Academic Integrity

Honesty means we, as staff, expect students to be truthful about which ideas are their own and which belong to, or are derived from, other authors. We also expect the methods and results of their experiments and research to be genuine and interpreted truthfully. Learners should show awareness of potential biases and declare any conflicts of interest. Students should also be able to expect the same honesty from academic staff. Mutual honesty supports a community of trust.

Trust requires a reciprocal relationship between all members of a learning community. It means that staff should set explicit assessment guidelines, provide transparent marking criteria, timely feedback and feedforward, and signpost students to accessible channels of support. Students should commit to preparing and submitting their own work honestly and actively avoid acts of deception. Staff should also be confident that they are working within a transparent departmental process within a rigorous and reasonable university-wide regulatory system. Students should also be confident that their peers are not intending to cheat, or inciting others to cheat. The University is expected by both staff and students to take appropriate action to mitigate and respond to acts of misconduct in a timely and fair manner.

Fairness depends on the institution to produce and communicate clear expectations of academic standards and conduct. We must enable students to identify and apply the necessary skills and behaviours to meet those expectations. When required, appropriate members of staff should impartially and even-handedly apply the disciplinary procedures for misconduct. Both students and staff should respect and depend on those empowered to take action and provide support related to academic misconduct.

Respect is both mutual and multifaceted. It should be applied equally to others, and to oneself, regardless of differences in race, nationality, age, sex, gender, sexuality, class, or other elements of distinction across backgrounds, identity, and political affiliation. It includes, but is not limited to, valuing a diversity of opinions and appreciating the need to challenge, test, and refine ideas and approaches.  

Responsibility is shared by all. Academic integrity depends on every student, academic, and administrator to safeguard quality and standards in higher education so that those who cheat do not enter the workforce “without the necessary skills, knowledge, and competenc[ies]” to work in their field (QAA). It is up to each individual to familiarise themselves with what academic integrity is, what the expectations are, to adhere to those expectations, and to call out behaviour that contradicts these values by reporting to the appropriate persons. Taking responsibility requires personal courage and depends on the courage and commitment of other individuals too.

Courage is required to live up to these values every day, even when it seems that doing so could come at personal cost, such as failing an assignment or reporting a friend or colleague for misconduct.