National College of Ireland is proud to be a member of the QQI-led National Academic Integrity Network, and to be part of a national response to changes in legislation, that will assist QQI in identifying appropriate further measures to both prevent and address academic misconduct. We’re delighted to take part in this inaugural National Academic Integrity Week, which we hope will be an annual event. We'll be posting publicly on social media in the week ahead and, internally, staff will be engaging in further exploration of best practice in 'Assessment Design for Academic Integrity'.
If you have not come across the phrase ‘Academic Integrity’ before, you will find a lot more information on the NCI Library website. Essentially, it means doing your own college work and earning your own grades towards your final qualification. Cheating is not a big problem at NCI, because we take it so seriously. NCI’s policies and procedures on academic integrity are regularly reviewed and refreshed, and their robustness is a matter of public record.
Blended teaching and learning and assessment strategies minimise the likelihood of misconduct, but more than that, the College takes active measures to prevent academic misconduct happening in the first place, including timely guidance and support. NCI Students' Union also actively campaigns to raise awareness of Academic Integrity.
The College is committed to a duty of care for you, our students. We work not just to protect the value of the qualifications awarded to you, but also to protect you, yourself, from the pitfalls of cheating.
It’s not cheating the College, it’s cheating Yourself
Being caught cheating on an exam or buying an essay may not end with disciplinary procedure, it can cause lasting reputational damage, that follows you throughout your career. A further possible complication is that those who sell essays or exam answers tend not to be the most ethical people, and there are cases where students who have used these services, and seemed to get away with it in the immediate term, have later found themselves blackmailed with the threat of exposure once their career has taken off.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, cheating in an exam or purchasing from an essay mill will not improve your situation: talk to your lecturer, first and foremost.
Access support within the College, not from strangers online
Maybe you’re not as far behind as you think you are, maybe you need support to help you deal with stress, rather than your academic work. If anxiety is getting the better of you, you can always talk to Student Support.
Perhaps your lecturer will acknowledge that you are a little behind in your work: they will also guide you as to how to specifically improve your performance, and put you in contact with Academic Support, if you need it. Or maybe you know your subject, you just don’t know how to express it in your own words, and you’re not sure how to avoid repeating what you’ve read and possibly plagiarising: talk to the Library Help Centre about academic writing and referencing.
A trouble shared is a trouble halved
If you are performing badly in a module, for whatever reason, talking to someone else will provide you with an objective perspective and help you to understand exactly where you stand. Perhaps you need to consider asking for an extension on an individual assignment or even deferring exams, or maybe even repeating a year. These decisions seem huge when you face them alone, and the process can seem unnavigable.
Your Programme Coordinator will help you work out what is possible in your specific circumstances and support you onto the best path forward for you – but they can only assist if they know you have a problem.
Remember, if you feel daunted by starting this conversation with your lecturer or Programme Coordinator, your NCI Student’s Union Class Rep can always be the first person you talk to, and will stand with you as you seek other support – there is always someone to help you at NCI.
Personal achievement builds strong self-esteem
The grades you achieve through your own efforts are something you can be truly proud of - especially if it’s in a module that presented you with a challenge you had to rise to meet. Don’t cheat yourself out of this satisfaction at a job well done, acting as a cornerstone for building positive self-esteem as you enter the working world.