Creating a Culture of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is about so much more than just not cheating or plagiarizing. At KPU, we are striving to develop a culture of academic integrity through a holistic approach where all members of the university community are supported in ways that ensure academic work is conducted ethically and with integrity. This culture of academic integrity is promoted through a focus on awareness, prevention, and approaches to academic integrity breaches.
Approaches to Academic Integrity
Academic integrity breaches, such as plagiarism and cheating, cause harm to students, faculty, future employers, and the reputation of KPU. Universities can respond to these breaches punitively, educatively or restoratively.
KPU’s Student Academic Integrity Policy promotes educative and restorative approaches.
- The punitive approach often isolates and stigmatizes students, potentially leading to resentment or further disengagement.
- The educative approach seeks to support students in learning about academic integrity, developing needed skills, and being proactive.
- The restorative approach seeks to engage the student and the faculty in a constructive process, promoting personal growth, relationality and community reintegration.
Educative and restorative approaches are complementary and, when blended, can provide an effective way to address academic integrity breaches.
Punitive | Educative | Restorative |
Focus: rule centered, enforcing rules through penalties | Focus: Individual centered, development focused | Focus: relationship-centered |
Aims for prevention through individual and collective deterrence | Aims to teach and prevent | Aims to heal and restore people and relationships |
Process: unilateral decisions by authorities to impose sanctions | Process: instruction, tutorials, workshops, or assignments designed to educate
| Process: involves dialogue about impact, factors leading to the breach, and how to repair harm and prevent future misconduct |
Outcome: enforce rules and deter future breaches through punishment | Outcome: enhance understanding and skills related to academic integrity
| Outcome: repair harm and restore trust |
Why take an educative approach?
While many universities have historically taken a punitive and reactive approach to academic dishonesty that is focused on rule compliance, there has been widespread recognition that this has limited success in the prevention of academic dishonesty, and that a more educative, holistic, and proactive approach is needed.[1][2] Academic integrity research indicates that an educative approach to academic integrity can be an effective way to prevent academic integrity breaches.[3] Such an approach allows for deeper consideration of the complex factors contributing to academic misconduct and student success in general. Addressing academic integrity from an educative and holistic standpoint aligns with KPU’s Vision 2026 around KPU being supportive, inclusive, and focused on continuous improvement and collective responsibility.[4]
An educative approach considers academic integrity as:
- Not solely an ethical or moral issue, but also as developmental and skills-based
- Culturally informed
- An area where academic misconduct procedures are one part of a bigger picture that also includes education and prevention strategies
What can an educative approach look like at KPU?
- Promoting academic integrity as a shared responsibility throughout the institution
- Recognizing and addressing diverse cultural understandings of academic integrity as well as root causes of academic misconduct
- Communicating institutional expectations around academic integrity explicitly and often
- Educating students about why academic integrity is important and the impact of academic misconduct on the university community
- Helping students develop skills that enable academic integrity
- Ensuring students can access institutional resources to support them in learning with integrity
- Using academic misconduct meetings and investigations as formative opportunities as well as having meaningful consequences for students
Why take a restorative approach?
A restorative justice approach to addressing academic integrity breaches focuses on repairing the harm caused by misconduct rather than punishing the student. When used alongside the educative approach, this method offers several benefits including:
Promotes Accountability and Understanding
- Personal Responsibility: Students who engage in restorative justice processes must take responsibility for their actions, acknowledging the harm they caused.
- Understanding Impact: It helps students understand the broader consequences of their actions on peers, educators, and the institution, fostering empathy and awareness.
Supports Educational Growth
- Teachable Moments: Instead of only penalizing students, restorative justice provides an opportunity for education and reflection, turning the breach into a learning experience.
- Skill Development: Students develop important life skills such as conflict resolution, effective communication, and ethical decision-making.
González found that RJ approaches reduced suspensions by fostering dialogue and mutual understanding among students and staff.[5]
Reduces Recidivism
- Behavioral Change: By addressing the root causes of the breach and encouraging personal growth, restorative justice reduces the likelihood of repeat offenses.
- Positive Reinforcement: Fostering a supportive environment helps students feel more connected to the academic community, which can deter future breaches.
For example, a study by Gregory et al. highlighted that high schools implementing restorative justice practices experienced a notable decrease in disciplinary referrals and suspensions, while simultaneously improving student-teacher relationships and school climate.[6]
Fosters Relationship, Community and Collaboration
- Relationship and Community Building: Restorative justice emphasizes repairing relationships and rebuilding trust within the academic community including faculty, peers and administrators.
- Collaborative Solutions: It involves all parties (students, educators, and administrators) in finding solutions, promoting a sense of shared responsibility and mutual support.
Enhances Institutional Culture
- Ethical Environment: Implementing restorative practices contributes to a culture of integrity and respect, aligning with the educational mission of fostering moral and ethical development.
- Supportive Atmosphere: A restorative approach demonstrates the institution's commitment to student well-being, making it clear that the focus is on growth rather than punishment.
Improves Outcomes for All Parties
- Satisfaction: Those affected by the breach (e.g., classmates, educators) have a voice in the process and can achieve a sense of closure and resolution.
- Fairness and Transparency: Restorative justice ensures that breach resolutions are perceived as fair and just, reducing feelings of resentment and promoting trust in the institution.
Adapts to Individual Needs
- Responsiveness: Restorative justice practices can be adapted to fit the specific circumstances of each case, offering more personalized and meaningful resolutions.
- Support Systems: Students receive support through mentoring, counseling, and educational resources, addressing any underlying issues that contributed to the breach.
Restorative justice has been found to address inequities in school discipline by offering an alternative to exclusionary practices that disproportionately affect marginalized groups.[7]
Overall, a restorative justice approach to academic integrity breaches not only addresses the immediate issue but also contributes to the long-term development of ethical, responsible, and engaged members of the academic community.
What can a restorative justice approach look like at KPU?
Once a breach is detected, the instructor can reach out to the student for a conversation to explore the intentionality and responsibility for the academic integrity breach. A student needs to take some responsibility to engage in a restorative process. If the student takes responsibility for the breach, the conversation can move to one framed around restorative justice questions. The instructor can enquire about what led up to the breach and explore underlying issues. They will also share the impacts of academic integrity and how the harm arising can be repaired and future breaches prevented.
The student and instructor will then work together to create an agreement on how to address the academic integrity breach. The agreement will be emailed to the student and they will confirm receipt of that email. If the agreement is completed in the time agreed upon, the matter will be closed.
Engaging in a restorative process is voluntary. If the student or instructor chooses not to have the restorative conversation, the breach can be dealt with an informal educative approach or the matter can be referred formally to the University representative who may offer a restorative approach or another resolution.
More resources on taking a restorative approach to academic integrity breaches can be found on our Restorative Justice SharePoint page.
[1] Gallant, T. B. (2008). Academic integrity in the twenty-first century: A teaching and learning imperative. Jossey-Bass.
[2] Sefcik, L., Striepe, M., & Yorke, J. (2020). Mapping the landscape of academic integrity education programs: What approaches are effective? Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(1), 30-43.
[3] Fudge, A., Ulpen, T., Bilic, S., Picard, M., & Carter, C. (2022). Does an educative approach work? A reflective case study of how two Australian higher education enabling programs support students and staff uphold a responsible culture of academic integrity. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 18(1), 1-20.
[5] González, T. (2015). Socializing schools: Addressing racial disparities in discipline through restorative justice. Closing the School Discipline Gap. 151-165.
[6] Gregory, A., Clawson, K., Davis, A., & Gerewitz, J. (2014). The promise of restorative practices to transform teacher-student relationships and achieve equity in school discipline. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 26(4), 325–353.
[7] Payne, A. A., & Welch, K. (2015). Restorative justice in schools: The influence of race on restorative discipline. Youth & Society, 47(4), 539–564.