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What is Academic Integrity?

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 core values of academic integrity: honesty, courage, trust, responsibility, fairness, respect

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

If your professor suspects Academic Misconduct in some of 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 academic misconduct issues with the Registrar's office

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

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

Image source: "6 Fundamental values of integrity" by Taylor Institute, University of Calgary, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

6 Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity

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

honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. 

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

Academic Integrity Modules

All first semester students must complete the Georgian College's Academic Integrity Modules (AIM).

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

Academic Misconduct - Consequences

Penalties for Academic Misconduct range in severity, depending on the situation and the number of prior academic misconduct issues.

The initial penalties for academic integrity offences at Georgian College may include:

  • verbal warning
  • resubmitting work
  • mark of zero in the work involved

Depending on the academic misconduct, your professor may also ask you to complete additional academic integrity training, attend a workshop or seek individual help to ensure that you can learn from the mistake and move on to be successful in your future assignments.

Academic Misconduct offences are recorded by the Registrar's office.

After one or more offences, penalties increase in severity and may also include:

  • mark of zero in the course (after multiple offences)
  • suspension from the college for one or more semesters
  • dismissal from program or college for varying periods of time

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

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 April 25, 2023, from https://cat.georgiancollege.ca/academic-regulations/integrity/

International Center for Academic Integrity. (n.d.). Fundamental values. https://academicintegrity.org/resources/fundamental-values (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

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