08/19/2025

‘I just might have a problem that you’ll understand’: Lessons from Leaning on a Community of Practice of Academic Integrity Officers

by Mary-Claire Kennedy, Justin Tonra, Loretta Goff, Samantha (Jiaxin) Xu, Maura Fitzsimons

Image credit: authors using MS CoPilot

Communities of Practice (CoPs) have been a long-standing feature of educational and professional landscapes. There is a vast body of literature on the value of CoPs as a mechanism for sharing and co-creating knowledge and understanding (Li et al., 2009). There are also several examples of intra-institutional CoPs designed to support colleagues with academic integrity challenges (Eaton, 2020; Reedy, Wurm, Janssen, & Lockley, 2021).

Our CoP emerged organically from members of the National Academic Integrity Network (NAIN), which has been coupled with the creation of specific academic integrity roles across a number of Irish further and higher education institutions. NAIN, established by Quality and Qualifications Ireland in 2019, is a peer-driven network with members from public and private higher and further education institutions, students and student representatives from the Union of Students in Ireland. It became obvious over time that individuals in similar roles across institutions may benefit from frequent, informal opportunities for dialogue and debate to address challenges in a fast-paced and oftentimes daunting field. Practically speaking, 8 to 10 individuals from a number of Irish further and higher education institutions regularly dial into the meeting monthly, with others joining less frequently.

The function of the CoP has gradually emerged over the past two years. We believe that we have identified some key features of the CoP that help it to succeed and meet the needs of its members. These lessons might be of use to those seeking to establish similar CoPs within their own institutions or to those seeking to develop an inter-institutional CoP. Many of these align with those described by Sarah Eaton in her writing on Academic Integrity Hour, a CoP established in the University of Calgary during the COVID-19 pandemic (Eaton, 2020). These lessons that we have set out below, however, acknowledge two features which are particular to our CoP: (a) members of this CoP are from different institutions, with varying degrees of institutional resources, differing governance structures and organisational norms; (b) members of the group are highly informed on contemporaneous issues, literature and debate relating to academic integrity.

1. Pick a time and stick to it.

Our group agreed at the outset to meet on a monthly basis, sticking to the same day and time. This has the dual benefits of ensuring that attendees can slot the session into their busy schedules and have reassurance that problems, queries and discussion points will be presented to the group within a specific time period. Those involved in academic integrity roles, like many academics, might have peaks and troughs in their activities throughout the year. However, it is our experience that it is often at times of peak busyness that one needs a community of likeminded peers the most.

2. Let the conversation flow, don’t fixate on formalities.

Meetings in the online space can be difficult to facilitate. Participants can be worried about inadvertently speaking over each other or dominating conversation due to the diminution of nonverbal cues. It can be tempting therefore, for one individual to occupy the role of chair to manage engagement. Our experience is that it is best for everyone to ‘unmute’ and speak freely if feasible. Fight the urge to wait to be called upon to comment, simply jump in! This, of course, captures the natural flow of conversation but also immediately removes the invisible barrier of formality that can often occupy the online space. At a recent meeting of the CoP, the conversation moved seamlessly from holiday plans to a contract cheating website of concern which subsequently triggered a conversation about educational interventions and targeted student communications - all within a 15-minute period!

3. Focus on the bigger picture, don’t get bogged down in inter-institutional politics.

It is naïve to assume that academic institutions on a relatively small island are not in competition on various fronts. However, such is the dynamic and challenging world of academic integrity at present in an era of AI, it could be perhaps more damaging to individual institutions if expertise, knowledge and insights were not shared generously. Participants in the CoP share resources, with the implicit understanding that these will be used only to inform and assist similar work in other institutions.

4. Share your problems honestly and openly and accept that sometimes there is no easy answer.

The ‘safe space’ offered by the CoP empowers participants to share challenges and problems in an unvarnished and open manner. This ‘soft exchange’ of experiences and views can also help to ward off similar issues or provide insights into managing the issue when it does emerge in another institution. Unfortunately, at times, some problems are intractable and cannot be resolved simply and easily. However, the expertise and vast experience of the group members means that such problems can be dissected and examined with possible next steps explored and debated. Indeed, this year a CoP member shared an issue that had been raised by academics within their own institution, this had not been encountered by any other member of the CoP. Nonetheless, there was a frank exchange of views and potential resolutions identified, although none a silver bullet. Serendipitously (in a manner of speaking), the very same issue arose in another institution the following month. The robust discussion of the CoP ensured a rapid, even if imperfect, resolution for that institution.

5. Practical supports and resources are helpful but so is affective support.

Simply sharing the difficulty with others who have encountered similar issues offers reassurance that we are not alone and provides emotional support to continue the challenging work. The weight of responsibility associated with investigating and sanctioning academic misconduct, or indeed policy development and implementation, can sometimes be lonely and challenging. Being open about these emotional and cognitive burdens in a CoP helps members to process these complex experiences more effectively, fostering resilience, mutual support, and deeper learning within the community. Equally, when newcomers join, because there is an established culture of genuine sharing from all members, they can be inspired, learn and act with such positive momentum, serving the very purpose of the community.

The lessons outlined above provide a framework for the successful operationalisation of an inter-institutional CoP focused on academic integrity matters but also shares some tacit knowledge from participants of a successful CoP which might be of assistance to colleagues internationally. Academic integrity is arguably at its most challenging and critical juncture…to borrow the lyrics from Bill Withers’ famous song, our academic integrity colleagues now more than ever before need to ‘lean on’ each other for support.

Dr Mary-Claire Kennedy, is Head of the Academic Integrity Unit at the University of Limerick and Chair of the National Academic Integrity Network. She is a registered pharmacist and has experience in clinical, regulatory and academic settings.

Dr Justin Tonra is Academic Integrity Officer and Associate Professor of English at University of Galway. His research interests lie at the intersections of literature and technology, and comprise work in the fields of digital humanities, book history, textual studies and bibliography, authorship, and poetry of the Romantic period.

Dr. Loretta Goff is the Academic Integrity Education Officer at University College Cork. She creates, manages, and delivers training and resources on academic integrity, pedagogy, assessment design, and responsible use of generative AI for both students and educators at UCC. She is a member of the European Network of Academic Integrity and sits on the Steering Committee of the National Academic Integrity Network in Ireland.

Samantha (Jiaxin) Xu is the Academic Integrity Officer at Dublin City University. Her role focuses on supporting staff in curriculum and assessment design to uphold academic integrity. She is also a member of the National Academic Integrity Network. Prior to her current role, she was a lecturer for Academic Writing for nearly a decade.

Dr Maura Fitzsimons is a Senior Lecturer in Academic Integrity at the Atlantic Technological University where she leads efforts in promoting best practices and embedding a culture of integrity across the University. She collaborates closely with academic staff, students, librarians, and student unions to ensure consistency and excellence in academic integrity practices.

The authors' views are their own.

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