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Academic Integrity for Georgian Students

What is Academic Integrity?

Academic integrity values: fairness, honestly, trust, respect, responsibility, courage

Students are expected to act with academic integrity throughout their studies at Georgian College, in alignment with the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI)'s Fundamental Values.

This includes the obligation to

  • acknowledge sources;
  • protect one’s work;
  • avoid suspicion, falsification and fabrication; and
  • to tell the truth.

If your professor suspects a breach of academic integrity in your work, they will:

  • notify you of their concerns and ask to discuss the issue with you
  • inform and consult with the program coordinator
  • check for previous breaches of academic integrity with the Registrar's office

Review the Georgian College Academic Integrity Regulations for full details about academic integrity and breaches, including definitions, policies and procedures, and consequences.

This guide will provide you with information and resources to help you avoid breaches of academic integrity.

Image source: "The wheel of academic integrity"  ©  Brianna Fraser, used under fair dealing.

What are the 6 fundamental values of Academic Integrity?

The International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI) (2021) has identified 6 fundamental values for academic integrity:

The ICAI's Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity, Third Edition [PDF], identifies ways to demonstrate each of the 6 values:

Honesty

  • Be truthful
  • Give credit to the owner of the work (i.e., musician, author, artist, speaker etc.)
  • Keep promises
  • Provide factual evidence
  • Aspire to objectivity, consider all sides and one's own potential preconceptions

Trust

  • Clearly state expectations and follow through
  • Promote transparency in values, processes, and outcomes
  • Trust others
  • Give credence
  • Encourage mutual understanding
  • Act with genuineness

Fairness

  • Apply rules and policies consistently
  • Engage with others equitably
  • Keep an open-mind
  • Be objective
  • Take responsibility for your own actions

Respect

  • Practice active listening
  • Receive feedback willingly
  • Accept that others’ thoughts and ideas have validity
  • Show empathy
  • Seek open communication
  • Affirm others and accept differences
  • Recognize the consequences of our words and actions on others

Responsibility

  • Hold yourself accountable for your actions
  • Engage with others in difficult conversations, even when silence might be easier
  • Know and follow institutional rules and conduct codes
  • Create, understand, and respect personal boundaries
  • Follow through with tasks and expectations
  • Model good behavior

Courage

  • Be brave even when others might not
  • Take a stand to address a wrongdoing and support others doing the same
  • Endure discomfort for something you believe in
  • Be undaunted in defending integrity
  • Be willing to take risk and risk failure

How can I learn about Academic Integrity at Georgian?

online trainingAll first semester students must complete the Georgian College's Academic Integrity Modules (AIM). These should show up in your Blackboard courses.

To access the Academic Integrity Module:

  1. Log into Blackboard
  2. Look for the AIM course, labeled "Academic Integrity Module" in your list of courses
  3. Click on the course to login and complete

Information about the modules, troubleshooting, and other resources can be found on the Academic Integrity Module page on the student portal.

Image source: Online training by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

Why do Breaches of Academic Integrity Matter?

A breach of academic integrity is recorded on your student record at the Registrar's Office. While some breaches of integrity are intentional, they can also be an indication that a student isn't completing their academic work honestly, or is having difficulty with course material and assignments, is overwhelmed, or struggling in another way.

Breaches of Academic Integrity:

  • are cumulative - a second or third breach (even if in different courses or semesters) 
  • can affect your grade in a course, your ability to successfully pass the course, or your ability to progress through your college program
  • can have an effect on your future success
  • can often be avoided, if students complete their work honestly and ask for help when needed

While breaches of Academic Integrity may have different names and slightly different definitions at different academic institutions, you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the Academic Integrity regulations at Georgian during your time here!

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this page is adapted from "Academic Integrity for Students" by Centennial College Libraries, licensed under a CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0.

References

Georgian College. (n.d.). 8. Academic integrity. Retrieved August 9, 2024, from https://cat.georgiancollege.ca/academic-regulations/integrity/

International Centre for Academic Integrity. (2021). The fundamental values of academic integrity (3rd ed.). https://academicintegrity.org/images/pdfs/20019_ICAI-Fundamental-Values_R12.pdf