Academic integrity is central to everything we do at Charles Sturt University. It’s about being honest, fair, respectful, and accountable in all aspects of our learning, teaching, and research.
Academic integrity ensures our qualifications represent true achievement and high standards, benefiting students, staff, and the university’s reputation. It also prepares our graduates to enter the workforce as responsible professionals, valued by employers and the organisations they will engage with throughout their careers.
At Charles Sturt University, building a culture of integrity is a shared commitment. We believe in an educative approach that focuses on guidance and support to create an environment where integrity is integrated into the university experience.
Our Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure outlines the responsibilities of staff, students, and the university in upholding academic integrity, with a strong emphasis on education and support. When there is a concern about a potential breach of academic integrity, staff responsible for managing allegations of academic misconduct will follow the Student Misconduct Rule 2020, which provides a structured process for investigating and addressing these concerns.
Our team plays a key role in supporting a cohesive, university-wide approach to academic integrity. We’re here to:
Thoughtful design of assessments is one of the most effective ways to promote academic integrity. By carefully considering assessment security, student engagement and learning outcomes, academics can support genuine learning and academic integrity. Information on how to design assessments that promote academic integrity can be found on the Division of Learning and Teaching's designing for academic integrity page.
Discussing academic integrity with your students sets clear expectations and fosters a culture of responsibility. When students understand the importance of academic integrity and the standards they are expected to uphold, they are more likely to apply these principles in their work and make good ethical decisions. Throughout their studies, students will receive information about academic integrity during orientation, in the academic integrity subject, the academic integrity website, the GenAI website, and in their subject outlines. While these resources are important, real-life conversations with teaching staff are invaluable in supporting academic integrity and guiding students towards success.
Feedback on a student’s work is an important tool for learning, growth, and improvement. When feedback is constructive and specific, not only does it encourage students to reflect on their work, and make meaningful improvements, it also helps them to learn how to take responsibility for their learning. This is critical for upholding academic integrity. For more information on providing effective feedback and designing educative rubrics and other feedback opportunities, visit the Division of Learning and Teaching's feedback page. To get the most value out of their feedback, students can be directed to the 'Before you start your assignment' section in the Student Portal.
When students have access to the right resources at the right time, such as tutoring, academic counselling, or writing support, they are better equipped to succeed. These services provide students with guidance needed to navigate academic challenges, reducing the likelihood of practices that could lead to academic misconduct. By encouraging students to seek help when needed, academics support the university’s educative approach to academic integrity.
Your role as an academic is not to prove misconduct, only to report concerns so they can be investigated by an Academic Integrity Officer. If you suspect academic misconduct, it is important to report it through the appropriate channel. Without reporting, potential issues may go unnoticed, and students may not be meeting the required learning outcomes. Find out more via our reporting suspected academic misconduct page.
To support a culture of academic integrity, staff should remain informed about current policies, expectations, and best practices. All academic staff as well as many professional staff, are required to complete the full version of the academic integrity training modules every three years. These five modules take approximately 20 to 30 minutes each and include staff in our partnered deliveries. Some professional staff complete a shortened version, which takes approximately 30 minutes. Reviewing these modules periodically can be helpful, particularly when guiding students on academic integrity matters. Staff are also encouraged to visit the Division of Learning and Teaching's academic integrity page for additional resources and updates.
The Academic Skills team offer self-paced learning, interactive workshops, one-on-one support, feedback on academic writing and time management support via the plan your time page. Workshops can be filtered by topics that cover the specific skills students want to improve. The following resource pages also provide helpful information about specific topics:
Academic staff are encouraged to contact their Academic Skills Coordinator to discuss effective strategies for embedding times and contextualised support for students in their subject.
Directing students towards the Library for resources and help with assignment research skills and other support may help reduce use of assignment writing or file-sharing websites. The following resources provide helpful information specific to the library:
Various supports are available to students who may be feeling the pressure of studying at university. These include:
For questions or further information about academic integrity at Charles Sturt, please contact academicintegritycommittee@csu.edu.au