The Principles

Fairness. Fair treatment is essential to an ethical community. Important components of fairness include reasonableness, transparency, impartiality and just treatment. We are fair to each other and to the community when we act with honesty and do our own work. We are fair to authors and writers when we acknowledge borrowed ideas, words and work. We are fair to the academic community when we respect and uphold academic standards and practices.

Honesty. Honesty means being truthful and sincere, as well as acting in ways that are fair and free from deceit. Honesty begins with individuals and extends to the larger community. To seek knowledge and grow from that knowledge, we must be honest with ourselves and each other. Cultivating and practicing honesty lays a foundation for lifelong integrity.

Trust. Trust is a belief in the reliability, truth, ability or strength of someone or something. Trust is a necessary foundation of academic work. Trust enables us to collaborate, share information and circulate new ideas without fear that our work will be undermined or stolen, or our careers or reputations diminished.

Respect. Respect is a feeling of admiration for someone or something based on abilities, qualities or achievements. Mutual respect means valuing others as you would like them to value you. In academic communities, respect means showing that you care about the opinions, reputation and well-being of the academic community.

Responsibility. Being responsible means standing up against wrongdoing, resisting negative peer pressure, and serving as a positive example.Responsible individuals hold themselves accountable for their own actions, and work to discourage misconduct by others. For members of the academic community, this means safeguarding integrity, scholarship, teaching and research.

Courage. Courage is an element of character that allows learners to commit to the quality of their education by holding themselves and their fellow learners to the highest standards of academic integrity – even when doing so involves risk or prompts negative consequences from peers. Being courageous means acting in accordance with one’s convictions.