Office of the Provost

October is a time to reflect on the core values that shape our academic community, trust, honesty, and respect. These values are the foundation of academic, scholarly, and professional integrity, and they guide how we teach, learn, and grow together at the University of Connecticut (UConn). 

As faculty, instructors, and academic leaders, you play a vital role in cultivating these values in your classrooms, research spaces, and mentoring relationships. Academic, scholarly, and professional integrity is not just about preventing misconduct, it’s about building a culture where ethical behavior is expected, modeled, and celebrated. It creates foundational skills that we hope all our UConn students use in their daily lives.  

Instilling Integrity in the Classroom 

This month, we invite you to take a moment to reflect on how you can actively promote academic, scholarly, or professional integrity in your course design and interactions with students. Here are a few ways to do so: 

• Model Integrity: Share your own commitment to ethical scholarship. Talk openly about the importance of citing sources, conducting honest research, and respecting intellectual property. 

• Create Transparent Expectations: Clearly outline academic integrity policies in your syllabus and course materials. Explain what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentation, and noncompliance and why these behaviors undermine trust. 

• Foster Respectful Dialogue: Encourage students to engage in respectful academic, scholarly, and professional discourse. Create space for diverse perspectives and emphasize the value of listening and learning from one another. 

• Design for Integrity: Use varied assessment methods that promote original thinking and reduce opportunities for misconduct. Consider incorporating reflective assignments that ask students to connect their learning to personal values. 

• Provide Educational Opportunities: Use moments of confusion or error as teachable opportunities. Not every student will get it right the first time, but with guidance, they can learn and grow. 

Demonstrating Commitment to Integrity 

Faculty can demonstrate their commitment to academic integrity in everyday actions: 

  

• Celebrate Ethical Behavior: Recognize students who go above and beyond to uphold integrity in their work. For example, a student who consistently cites sources correctly and thoughtfully engages with scholarly material demonstrates a strong commitment to honesty in their work. Another student might go out of their way to clarify assignment expectations to avoid any unintentional misrepresentation, showing a deep respect for the learning process. Some students may take initiative to report errors in grading or acknowledge when they received unintended help, even if it might affect their grade, these actions reflect a high level of personal accountability and trustworthiness. Celebrate students who support their peers in ethical decision-making, such as encouraging collaboration within permitted boundaries or helping others understand the importance of academic, scholarly, and professional integrity. By highlighting these behaviors, instructors reinforce the message that integrity is not just about avoiding misconduct, it’s about actively choosing to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult. 

• Engage in Conversations: Use class time or office hours to discuss the importance of trust and honesty in academic, scholarly, and professional settings. For instance, faculty might begin a class discussion by asking students what honesty means to them in the context of learning or invite students to share experiences where they faced ethical dilemmas in their academic work. Instructors can also use real-world examples, such as cases of plagiarism in published research or ethical breaches in professional settings, to spark dialogue about the consequences of misconduct and the value of doing the right thing. Additionally, office hours or informal check-ins can be opportunities to talk one-on-one with students about how they approach their work and how they handle pressure or uncertainty. These conversations help normalize integrity as a topic worth discussing, not just enforcing, and show students that their instructors care about their development as ethical scholars and professionals. 

• Collaborate with Colleagues: Share strategies and resources with fellow faculty to promote a consistent message across departments and academic disciplines. For example, consistent messaging across courses about the importance of honesty and ethical scholarship, ensuring students hear a unified message regardless of their major or department. Departments can host workshops, attend Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning workshops, or roundtable discussions where instructors share strategies for designing assessments that encourage original thinking and reduce opportunities for misconduct1. Faculty can also co-create resources, such as integrity-focused syllabus statements or classroom activities, that reinforce shared values2. In interdisciplinary settings, instructors might collaborate to explore how integrity manifests differently across fields, helping students understand its relevance in diverse academic and professional contexts. These efforts not only strengthen the culture of integrity within the university but also foster a supportive environment where faculty learn from one another and grow together in their commitment to ethical teaching. 

Growth Through Integrity 

We understand that no one is perfect. Mistakes happen, and learning from them is part of the academic journey. By fostering a culture of integrity, we help students develop the skills and character they need to succeed, not just at UConn, but in their future careers and communities. 

Let this October be a time to recommit to the values that define us. Together, we can build a university culture rooted in trust, honesty, and respect, one that empowers every student to thrive with integrity. 

UConn’s Commitment to Academic Integrity  

Adopted in May of 2023, The Academic, Scholarly, and Professional Integrity and Misconduct (ASPIM) Policy at the University of Connecticut promotes academic integrity by establishing a comprehensive framework that emphasizes ethical behavior across all levels of the university community. Here’s how the policy supports and reinforces the values of trust, honesty, and respect: 

Shared Responsibility Across the Community 

The policy applies to all members of the UConn Community, students, faculty, staff, and administrators, underscoring that academic, scholarly, and professional integrity is a collective responsibility. It promotes a culture where everyone is accountable for upholding ethical standards in teaching, learning, research, and service.  

Clear Definitions of Integrity 

It defines academic integrity as a commitment to truthfulness, fairness, and respect, aligning directly with the core values you mentioned. The policy also distinguishes between academic, scholarly, and professional integrity, ensuring that ethical standards are upheld throughout a community members experience and not only in coursework but also in research, clinical settings, and professional conduct. 

Guidance on Ethical Behavior 

The policy outlines specific examples of misconduct categories, such as cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation, and noncompliance and provides clarity on what constitutes unethical behavior. This helps the UConn community members understand expectations and avoid unintentional violations 

Support for Ethical Development 

By emphasizing mentorship, supervision, and stewardship, the policy encourages faculty to guide students in developing ethical research and academic practices. It recognizes that integrity is learned and reinforced through relationships and educational experiences. 

Consistency and Fairness 

The policy ensures that all academic and scholarly credit reflects the individual’s own work and that no student gains an unfair advantage. It also promotes consistent application across departments and programs, protecting the university’s reputation and ensuring fairness in evaluation and recognition. 

Educational and Preventative Focus 

Rather than being solely punitive, the ASPIM policy supports educational interventions and encourages reporting not just to address misconduct, but to identify patterns and improve institutional practices. This proactive approach helps prevent future violations and fosters a culture of integrity. 

Remember integrity is not about perfection, it’s about growth and development. It’s about helping students understand that the harder path, the one built on effort and ethical choices, leads to deeper learning and lasting success. When we celebrate ethical behavior, engage in meaningful dialogue, and collaborate with one another, we create a culture where integrity is not just expected, it is lived. Thank you for being stewards of these values. Your leadership and example help ensure that UConn remains a place where academic excellence is built on a foundation of integrity. 

International Day of Action for Academic Integrity: 

We invite you to join us in recognizing the International Day of Action for Academic Integrity on October 15, 2025. This global initiative brings together institutions and individuals to raise awareness, share best practices, and take meaningful steps toward upholding academic integrity. 

The International Center for Academic Integrity will be offering free webinars throughout the day to discuss a variety of topics. Feel free to click the link and register for the free Zoom Sessions.   

From 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Student Panelist and Ambassadors will be tabling at the Student Union this year to discuss the Academic, Scholarly, and Professional Integrity and Misconduct (ASPIM) Policy and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how to navigate AI use appropriately in academic settings. 

Participate in the Office of Community Standards #MyIntegrityMoment: The idea is for UConn Community members to record a short video or story about how they upheld integrity and what integrity means to them. These videos will be shared on UConn Community Standards Instagram page and website during the month of October. Interested in participating and sharing your integrity moment, then email brian.goepfrich@uconn.edu to get additional information.