Academic Integrity: More than just avoiding misconduct

Academic Integrity Week begins October 14. This week isn’t about how much trouble you're in or how many things you've done wrong. Academic Integrity Week is about closing the knowledge gap between students and potential academic misconduct. 

Academic Integrity? Academic Misconduct? How are they different? 

Academic integrity refers to the practices, processes and values that demonstrate good research and study habits. On the other hand, academic misconduct most often happens unintentionally and comes from a lack of awareness about what the best practices are. This week-long event organized by the Chancellor Cuthbertson Student Success Centre, seeks to eliminate this knowledge gap. 

What are our values? 

Integrity is a cornerstone of the UCalgary’s community values and a standard we all share in maintaining. Garrett Beatty is an Academic Integrity and Student Success Initiatives specialist at the Chancellor Cuthbertson Student Success Centre (SSC). Inspired by an indigenous framework, he hopes will change student perception of academic integrity: “I am very much guided by the work of incredible Indigenous scholars in this space like Keeta Gladue and Dr. Yvonne Poitras-Pratt, who've done some incredible work around Indigenous academic integrity. Thinking about academic integrity in this way is quite transformative”, Garrett says. This framework is centered around three core values: 

Relationality: Recognizing our connections to knowledge sources and others 

Respect: Honouring the ideas and work of those who have influenced our thinking 

Reciprocity: Giving back through proper acknowledgment 

Garrett encourages students to see integrity as something more human and connected, “When you start to think about integrity through those lenses, it doesn't feel quite as scary or as threatening, and I hope that it will make students feel that it is a relational responsibility that we have to each other.” 

How can students navigate AI and AI? (Artificial intelligence and Academic Integrity)  

AI is undoubtedly the biggest hurdle when it comes to maintaining academic integrity. Hence the SSC has designed workshops to help students integrate AI into their learning in an ethical way: “It can't be an abstinence only approach” says Garrett, “Students need to learn how to use AI to support their learning, not replace [their learning]”. Using AI as a collaborative tool and how to collaborate with study groups or project partners ethically is a skill the SSC can help you understand. 

It pays to be prepared 

Unexpected stressors can derail even the most prepared of students. This is why time management skills are not only crucial in setting you up for success but in upholding the community of academic integrity, “We want every student to be as equipped as they can to face the unexpected stresses life throws at you”, Garret continues, ”Do you have practices around managing your time and handling multiple deadlines or multiple priorities? If not, come to the Student Success Centre. We have a team of people that can help you with that”. Students can also download the Academic Integrity student handbook.