Academic Integrity
What is academic integrity?
Academic integrity is a set of values and principles that guide ethical behaviour in academic settings, including honesty, fairness, responsibility, and respect for intellectual property. In higher education, upholding academic integrity is critical to maintaining the quality and credibility of academic work, as well as ensuring that students are prepared for their future careers.
Here are some ways that academic integrity is upheld in higher education:
- Plagiarism prevention: Institutions may use plagiarism detection software to ensure that student work is original and not copied from other sources.
- Education: Institutions may provide education and training to students, faculty, and staff on the importance of academic integrity and how to avoid academic misconduct.
- Honour codes: Some institutions may have honour codes that outline expectations for academic behaviour and consequences for violations.
- Proctoring: Some institutions may use proctoring or invigilation to ensure that students are not cheating during exams.
- Collaboration policies: Institutions may have policies that outline what types of collaboration are allowed between students, and what constitutes academic dishonesty.
- Consequences for violations: Institutions may have consequences for violations of academic integrity, such as failing a course, being placed on academic probation, or even expulsion.
Overall, upholding academic integrity in higher education requires a combination of prevention, education, and consequences for violations. By maintaining high standards of academic integrity, institutions can ensure that their students are prepared for their future careers and that their academic work is respected and valued by others.