Why is academic integrity important?

This course's syllabus states: "In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly references/citations and all work must be submitted using the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association." 

Why is source documentation and plagiarism such an important topic in academics? Is avoiding plagiarism and citing sources correctly just as important in the professional world? What are the penalties for academic dishonesty and are these penalties appropriate?

Research for articles regarding plagiarism, academic dishonesty, and academic cheating, etc.

Then, do the following:

• Identify one article regarding academic integrity. 
• Summarize the contents and the merits of the article you find.
• Include the properly written reference for the article you selected. 

Write your initial response in about 100-200 words. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Quote or paraphrase at least two outside sources in your answer.