Approaches to Academic Integrity
Alina Zahid here, currently a staff member and a student at the University of Waterloo, working in the Office of Academic Integrity. The University is incredibly diverse in the Faculties and programs available on campus - so I set out to learn more about how certain Faculties discuss academic integrity. Here’s what I found.
The Faculty of Science seems to discuss certain topics surrounding academic integrity frequently. For instance, when speaking to a friend in the chemistry department, they mentioned that there is a strong focus on proper citation and referencing skills when going over the syllabus for science-based courses. Also, pre-labs, lab reports, and post-lab discussions are critical assignments, and professors emphasize the consequences of misconduct if written materials aren’t cited/referenced correctly. Clear guidelines on how to avoid plagiarism are often crucial parts of early coursework to prevent misconduct in this Faculty.
As I’m in the department of architectural engineering, I can speak from my own experience in the Faculty of Engineering. I feel that academic integrity is briefly mentioned, but not as frequently as it should be. It’s quickly raised in the context of not using generative AI (GenAI) for assignments or being told to avoid cheating. However, beyond that, it doesn’t seem to be a focal point in this Faculty. The reason for this may be that more attention is given to technical skills and applications. As well as some possible assumptions that students already know about Waterloo’s policies, values, and academic integrity when they enter their first year.
The Faculty of Arts seems to approach academic integrity from various angles. For example, when speaking to a friend in the department of Psychology, they mentioned Policy 71 has been mentioned throughout their academic career. From being brought up before online quizzes, to several different syllabi referring to it, and then being mentioned at the end of assignment instructions. Policy 71 is definitely a major academic integrity topic in this Faculty when it comes to assessments and assignments.
This is just a snapshot of my experience and does not cover all the Faculties. However, it’s become apparent to me that more concise messaging surrounding academic integrity is needed across all Faculties, as these are core values and skills that will follow students throughout their academic careers and into the workplace. For this reason, I see the Office of Academic Integrity as a space for students to find updated, concise, and simplified content regarding all things academic integrity related. I hope more students will come to rely on the office as a tool to support them!