMY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Case Study- Sammy and Academic Integrity
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1CASE STUDY- SAMMY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Table of Contents
Response to Question 1...................................................................................................................2
Response to question 2....................................................................................................................2
The Professor...............................................................................................................................2
Larry (boyfriend).........................................................................................................................3
Susan (Co-worker).......................................................................................................................3
Father...........................................................................................................................................3
Response to Question 3...................................................................................................................3
Bibliography....................................................................................................................................5

2CASE STUDY- SAMMY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Response to Question 1
The case study of Sammy is one of the stereotypical cases of a small-town girl buried
under the expectations and pressure to keep up with morality. Because she had more than one
problem complicating her life and another one, that she keeps it to herself rather than reaching
out to her father for help. The consequences she faces is also because she was unable to attend
her classes, where the first part of writing the assignments are explained extensively. It is due to
this fact she fails to understand that she had to make a research paper that is supposed to be an
individual’s original work and thought.
The consequences, however, can be deemed to be harsh but not an illogical or out of
proportion, for the rules regarding the research proposals in the universities are given out clearly,
and the students well know the consequences from the very start. So, the consequences she faces,
however painful is appropriate for this situation.
Response to question 2
The Professor
The professor’s decision to allow the students to get some extra credit before their finals
appear could have been the saving grace for Denise, had she been more responsible towards her
academic life. His role in the matter of getting a complete zero for her entire organic chemistry
could be regarded on the negative scale, for one could have opted for the option of sitting her
down and understanding the situation. And even if, after that, he felt that it was compromising
the academic integrity on her part, the grade for the research proposal could have been deducted.

3CASE STUDY- SAMMY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Larry (boyfriend)
Larry played an important role in her decision to plagiarize her work, so she can be held
responsible to a certain degree for the consequences she faced. He could have chosen to make
her understand that academic research proposals are not taken lightly by the universities, and she
might get into complications due to using the site or could have read the paper and help remove
the plagiarism from it.
Susan (Co-worker)
Susan played the biggest role in the consequences faced by Denise after herself, for she
was the one who gave the idea of checking out the site, which provides an essay that is already
there. She could have chosen to help her in another way, maybe helping her complete her work
so that she gets enough time to complete her work on time by herself.
Father
Denise’s father and his role in this situation cannot be evaluated directly, for he was not
present in the city. But, the fact that he burdened her before he left her in the university
compound made her feel pressured, and that was probably the reason she could not muster the
courage to communicate about her problems with him. He could have chosen his words
responsibly before leaving and could have reassured her about his presence and availability in
her life.
Response to Question 3
Denise’s experience and the consequences can be assessed as a result of a series of
irresponsible decisions. The fact that she went onto pressurizing herself with an extra course to
get the credit to get through medical school at a time when she was struggling financially, and it

4CASE STUDY- SAMMY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
was affecting her psychologically. The financial debt that she was paying off with getting a part-
time job could have been avoided if she had talked about it with her father. She could have used
the various scholarly sites to search for the relevant fields in the subject. She could have tried
talking to her professor, tried explaining the complications, and requested for help in research as
well as granting grace time to submit the assignment without committing dishonesty. She should
inform her father and face the consequences with honesty and complete the course with complete
focus.

5CASE STUDY- SAMMY AND ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Bibliography
Jamieson, S., & Moore Howard, R. (2019). Rethinking the relationship between plagiarism and
academic integrity. International Journal of Technologies in Higher Education, 16(2),
69.
McHaney, R., Cronan, T. P., & Douglas, D. E. (2019). Academic integrity: Information systems
education perspective. Journal of Information Systems Education, 27(3), 1.