Academic Integrity Policy
The reputation of Dublin City University and of its graduates depends on upholding the highest quality standards of academic integrity. The University is responsible for upholding academic integrity through its policy, which is underpinned by its procedures and practices.
DCU is part of the National Academic Integrity Network (NAIN) which provides guidance to Higher Education Institutions, leading to a common understanding at national level on the ‘…understanding of what actions and behaviours constitute ‘academic integrity’ and ‘academic misconduct’…’[1] and which defines the individual and collective responsibility with respect to academic integrity. The policy presented below, reflects the national framework and guidelines.
[1] QQI (2021), Academic Integrity Guidelines, National Academic Integrity Network, pg. 4. Available at: https://www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2021-11/academic-integrity-guide…
This policy and the associated procedures apply to all individuals at Dublin City University engaged in academic work, including all registered students, and those who teach and support teaching and/or are engaged in the assessment of academic work, which contributes to credits or an award or other forms of recognition of learning.
DCU has adopted the following definition of Academic Integrity as adopted by the National Academic Integrity Network and taken from the European Network for Academic Integrity: Compliance with ethical and professional principles, standards and practices and consistent system of values that serves as guidance for making decisions and taking actions in education, research and scholarship. Academic Integrity reflects a commitment to ethical behaviours and practices which support learning and assessment of this learning.[1]
All individuals at Dublin City University engaged in academic work, including all registered students, and those who teach and support teaching and/or are engaged in the assessment of academic work are required to uphold the principles and values of academic integrity.
All suspected cases of academic misconduct will be investigated.
[1] European Network for Academic Integrity (2018), Glossary for Academic Integrity. Available at: http://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/glossary/
DCU expects adherence to the following academic integrity values by all those engaged in academic work, including all registered students, and those who teach and support teaching and/or are engaged in assessment of academic work.
Academic Integrity is based on the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage[1] including the courage to act with integrity.
[1] International Centre for Academic Integrity (2019), The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity, Third Edition. Available at: https://academicintegrity.org/images/pdfs/20019_ICAI-Fundamental-Values…
DCU expects adherence to the following academic integrity principles by all those engaged in academic work, including all registered students, and those who teach and support teaching and/or are engaged in the assessment of academic work:
- DCU is committed to creating and fostering a culture of academic integrity and empowering both students and all staff to act ethically with respect to academic integrity;
- DCU aims to embed academic integrity in curriculum and assessment design;
- All those engaged in academic work, including all registered students, will contribute to a culture of academic integrity by acting ethically and according to DCU’s academic integrity values;
- DCU will provide Academic Integrity information and resource to the DCU Community, to support the development of good practices in maintaining academic integrity and to address academic misconduct;
- DCU is committed to using transparent, robust and fair processes to deal with allegations of misconduct when they arise.
DCU has adopted the following definition of Academic Misconduct as adopted by the National Academic Integrity Network and taken from the European Network for Academic Integrity: Morally culpable behaviours perpetrated by individuals or institutions that transgress ethical standards held in common between other individuals and/or groups in institutions of education, research or scholarship.[1]
Academic misconduct can be either intentional or inadvertent[2]. It may also involve coercive behaviour from third parties.
Alleged academic misconduct will be managed according to the Procedure for Academic Misconduct Investigation and Sanction.
Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to the following: [3]
- Submitting work as your own for assessment, which has been done in whole or in part by someone else: a peer; a family member; friend or commercially or otherwise by a third party for an agreed fee;
- Submitting unauthorised Generative Artificial Intelligence generated work
- Plagiarism: Presenting work / ideas taken from other sources without proper acknowledgement;
- Multi-submission/Self plagiarism: i.e., resubmission of parts of a piece of your own work that was previously submitted for credit without prior consultation with the module co-ordinator;
- Selling or providing previously completed assignments to other learners with the explicit intention of undermining academic integrity;
- Falsifying references and documentation;
- Breaches of Examination Regulation (please see Examination Regulations)
- Cheating in continuous assessments (e.g., collusion or using essay mills or other homework help sites);
- Misrepresenting research (e.g., data fabrication, data falsification, misinterpretation);
- Bribery;
- Improper use of technology, laboratories or other equipment;
- Doing some or all of a peer's assignment for them;
- Sharing or selling the intellectual property of staff or the institution to third parties without permission.[4]
[1] European Network for Academic Integrity (2018), Glossary for Academic Integrity. Available at: http://www.academicintegrity.eu/wp/glossary/
[2] QQI (2021), Academic Integrity Guidelines, National Academic Integrity Network. Available at: https://www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2021-11/academic-integrity-guide…
[3] QQI (2021), Academic Integrity Guidelines, National Academic Integrity Network. Available at: https://www.qqi.ie/sites/default/files/2021-11/academic-integrity-guide…
[4] Those engaged in academic work should also have regard to the University’s ‘Intellectual Property Policy’.
Ownership of the Academic Integrity Policy is within the remit of the Office of the Vice-President Academic Affairs. The Academic Integrity policy and its associated Procedure for Academic Misconduct Investigation and Sanction is overseen by the Dean of Teaching and Learning and implemented by all those who teach and support teaching and/or are engaged in the assessment of academic work.
The Dean of Teaching and Learning together with the Teaching Enhancement Unit will provide Academic Integrity information and resources to the DCU community to support the development of good practices in maintaining academic integrity.
It is the responsibility of all those engaged in academic work, including all registered students, to familiarise themselves with the Academic Integrity Policy and related Procedure for Academic Misconduct Investigation and Sanction.
Those involved in delivering a module or supervising research must refer students to the University’s Academic Integrity Policy and to the central resources which support it.
It is the responsibility of the learner to be familiar with the academic protocols, rules and conventions that relate to the assessment of their module/programme. Learners should ensure that all work submitted by way of assessment is fully their own, or in group work, that of the group. They should also ensure that all the assessment items they submit are the assessment artefacts for which they wish to be assessed.[1]
[1] Framework for Academic Misconduct Investigation and Case Management, National Academic Integrity Network (draft)
The penalty at School/Faculty level for academic misconduct will be proportionate to the nature and scale of the offence. Offences committed in later years of an undergraduate programme will generally be regarded as more serious than similar offences in earlier years.
In cases where academic misconduct is alleged subsequent to the awarding of credit, DCU may invoke this policy, the policy for the Revocation of University Awards or Credits, or the Research Integrity Policy and may, if the allegations are upheld and the offence serious, revoke the credits or award given.
All penalties for academic misconduct will be greater than the penalty for submitting poor work or none. If the allegation is upheld, local penalties may include:
- A zero mark for an assessment component and a requirement to resubmit the assessment component. Additional work may be imposed.
- A zero mark for the complete assessment and a requirement to resubmit the complete assessment. Additional work may be imposed.
- A zero mark for the module and the requirement to resit the module or repeat it in the following academic session. Additional work may be imposed.
The full implication of the penalty must be made clear to the student, including potential impact for progression and/or award.
In egregious cases, the University Disciplinary Committee may impose higher sanctions, including suspension from the University for a year or permanent exclusion from the University.
Students are required to submit a completed Student Declaration of Academic Integrity or the statement from the Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees by Research and Thesis, in the case of work submitted for a research award. In all cases students must make a declaration of academic integrity, either by physically completing such a declaration and submitting it with their assignment or engaging appropriately with the electronic version of the declaration on Loop. Assignments submitted such that the form has not been included, or the electronic equivalent has been circumvented, will not be accepted.
Submitted assessments and theses may be subjected to electronic review and analysed electronically for plagiarism, collusion, generative AI content, etc.
- Student Code of Conduct and Discipline
- DCU Student Charter
- Policy for the Revocation of University Awards and Credits
- Code of Good Research Practice
- Research Integrity Policy
- DCU Procedures for Responding to Allegations of Research Misconduct
- Code of Practice on Authorship
- Assessment and Feedback in Teaching and Learning at DCU
- Examination Regulations
Any queries regarding this policy can be directed to the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
This policy and associated procedure will be reviewed by University Standards Committee after the first year of operation and thereafter, every three years of operation. Any updated policy will be referred to Academic Council for approval.
|
Document Name |
Academic Integrity Policy |
|
Unit Owner |
Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs / Registrar |
|
Version Reference |
Original Version 5.0 |
|
Approved by |
Academic Council |
|
Effective Date |
June 6th 2023 |