Most students and faculty at California State University, Fresno are honest and ethical. But it doesn’t hurt to reinforce the message that academic honesty also is important.

That effort is under way this fall with a two-pronged effort: Students are being reminded about the Campus Honor Code, and a new lecture series focusing on academic integrity for students, faculty and others on campus will provide information and promote discussion.

The campus Ethics Center is sponsoring four noon lectures, starting Wednesday, Sept. 12, with business professor Ida M. Jones speaking on “The Impact of Plagiarism on the Academic Environment.”

“Each semester we will have a theme for our lectures,” said Dr. Andrew Fiala, associate professor of philosophy. “We want to raise student awareness to make sure they take academic honesty seriously. We also want to raise faculty awareness about the importance of honesty to student success.”

Other lectures this fall are:

Oct. 3, James Schmidtke, associate professor of management, “Whistle-Blowing in Academia.”

Oct. 24 – Jacques Benninga, professor of education, “Professional Ethics: Resolving Ethical Issues at School

Nov. 7 – Barbara LaBossiere, assistant professor of philosophy, “The Virtues of Doing it the Right Way.”

All programs are from noon to 1 p.m. in the Alice Peters Auditorium inthe University Business Center.

Increased visibility and awareness of the Campus Honor Code was the focus of a faculty and staff committee last year. The committee met to explore ways to reinforce academic honesty and integrity as central values at Fresno State.

New students attending Dog Days Orientation sessions learned about the code, and students buying books at Kennel Bookstore received bookmarks on the Honor Code and a free pencil embossed with “Don’t Cheat Yourself” and the Honor Code Web site.

“We believe that most students are honest and do their own work and this reinforces that behavior,” said Dr. Paul Oliaro, vice president of Student Affairs.

For more information about the Ethics Center and its programs, contact Fiala at afiala@csufresno.edu or visit http://ethicscenter.csufresno.edu.

For more information about the Campus Honor Code, visit www.csufresno.edu/hc.