Academic integrity is not a single checkpoint at the end of a course. It is a connected strategy across people, process, and technology – and it holds only when the layers reinforce one another. This guide maps the violations moving faster than institutional policy, and the actions you can take now without new technology or budget approval.
Academic integrity action guide
Practical steps institutions can take this semester
What’s inside
Built from current research and from what institutions are actually seeing this term:
The integrity hot 7
The seven violations reshaping assessment, from real-time AI agents and identity spoofing to a $1B+ contract cheating market, each rated by how fast it is moving
What the research shows
Five figures from AAC&U + Elon, University of Reading (PLOS ONE), HEPI, and College Board that reframe the conversation with leadership
The people / process / technology framework
Why there is no silver bullet, and what belongs in each layer
Six actions you can start this semester
None requiring new technology or budget approval
Questions to ask of any integrity technology
A six-point checklist for any assessment or proctoring tool, including the one you already own
A curated research and resources list
Where to go deeper
The numbers institutions are working with
60%
of higher-education leaders say cheating has increased since generative AI launched
94%
of AI-written submissions went undetected in a real university examination study
88%
of students used generative AI in assessments in 2025, up from 53% the year before
92%
of U.S. faculty are concerned about AI-facilitated plagiarism and dishonesty
49%
of institutions have a formal AI policy; most faculty still need guidance
Who this is for
Written for the people who own the outcome rather than the incident:
Provosts, deans, and vice-provosts for academic affairs
Directors of online and digital learning
Academic integrity officers and conduct offices
Assessment, testing center, and exam services leads
LMS and edtech administrators evaluating their integrity stack
