To achieve a systemic, consistent, and contemporary approach to the promotion and management of academic integrity at UniSA, the TIU works collaboratively with all Academic Units, UniSA Online, Central Units, and USASA to reduce risks of academic misconduct. To do this, we work across four priority areas: education, communication, governance and systems. These areas reflect the Universities Australia Academic Integrity Best Practice Principles.[1] Through these priority areas, we aim to build trust and empowerment in managing academic integrity.
[1] Universities Australia Academic Integrity Best Practice Principles (2017)
A collaborative approach to support students and staff (including Academic Integrity Officers) to understand and practice academic integrity.
UniSA promotes an educative approach to the management of academic integrity. This includes, but is not limited to, understanding how to act with integrity in teaching and learning, and the processes associated with detection and investigation of academic misconduct. We also believe in embedding academic integrity practices through programmatic course design, planning of assessment and learning activities as critical elements of promoting academic integrity.
The UniSA academic integrity community, made up predominantly of Academic Integrity Officers and Academic Support Officers across all Academic Units and UniSA Online, in addition to the TIU, are at the forefront of ensuring the educative approach to the management of academic integrity is upheld across the University of South Australia.
Establishing a positive culture around academic integrity is essential to improve staff and student knowledge and trust in academic integrity practices at UniSA.
UniSA has a strong organisational culture which underpins our success as a university. To maintain our reputational excellence in teaching and learning, we endeavour to maintain a positive risk culture in academic integrity.
Through having a communication strategy, we aim to improve awareness of academic integrity and stimulate positive conversations about acting with integrity.
Management of academic integrity across the University requires clear and consistent policies and procedures. By embedding business continuity management processes, we will ensure compliance, appropriate risk management, and governance of academic integrity at UniSA.
The Higher Education Standards Framework[1] (HESF) stipulates that universities must take action to mitigate foreseeable risk to academic integrity and prevent recurrences of breaches (Standard 5.2.2). Furthermore, the university is required to monitor and take appropriate actions to address the underlying causes of breaches of academic integrity (Standard 6.2.1j). The TIU identifies new and emerging threats and develops and collates resources for the UniSA (need to link SharePoint) Academic Integrity Network.
The TIU Academic Integrity portfolio team works with Academic Units and the Student and Academic Services (SAS) unit to ensure the policies and associated procedures are distributed to the academic integrity community and new members are aware of the contents. The TIU flowchart (needs a link) describes the procedures for managing suspected or determined cases of academic misconduct.
[1] Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
Leveraging technology to improve consistency in reporting, visibility of trends, and therefore compliance underpins this priority area.
HESF[1] states that universities (as providers) must demonstrate to TEQSA[2] how they remain abreast of any occurrences of academic misconduct. Specifically, Standard 7.3.c of the HESF requires universities to document and record responses to formal complaints, allegations of misconduct, breaches of academic or research integrity and critical incidents. The TIU undertake this reporting annually.
[1]Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
Each UniSA unit has at least one Academic Integrity Officer (AIO) that oversees each case of suspected academic misconduct.
Staff and students at UniSA have access to a variety of academic integrity learning resources, including the Academic Integrity Modules developed by SEU.