Academic Integrity

The following principles underpin ECU’s Academic Integrity Policy (Section 4):

1. Academic integrity is promoted through holistic and multi-stakeholder engagement and comprehensive education.
2. An evidence-based co-ordinated approach to detecting and responding to instances of academic misconduct.
3. Robust reporting and ongoing review of institutional data for quality improvement and developing a culture of academic integrity.
4. Clearly defined stakeholder roles and responsibilities.

Everyone has a role to play in developing a culture of academic integrity.  As a member of staff at ECU you have a particular role and responsibility to:

• support a consistent, holistic approach; and
• be aware of, and follow the University Rules: Academic Misconduct Rules (Students) and the Academic Misconduct Procedures.

In practice this looks like (but not limited to):

• Providing opportunities to discuss with students the importance of acting with academic integrity.
• Assessment literacy coupled with quality assessment design
• Ensuring students understand the requirements and expectations of assessment tasks.
• Providing meaningful assessment feedback to support student learning.
• Being approachable when students seek your help or reassurance.
• Being a role model for academic integrity e.g. in-text and end-text reference your lecture and tutorial material.

The Staff Academic Integrity Module has more detail on what these roles and responsibilities look like.  Completing the Module forms part of the PDC111 Introduction to Learning and Teaching at ECU course.

Ultimately academic misconduct undermines the integrity of the university’s academic awards and assessment processes, damages the university’s reputation, and reduces the effectiveness of a student’s time at the University.

The following resources can be used to assist you as teaching staff to raise student awareness of the expectation of acting with academic integrity - use them as a teaching tool when discussing academic integrity with your students.  Having these discussions also support advocacy and influence amongst themselves/peers.

The following are part of the university’s Academic Integrity ‘Is it YOUR work’ campaign:

Check it before you submit it (PDF)

Plagiarism information flyer (PDF)

Unauthorised Collaboration/Collusion information flyer (PDF)

Contract Cheating information flyer (PDF)

Is it YOUR Work campaign (PowerPoint)

In addition below are suggested slides that can support a tutorial discussion, either as a longer session for ‘New to ECU’ students within a first year commencing unit, a 10 minute refresher discussion with ‘Experienced’ students or a reminder just before an assessment task is due.  Please amend/re-design to meet your Unit and student needs.

• Suggested Lecture/Tutorial Slides for a foundational unit in the early weeks
• Suggested Lecture/Tutorial Slides for a 10 minute session in non-foundational units in the early weeks
• Suggested Lecture/Tutorial Slides for a 10 minute session prior to assessment submission

The Senior Learning Advisers and Learning Designers can support you develop a culture of academic integrity with your students:

Senior Learning Advisers can support you in the promotion and teaching of academic integrity as part of embedded communication skills in the commencing course units.

If you would like to find out who your School Learning Adviser is, click here: Senior Learning Advisers

More information on the embedding of communication skills in your unit can be sourced from the Course Learning Outcomes tab in the Learning Intranet.

Academic Developers and Learning Designers can assist you with teaching quality. For more information and to find out who your School Learning Designer is go to Teaching Quality in the Staff Intranet under Professional Services.