Academic Integrity in Action: Leadership, Policy, and Practice at the University of Limerick and Beyond

Through the SATLE 2022 funding stream, the UL Academic Integrity Unit (AIU), was established, aligned to the academic integrity strategic aim. The AIU supports the University in upholding the highest standards of academic integrity expected of all educators and learners. Our application will present the impacts and influence of the Unit on an institutional, national and international level.
The Academic Integrity Unit has four broad functions:

1. Designing and implementing an academic integrity policy and academic misconduct procedures.
2. Delivery of education and training to staff and students, in collaboration with many teams and Departments from across the University.
3. Promote a culture of academic integrity and respond to emerging challenges in the academic integrity landscape.
4. Contribute to academic integrity research through academic publications and presentations.

SATLE priority area: Academic Integrity

Establishment of a dedicated Academic Integrity Unit (AIU)

UL is the first Irish HEI to establish a team solely dedicated to academic integrity, an important strategic step to safeguard the quality of its academic qualifications amid growing threats to assessment integrity. This Unit has driven policy development, education, and scholarship, fostering a culture of academic integrity. Before its establishment, references to plagiarism and exam cheating in Academic Regulations were brief, and misconduct cases were handled by the University Advocate within the disciplinary system. The AIU was established with SATLE funding, and the appointment of an Academic Integrity Lead, experienced in managing misconduct cases and educational leadership, brought vital expertise. Additionally, two educational developers with extensive experience in teaching, learning, and assessment at undergraduate and postgraduate levels ensured the Unit’s work would be wide-ranging, high-quality, and sustainable.

Development and implementation of institutional policies and procedures

The UL Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures for Managing Allegations of Academic Misconduct were approved by Academic Council in December 2024 and implementation commenced in September 2025. The policy facilitated the creation of a new service/ scholarship role to UL; Academic Integrity Champions, these academics provide practical advice and support to colleagues within each Faculty.

Delivery of education and development of support resources

Synchronous and asynchronous education and training events and workshops and support resources are available to UL staff and students, and many are also available external to the organisation.

• The UL Academic Integrity Unit’s website is a rich repository of information for UL staff and students which are available in multiple formats to enhance opportunities for engagement in keeping with the University’s commitment to Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Resources from the website have also been made available to parties external to UL and are available on the National Forum website.
• Teaching and learning events dedicated to academic integrity are now commonplace and prioritised in UL. The AIU have delivered information sessions on academic integrity to all 1^st year students as part of orientation in 2024 and 2025. The AUI has delivered teaching sessions in the Kemmy Business School, the Faculty of Arts Humanities and Social Science, the Faculty of Education and Health Sciences and the Centre for Transformative Learning. The AIU has delivered sessions for international students coming to UL under the Postgraduate, Undergraduate, Study Abroad, Erasmus+, Exchange and Summer School programmes.
• Three academic integrity modules are available on the Virtual Learning Environment ‘Introduction to Academic Integrity for Students’ is used by educators to ensure that academic integrity information is integrated into their programmes. ‘Introduction to Academic Integrity for Staff’ is accessed by staff to enhance their understanding of academic integrity specifically as it relates to UL policies and procedures. ‘Education on Academic Integrity arising from Academic Misconduct’ is a mandatory remediation requirement for students referred to the AIU for academic misconduct.
• ‘Let’s Talk GenAI, a UL AI literacy programme for both staff and students has been delivered twice, once in 2024 and again in 2025. The AIU collaborated with colleagues from the Centre for Transformative Learning (CTL), Glucksman Library and the Information Technology Department in this exceptionally popular course.
• The AIU has been involved in the design, development and facilitation of an Open Course for the National Forum Opportunities to embedding GenAI in supporting student’s learning. The course, led by TCD, was designed to facilitate the development of AI literacy so that users could explore and innovate using GenAI within their teaching, learning, and assessment practices.

Promote excellent in academic integrity through sector-leading guidelines and scholarship

• The GenAI Principles for the University, Staff, Researchers and Students were developed by the AIU and approved by Academic Council in June 2024. They are the first of their kind to be approved and implemented in the sector and have been shared as examples of best practice via our national networks. They have also had positive international coverage and impact as they feature in JISC’s Navigating the Future: Higher Education policies and guidance on Gen AI guidance blog.
• The Navigating the New Frontier: Generative AI and Academic Integrity conference (14th & 15th Oct 2024). This was an internationally esteemed hybrid event hosted in partnership by UL, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), and in association with NAIN.
• The AIU launched the ‘Give me about 10 minutes on…’ podcast series in June 2024. This provides accessible information on academic integrity to students and academics with contributions from colleagues within and beyond UL. This is linked on the National Forum website.
• The AIU have presented at more than 10 conferences, lectures or panel discussions, have led in authoring three blogs published by international bodies and have submitted two academic papers to peer-reviewed journals.

The AIU was one of four nominees shortlisted for the Tracey Bretag Prize for Academic Integrity (Ireland/UK).

Strategic alignment with national policies and relevant SATLE priority area

Supporting Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Assessment

• The AIU provide comprehensive information, education and training to colleagues across UL. This addresses Domain 2 of the National-Professional-Development Framework (Professional Identity, Values and Development in Teaching and Learning). The education supports include workshops, information sessions, informal discussions, podcasts, online toolkits and a community of practice which specifically support ‘the development and self-evaluation of professional/disciplinary identity and its associated roles, responsibilities and action plans.’
• UL’s Action For Wisdom: Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy 2022-2027 specifies the strategic aim: ‘Uphold, cultivate and embed a culture of academic integrity’. The establishment of the AIU is of critical strategic importance to the University in ensuring that appropriate academic integrity policies and procedures are in place but also to ensure that educators and learners are adequately supported. This is essential to maintain and enhance UL academic standards.

Driving and Maintaining Standards for Quality Assurance (QA) and Academic Integrity

• An effective unit dedicated to academic integrity is critical for the realisation of QA standards, as defined in Chapter 6 of QQI’s Statutory Quality Assurance Guidelines (2016) states that ‘the assessment framework [of an education organisation] incorporates procedures and systems for the security and integrity of the assessment process.’ In addition, Section 1.1 of the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance requires that QA policies include ‘academic integrity and freedom and is vigilant against academic fraud’
• Furthermore, in order to uphold legislation relating to academic fraud, the AIU facilitates reporting of contract cheating services by University staff and students, as required under Section 43A of the Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Act 2019.
• NAIN, established by QQI in 2019, sets out best practice in upholding and cultivating academic integrity within their guidelines. The NAIN guidelines have been instrumental in the development of policy and procedures and are also core to the work of the AIU. While the outputs of NAIN are guideline only, the represent a high-quality, evidence based resource, derived to be of specific use to the higher education sector in Ireland:
  • The NAIN Framework for Academic Misconduct Investigation and Case Management (2023) were used as the basis for the UL academic misconduct procedures. These procedures provide an objective and transparent process for detection and investigation of academic misconduct and applying sanctions.
  • Education and training in the prevention of academic misconduct is at the core of the AIU’s work. This reflects the guidance within NAIN Academic Integrity Guidelines (2019).
  • The NAIN Lexicon of Terms on Academic Integrity (2021), which describes behaviours that constitute academic misconduct has been adopted in totality within UL’s Academic Integrity policy.

Innovation in specified SATLE priority area

The Academic Integrity Unit (AIU) has adopted a dynamic approach to fostering a culture of academic integrity within UL and nationally:

Innovation 1: Dynamic and proactive student and staff engagement in development and implementation of policy and procedures, educational resources and institutional guidelines

• A co-production approach was in the development of the academic integrity policy and associated procedures. A Policy Working Group consisting of staff from across the University and student union representatives. This collaborative approach to policy formation has been recognised as highly innovative and was selected for a limited number of oral presentation at the European Universities Association Learning and Teaching Forum (November 2025).
• The AIU lead, supported by Faculty Deans, appointed twenty-one Academic Integrity Champions, as set out in the UL Academic Integrity Policy. This is a proactive measure to ensure that staff are adequately supported with policy implementation. These roles are commonplace in many institutions internationally but is groundbreaking in Irish HEIs. This provides a model of practice for higher education institutions nationally and internationally.
• Partnership with students is critical and to this end the AIU engaged with students in a meaningful collaboration to co-develop AI-literacy and academic integrity resources. The feedback gained from students during this co-production process which involved both written (online) and verbal feedback, during a workshop in July 2025, has transformed the educational offerings focused on academic integrity and AI.

Innovation 2: Assuming a leadership role within the University and providing strategic direction and mapping institutional experiences and use of GenAI and academic integrity

UL is the first HEI to establish a Unit solely dedicated to academic integrity, positioned strategically within the Provost’s office. This empowers the AIU to provide strategic direction and institutional leadership, which is apparent in the outputs from the AIU:

• The AIU led the development of Ireland’s first institutional Gen AI Principles. These were developed in consultation with UL educators, students, researchers and professional services staff and are grounded in national and international guidance, to guide stakeholders in responsible use.
• The AIU co-ordinated and executed a survey of UL staff (n-=110) and students (n=158) to understand their experiences and perspectives of GenAI and academic integrity. This survey provides an excellent comparator to the QQI GenAI survey (2025). This paper is currently under review with the journal ‘AI and Education’ (Emerald). Provisional results were presented at the ENAI conference in June 2025.

Innovation 3: Leading on national and international discourse, research, scholarship and knowledge transfer

The AIU has been determined to cultivate academic integrity as an area of specialist expertise in Ireland. We have approached our work in a systematic and evidence-based manner to ensure that outputs can be disseminated and utilised nationally and internationally. This is evidenced by:

• Appearances in national print and television media;
• Oral and poster and keynote presentations, and panel discussion at more than twenty national or international events (see Impact section for full list);
• Three blogs published, and another scheduled for Jan 2025, and two academic papers (one awaiting print, and another under review).

Outcomes

Impact

Impact 1: Advancing a culture of academic integrity through policy development and delivery of transformative educational initiatives for staff and students

Overall Benefit: Many of the resources described below are available through the National Forum supporting replication of these endeavours (Example 1, 2, 3)

• The UL Academic Integrity Policy, approved in December 2024 and implemented from September 2025, introduced 21 Academic Integrity Champions, academics who offer practical guidance and support on academic misconduct within each Faculty.
  • Benefit: Robust policy and procedures implemented with a novel and sustainable approach to implementation through the Champions.
• ‘The Let’s Talk GenAI, programme for both staff and students has been delivered twice, in 2024 and 2025. A section of this course focused on academic integrity. Total attendances in 2024 were 209, delivered over one week online, and 360 in 2025 which was delivered over 5 days from Jan-May 2025.
  • Benefit: Enhanced AI-literacy with information tailored to specific areas of practice within UL.
• Workshops on ‘Assessment redesign: aligning learning outcomes, academic integrity and inclusive practice’ have been offered to UL academics. These are facilitated by a member of the AIU, UDL and CTL teams, again modelling strong intra-institutional collaborations. (Oct 2024 n= 16; March 2025 n= 3 (17 registrations); June 2025 n=19; Oct 2025 n=36).
  • Benefit: Enhanced knowledge on assessment design and integrity.
• The AIU deliver 1^st year orientation for all students and deliver teaching and information sessions to undergraduate and postgraduate students. We have been involved in teaching sessions with more than 6000 students across the various programmes offered in UL in the past two years.
  • Benefit: Education and information provided to students in an accessible to support their studies.
• The “AI Essentials: Student Guide to GenAI” comprised of three workshops (two in-person, one online) titled “Introduction to Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) for UL Students“. The workshops introduced undergraduate and postgraduate students to the appropriate, and transparent use of GenAI, aligning with UL’s guidelines and five GenAI principles. Feedback from the self-study lessons indicated positive high satisfaction ratings (108 respondents, 95% rating it ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’).
  • Benefit: Enhanced AI and academic integrity literacy and skill amongst students.

Impact 2: Achieving national and international-level impact by shaping discourse and advancing research in academic integrity.

The AIU have presented at national and international conferences and disseminated knowledge and expertise through blog posts and peer reviewed publications.

• Sept 2024: CCT Conference; Oct 2024: UL/MIC/TUS Conference; Nov 2024: European Universities Association; Nov 2024: QQI Conference (Panel Discussion); March 2025: iCaire & Lead MIC/TUS; May 2025: Advance HE Irish Symposium; Jan 2025: UL Conference; April 2025: DBS (PARC) conference; June 2025: European Network for Academic Integrity; June 2025: Trinity College Dublin.
• A SEDA blog (05/2025) and two blogs published by the International Center for Academic Integrity. Blog One (19/08/2025) and Blog Two. (03/2025).

Knowledge Transfer and Public Awareness

• The ‘Give me about 10 minutes on…’ podcast series, launched in June 2024, seeks to communicate key messages relating to academic integrity in a bitesize conversational style. There are 19 episodes and 200 unique listeners.
• The AIU engage with the media, for example the AIU Lead on Virgin Media’s, Ireland AM on Sat 19^th October and the AIU has been interviewed by the Irish Times (20^th Sept 2025
  • Benefit: Dissemination of accessible information and resources, to inform and influence the national discourse.

Impact 3: Building high-impact strategic alliances to embed and sustain a culture of academic integrity across the sector.

• The AIU have contributed to the development and facilitation of the National Forum GenAI for teaching and learning course. The open course was designed to facilitate the development of AI literacy and embed AI n teaching, learning, and assessment practices. The course was led by TCD in collaboration with DCU and UL.
  • Benefit: Hugely successful education initiative which also trained facilitators for delivery of course
• The Navigating the New Frontier: Generative AI and Academic Integrity conference , hosted with MIC, UL and TUS, and in association with NAIN, was a remarkable success, attracting 118 in-person and 154 online registrations.
  • Benefit: Conference provided a forum for the exchange of ideas and research relating to academic integrity

Impact 4: Driving national/international policy and practice through strategic leadership and partnership

• The AIU Lead was appointed Chair of NAIN by QQI in June 2025. This appointment recognises Mary-Claire’s contribution to academic integrity, which is only possible through SATLE funding. She has led on the development of the NAIN Strategy (2025-2028), established new working groups and engaged with international experts such as Prof Phillip Dawson.
• The AIU are associated partners on the Erasmus+ application ‘AI for Integrity: Building Ethical AI Practices in Higher Education’ led by the University of Uppsala and are currently awaiting an outcome.
  • Benefit: Directly shaping national strategy direction and championing academic integrity.