As a teacher, I have situations where the incorrect grade is brought to my attention. I always thank the students and say that being honorable is a gift that you give yourself and others. I also remind the student that an honorable person is remembered and trusted.

I was raised to be as honest as possible by my parents, and I have on several occasions reported wrong grades to my teachers. It wasn't like I was the world's best student and couldn't have used the extra points. But was there really any other choice? The fact that we have to even discuss this issue is a sad reflection on where this world is headed. There's a song by Crosby, Stills & Nash that says, "Teach your children well..." Sadly, most parents these days need to have their grades corrected.

Cheers to you Cynthia! Your reminder to the students is perfect. I once ran a distribution company and mistakenly received a $60K shipment from a company I had never dealt with. I called to correct the problem and was thanked for my honesty since they had frantically been searching for the goods. A week later I received a nice letter again thanking me. Twelve years later I ran into a guy at a trade show and when he connected my name and company name, he hugged me, effusively thanked me for my honesty, and insisted I join him for dinner. TWELVE YEARS LATER! Who'd have thunk it? Cynthia, you are so correct - an honorable person is remembered and trusted.

This reminds me of a recent time when my husband and I recently made a large purchase of several cell phones and related items. When we returned home, we realized we were undercharged by $175.00. We are by no means wealthy and would rather have the money in our pocket than in the store's, but to have kept it would be the same as stealing. My husband and I returned to the store and paid for the merchandise. It feels good to do the right thing. Everyone should feel that euphoria.

During my almost forty years as a college professor, I have had students tell me when I gave them more (as well as less) score than they earned. I always commended them (or apologized) and felt good about their sense of fairness. In the case at hand, I would have changed the score and thanked the student for telling me I gave her/him too much score. But I would have expressed disappointment that his/her motive seemed questionable.

Two responses: As a teacher, I always told my students that if I cost them points, I would correct it in their favor. If I gave them more than they deserved and it was my fault, I wouldn't penalize them. Was I wrong? I still don't think so. I was admitting my error and was willing to let a couple of points (out of the hundreds given out in a marking period) be a token gesture of good will and to perhaps encourage the student to continue to do what was right.

The second situation occurred last year. I fell ill just before I was about to officiate a football game. The college still sent out my game fee - it was probably already in the pipeline for payment. I returned it to the school saying I didn't work the game and shouldn't get paid, even though I did travel several hundred miles to and from the school. The school and my supervisor never said anything to me about my action, which surprised me a bit, although I wasn't looking for a pat on the back. Should I have kept it? No. You get paid for working, not for showing up. Surprisingly, more than a few of my friends said I should have kept it since the school already budgeted the fee. Now that threw me!

I had a hard time voting, due to the black and white of the choices. "Other" is too big a bucket.

I cast my write-in vote as "Thank him for his honesty, and remind him that every action has a consequence."

I answered "other." The reasons would center on two facts. To thank and encourage like behavior in the student and others in the future, and to address the question of fairness to the other students. Additionally, it would motivate the student to improve his knowledge for further course material. My "other?" I would thank him, let the grade stand, and deduct, in advance, like points from his next exam/test.

It's pretty clear the right thing to do was what was done according to the story. As for the comment slip, no need to comment on it or discuss it any further, his own conscience spoke for him. In fact, how does one even think of commenting on his comment slip when our government is doing whatever it wants with our money and not even answering to the American taxpayer?