Academic Integrity

Six Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity

The International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI) has identified six fundamental values of academic integrity to generate positive conversations about integrity: 

  1. Honesty: The quality of being honest, legitimate, truthful.  All other values of academic integrity have some basis in honesty. Honest individuals take stock of individual abilities and represent their effort fairly.
  2. Trust: The assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something. Trust in other people and in your community eases working relationships. Trust is established in a system where all members are doing their best work, where structures and policies are fair and all will be treated fairly.
  3. Fairness: Goes hand in hand with trust. Every individual should believe that they will be treated fairly and judged by the same standard as all others in the community. For example, you can trust that your professors will evaluate all work fairly and not favor one person over another. The best work comes out of a fair system.
  4. Respect: Allows for individual points of view and opinions to be shared. Students show respect by listening to other points of view, being prepared, meeting deadlines, and performing to the best of their ability. Instructors show respect by listening to students’ ideas and providing full and honest feedback.
  5. Responsibility: Acknowledging your agency and accountability in daily actions and in your work. Everyone is personally invested in performing their work with integrity and encourages others to act with integrity too. Academic integrity starts with individuals and positively influences the entire community.
  6. Courage: The capacity to act in accordance with one's values despite fear. Members of academic communities must learn to make decisions that demonstrate academic integrity and display the courage necessary to act on those decisions. 

Source: International Center for Academic Integrity [ICAI]. (2021). The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity. (3rd ed.). https://www.academicintegrity.org/aws/ICAI/pt/sp/values