Nazarbayev University LibGuides: I did not Plagiarize! Think Again: Academic Integrity

What is Academic Integrity?

Exemplary Academic Integrity Project or EAIP (2013) adopted the definition of academic integrity as “acting with the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in learning, teaching, and research.”

Academic integrity is the foundation of an authentic and trustworthy academic community. Every deed is built on trust and anything emanating from a falsified work or stolen idea is destroyed and creates a bad reputation for the university (University of Guelph Library, n.d.).

One example of a dishonest act is cheating.

As defined by the Center for Student Conduct of the UC Berkeley, cheating is “defined as fraud, deceit, or dishonesty in an academic assignment, or using or attempting to use materials, or assisting others in using materials that are prohibited or inappropriate in the context of the academic assignment in question.”

References:

The Center for Student Conduct. (n.d.). Definitions & examples of academic misconduct. Retrieved from https://sa.berkeley.edu/conduct/integrity/definition

Exemplary Academic Integrity Project (EAIP). (2013). Academic integrity toolkit: Office for Learning and Teaching Strategic Commissioned Project 2012-2013. Retrieved from www.unisa.edu.au/EAIP

University of Guelph. (n.d.). Plagiarism and academic integrity. Retrieved from https://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/get-assistance/writing/citations/plagiarism-academic-integrity

Academic Integrity in Nazarbayev University

Launch in June 2021, the NU Integrity Project is an initiative that aims to promote integrity among student communities. It also aims to uphold integrity as a way of life and as a commitment to fundamental values of honesty, respect, trust and responsibility.

The Project also aims to:

Create opportunities for students to demonstrate creative thinking on significant academic and professional issues;
Meet challenges: Promote Academic Integrity as a life philosophy and life principle. Integrity goes far beyond academia.
Encourage students to make input toward thought-decision-action-responsibility;
Promote student collaboration among Kazakhstani and International students, students of High Schools, Universities and Educational organizations, Employers; and
Make project consistent, with tangible outcomes, sustainable.

It also includes some useful and valuable resources such as links, videos, and articles on upholding integrity and avoiding plagiarism to guide students on their journey towards integrity.

Reference:

NU Integrity Project (2021). About the project. Retrieved August 5, 2020 from http://integrity.nu.edu.kz/en/#1.

The NU Student Code of Conduct states that "plagiarism is prohibited and punishable and is considered as an academic misconduct. Plagiarism case always ends up with a disciplinary panel meeting and could lead a student to expulsion from the University."

For a copy of the NU Student Handbook AY 2017-18, follow this link.

student handbook

The NU Student Code of Conduct enumerated various forms of cheating. It is considered cheating when a student:

gains or provides unauthorized access to examination materials;
uses notes, mobile phones, books, calculators or other materials/devices during an examination without the permission of the instructor;
copies from another student’s exam sheet with or without their permission or allows a student to copy from their exam sheet;
obstructs or interferes with another student’s efforts in an academic exercise;
states a dishonest reason in a request for an extension for an exam or paper;
continues to write even when time is up during an exam;
talks during an examination period;
asks another student take an examination or quiz;
commits any other action that gives a student an unfair advantage during an examination period or on any assignment being graded for credit;
assists in, facilitates, organizes or arranges any of the above-mentioned actions.

To access the document, click here.

Other Related Sources

There are a number of resources and links that you can consult to learn more about academic integrity.

University Module Series: Integrity and Ethics: Organized by the UNODC: The Doha Declaration: Promoting a Culture of Lawfulness through the Education for Justice (E4J) initiative, the University Module Series: Integrity and Ethics modules about integrity and ethics in selected languages provides practical lectures aiming to enhance student's awareness and commitment as well as honing their skills in upholding integrity as a way of life.
Australian Government: Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA): Australia's national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education that also provides valuable resources about academic integrity.