Spotlight on Academic Integrity
In 2020, the transition to online learning and assessment brought academic integrity into even sharper focus, and presented a number of challenges to preventing and detecting academic misconduct.
The strategic importance of academic integrity was also highlighted by a number of initiatives led by TEQSA, including legislation against contract cheating services.
To address these challenges the University has developed the Academic Integrity Plan for 2020-2022. This plan details the University’s strategy and activities to support academic integrity in four key areas:
- Community and culture
- Education and prevention
- Detection and deterrence
- Governance and monitoring
While deterrence and detection are an important part of the Plan, the University is committed to an educative approach to academic integrity. Through education and community-building the Plan also outlines a range of activities to engage students in a culture of excellence and academic citizenship.
The actions under the Plan began in 2020, acknowledging significant steps already taken by the University to address academic integrity from that year. These include the design and implementation of a new Academic integrity Policy, the creation of Academic Integrity Officers in each school, and the provision of educational resources and student engagement activities. It then moves to future activities, where we will continue to draw attention to academic integrity and improve the resources available to students and staff.
The University’s commitment to collecting and evaluating data on academic integrity is also a key focus, as data is used to inform decision making and evaluate the University’s performance against sector-wide best practice.
If you would like further information about the Academic Integrity Policy or to access the wide range of teaching resources please visit our website or contact Dr Amy Milka, Academic Integrity Support Officer.