TEQSA’s nation-wide academic integrity workshops kick off

A national program to promote academic integrity and address contract cheating commenced with a fully subscribed workshop in Adelaide today, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency announced. 

The first in a series to be held over the next six weeks throughout Australia, the workshops bring together representatives of higher education providers to help strengthen institutional detection, prevention and responses to breaches of academic integrity. 

“TEQSA’s top priorities are safeguarding student interests, and the reputation of Australia’s high quality tertiary education sector,” said TEQSA Chief Executive Anthony McClaran.  

“TEQSA understands how breaches of academic integrity can undermine Australia’s world-class education, and we are supporting providers to create institutional responses to such breaches, and to promote and protect cultures of academic integrity.

“While cheating is not a new phenomenon, technological developments have enabled new methods which require swift and robust responses, and vigilance in protecting the integrity of Australia’s higher education system.”

Last month, TEQSA appointed the University of South Australia to develop and deliver the program of workshops, led by Associate Professor Tracey Bretag, University of South Australia, with Dr Guy Curtis, University of Western Australia, Dr Christine Slade, University of Queensland, and Dr Margot McNeill, International College of Management Sydney.

Beginning with a fully subscribed workshop in Adelaide today, the group of experts will travel over the next six weeks to capital cities as well as Armidale, Ballarat, Geelong, Lismore, Newcastle, Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Wollongong. 

Workshop focus areas include guidance on enhancing measures to promote academic integrity, strategies to prevent contract cheating activity, and developing effective responses to instances of contract cheating. A toolkit will be developed at the conclusion of the workshops, complementing TEQSA’s existing resources, including a Good Practice Note: Addressing contract cheating to safeguard academic integrity. 

Representatives of higher education providers, including academic and professional staff, are encouraged to respond to their invitations and secure their places as soon as possible within the following program:

For further information about the workshops, please contact academic.integrity [at] teqsa.gov.au.

For media enquiries, please contact comms [at] teqsa.gov.au, 03 8306 2567 and 0437 143 012