Abu Dhabi University’s office of Academic Integrity achieves successes in ensuring quality of education

With 8,363 graduates representing Abu Dhabi University in the labor market, quality and integrity of educational outputs has quickly become a vital aspect of the University’s strategy. Established in 2009, ADU’s Office of Academic Integrity (OAI) has achieved new record in dramatically reducing the number of academic violations on both Abu Dhabi and Al Ain campuses from 334 cases in 2009-2010 to 29 cases in 2014 -2015, and ultimately ensuring the quality, academic integrity and professionalism of the University’s graduates from bachelors, diplomas, masters and doctorate programs. 

Chancellor of Abu Dhabi University, Dr. Nabil Ibrahim asserted the University’s dedication to combating academic misconduct, and educating students on the significance of academic integrity and its impact on the quality, reputation and international recognition of their degree. “It is a well-known fact that higher education results are insignificant once they’re gained through dishonest means. Consequently, we continuously encourage students, faculty and staff to uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and transparency, on both academic and personal levels. Since the inception of the OAI, the University has implemented clear and strict policies and regulations that combat, regulate and respond to academic violations, including the declaration of different sanctions that depend on the severity and type of violation, which in some cases could lead to dismissals as the sanction for the most egregious type of academic integrity violation. With Abu Dhabi University’s commitment ensuring its educational outcomes live up to world-class standards of the most prestigious institutions of higher education around the world, the drastic decrease in the number of academic violations over the past years is a great achievement”, said Dr. Ibrahim.

Every new semester, ADU’s Office of Academic Integrity organizes several educational workshops, awareness campaigns and visits to lecture halls and classrooms on both University campuses, to educate newly admitted students and remind returning students of the policies of academic integrity, as well as the violations they might commit if unaware of the penalties that result from them. “Faculty and staff are also educated and trained on how to uncover cases of plagiarism, cheating, collusion, free riding, presenting false credentials, fabrication of data and other academic violations. Since its inception in 20013, Abu Dhabi University has not, does not and will not compromise when it comes to standards of academic integrity, especially since its main aim is to graduate qualified national cadres equipped with the utmost academic and professional ethics making them the best ambassadors of Abu Dhabi University in the labor market”, concluded Dr.Ibrahim.

On his part, Dr. Ali Azad, Director of ADU’s Al Ain Campus and the Head of the Office of Academic Integrity (OAI) confirmed that the OAI’s achievements in lowering the cases of academic integrity violations throughout the past five years has immensely contributed to enhancing the quality of ADU’s graduates. “Since its inception, ADU’s Office of Academic Integrity has worked diligently to decrease and eliminate cases of academic integrity violations by undertaking awareness campaigns, educational workshops, seminars, counseling and follow-up sessions. Cheating violations have decreased from 76 cases out of 4237 students enrolled at ADU during the academic year 2009 -2010 to only 15 cases out of 6561 students enrolled at ADU in the academic year 2014 -2015. Interestingly, the incidents of plagiarism which is by far the most common type of academic integrity violation have declined from 196 cases in 2009 -2010 to only 11 cases in 2014 -2015.  The reduced instances of violations of academic integrity can be attributed to ADU’s sensitivity towards ethical conduct of its students”, confirmed Dr. Azad.