VMU students promise not to correspond
Vytautas Magnus University's Student Representative Office (VDU SA) organized the campaign "I promise not to cheat!" and invited students to sign a declaration of academic honesty. The document traveled to all university faculties and was signed by more than two hundred VDU students.
The main goal of this initiative is to draw attention to the fact that academic dishonesty violates the regulations of the higher education institution, the principles of fair competition and has a direct negative impact on the quality of studies. By signing the declaration, everyone promised themselves to take a responsible view of their duties as a student and to fulfill them honestly.
"I think this document is important because it encourages studying more thoroughly and attentively," says VDU freshman Žygymantas Fokts, who participated in the campaign. "Also, by signing, the student is determined to improve and seek knowledge without deceiving himself."
According to the organizer of the event, Kristina Balčiūnaitė, coordinator of the academic affairs committee of VDU SA, it is very important to pay attention to the problem of correspondence, because a study conducted by the Lithuanian Student Union (LSS) in 2017 showed that only a quarter of the surveyed students believe that public settlements are carried out honestly: "Although signed declaration stated that academic honesty is a matter of course, we want the attitude towards texting to change radically: so that every student understands the negative impact of such behavior and does not tolerate it."
The signing of the Declaration of Academic Integrity is being organized for the second time and has attracted even greater interest from students. In November, another VDU SA project - "Enlightenment" - will be implemented, which encourages interest in changes in the education system and fosters the values of higher education. During it, students will be able to participate in interactive lectures and take an academic knowledge exam.
