Final answer:
The proper response to the question regarding improper actions related to grades is 'C. Grade manipulation.' Grade manipulation is a form of academic dishonesty that includes altering grades in ways that do not accurately reflect student performance, and it is part of broader ethical considerations in academia.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Improper Actions in an Academic Context
The question pertains to improper actions or omissions relating to grades and curves, which is generally categorized under academic integrity issues. One of the listed options, grade manipulation, is closely linked to academic dishonesty in an educational setting. Grade manipulation often refers to any deliberate action to alter grades in a manner that does not reflect a student's actual performance or understanding.
Academic dishonesty is a broader term that encapsulates various unethical practices such as cheating, plagiarism, and grade manipulation. Cheating might be getting an unfair advantage during a test, and plagiarism involves presenting someone else's work or ideas as your own. On the other hand, grade manipulation can take various forms, including professors artificially inflating grades or students tampering with graded results.
The issue of academic integrity is critical since the International Center for Academic Integrity found a significant number of students who admitted cheating, impacting the trust and equity in the educational environment. Furthermore, grade inflation is a concern that pertains to the tendency of awarding higher grades than what the students have genuinely earned, diluting the value of grades over time.
To maintain academic integrity, students, faculty, and administrators must work together to ensure fairness and promote genuine learning, which is essential for long-term success well beyond the college career. Notably, unintentional plagiarism might also occur due to carelessness, which underscores the importance of awareness and diligence in academic work.