The fifth and final installment of the International Center for Academic Integrity’s (ICAI) Summer Webinar Series, Going Forward with Integrity, Staying Human, presented by Tricia Bertram Gallant and David Rettinger, was a fitting close to the informative series.
David opened the presentation by highlighting intentionality when considering if machines can think. He explained that machine simulations can feel human as we interact with them, enticing students to take their advice at face value. David then reminded us that even the most convincing GenAI outputs lack intentionality; they are just symbols disconnected from real life. This distinction feels ignorantly important as GenAI continues to advance and shape so many aspects of human lives.
Tricia then turned to the growing significance of durable human skills as GenAI develops. Durable skills are defined as “a combination of how you use what you know as well as character skills like fortitude, growth mindset, and leadership,” (America Succeeds, n.d.). Examples include problem solving, collaboration, ethical conduct, advocacy, leadership, tenacity, and more (America Succeeds, 2025, p. 1). To close the presentation portion of the session, David thoughtfully drew parallels between durable skills and ICAI’s six fundamental values.
The session then transitioned into breakout groups where individuals discussed how to recenter humanness in academic misconduct and instructional processes. These robust conversations touched on faculty education, prevention education, course and assessment design, policy and procedural responses to violations.
The theme of human experience in academic misconduct has threaded itself throughout most of this blog series. In my first blog post, I discussed the value of using clear language when talking to faculty about academic misconduct; in my third, I explored the importance of avoiding confirmation bias when working with students to understand the full complexity of their experience; and in my fourth, I highlighted UC Santa Cruz’s emphasis on human connections throughout their after-education process. It seems fitting then, that the final session of this webinar series centered on staying human in a world rapidly integrating GenAI.
For me, the most impactful portion of this session was the idea of weaving durable skills discussions into after-education sessions with students and providing them with the opportunity to create meaning in what may otherwise feel like busy work. As an academic integrity practitioner, I regularly think about how to support long-term student learning that extends beyond a student’s involvement with the Academic Integrity Office. Recentering durable skills and giving students an added lens through which to consider the importance of academic struggle, especially when tempted with cognitive offloading, is a valuable approach that I look forward to bringing into our own practice.
As ICAI’s Summer Webinar Series comes to a close, I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow alongside experts in the field. The rich discussions, thoughtful presentations, and shared experiences have improved my skills and reminded me that we are a part of a global community working together to support students’ academic integrity development.
References:
America Succeeds. (2025). Durable Skills Framework Starter Edition. https://www.pathsmith.org/
America Succeeds. (n.d.). Defining durable skills. https://americasucceeds.org/defining-durable-skills
Kate Marzen is the Director of Academic Integrity at Syracuse University, focusing on the promotion and understanding of Syracuse’s academic integrity policy through education, partnership, and holistic support.
The authors' views are their own.
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EDITOR'S NOTE:
This is the fifth and final of our post-webinar blogs with reflections by attendee Kate Marzen to accompany the ICAI Summer Series of webinars. Next week, Integrity Matters will return to individual authored blogs. Here is some recommended post-reading for webinar 5 by Tricia Bertram Gallant and David Rettinger.
Required reading:
Murphy, G. (2025). Move fast-ish, don’t break things. January 2025, California Learning Lab blog.
Recommended further reading:
Bertram Gallant, T. Davis, M. and Khan, Z.R. (2026). Academic integrity in the age of AI. Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/abs/academic-integrity-in-the-age-of-ai/8652D952D1C480A46996183626BE3DD7