Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a fundamental value of any university community. As a principle, it assumes that all student interactions with the academic institution are entered into in the spirit of honesty. In particular, this value gives the student responsibility for ensuring that all assignments that they submit for academic purposes are their own work.

Breaches in academic integrity are sometimes called academic misconduct. This often involves the student submitting work that is not their own, in whole or part. Breaches of this kind include: plagiarism, unauthorised use of generative artificial intelligence, contract cheating, collusion, reuse of previously assessed work, cheating in examinations, and aiding other students’ cheating. Understanding different types of academic misconduct is crucial for students and instructors, so they can recognise when the standards of academic integrity have not been upheld.

Preserving academic integrity is vitally important within an academic community: it influences the reputation of the university and perceptions of the graduate’s learning and their academic qualifications.

University of Galway has an Academic Integrity Policy that sets out the code of practice for dealing with instances where students breach academic integrity by engaging in academic misconduct. The Academic Integrity Office is central to implementing, evaluating, and refining this policy and its associated processes.

Academic Integrity Office Staff

Dr Justin Tonra
Academic Integrity Officer

Micheál Ó Cadhain
Academic Integrity Support Officer

Contact Us
academicintegrity@universityofgalway.ie