Academic Integrity: major changes for 2022

Important changes to the Student Academic Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Student Academic Misconduct Procedures are being implemented in 2022. These changes were made based on recommendations from the extensive 2020 review into academic integrity at ACU.

Major changes include:

• a compulsory ‘Student Academic Integrity Module’ (Student AIM) for all students
  • students only need to do this once (not every year)
  • this module will be promoted and run centrally and is not the responsibility of LICs, schools or faculties
• the introduction of a finding of ‘poor academic practice’
  • this is not a formal breach
  • available for inexperienced students only in cases where a misunderstanding has occurred and the impact on the assessment task has been minor
• a single level of breach
  • removal of minor, moderate and major breaches
• the ability to require the student to complete mandatory education
  • in addition to, or replacing, any academic penalty.

Changes to the investigation and decision-making process for suspected academic misconduct

There will be a significant change to the sequence of decision making for academic integrity issues. New academic assignments, known as Academic Integrity Officers (AIOs), have been created within the Schools/Faculties (or equivalent). AIOs will have the primary responsibility for investigating allegations of academic misconduct.

A new Academic Integrity Team within the Centre for Education and Innovation (CEI) will be responsible for receiving allegations of misconduct from AIOs, case management and record keeping.

Read about the new process for suspected academic misconduct and the role of Academic Integrity Officers

Staff training in academic integrity

Relevant staff will now be required to undertake online training modules about academic integrity:

• Staff AIM (academic integrity module), and
• Assessment marker training

More details about the staff training modules will be provided when they are available for completion. No action is required at this time.

Visit the CEI website for more information on these and other Academic Integrity matters.

If you have any queries, please contact academic.integrity@acu.edu.au.