Academic Integrity at WCU: Key Insights from a Fall 2025 Student Survey

by Anabel Livengood | Jan 9, 2026 | Academic Integrity, Blog, Student Voices

Written by Gabriel Claros and Clemmy Brophy,
CFC Student Assistants

Academic integrity plays a central role in shaping the learning environment and the long-term value of a degree from Western Carolina University. To better understand how students perceive academic integrity and where additional support may be needed, 58 students participated in an anonymous survey during the 14th Annual Recalibrate Your Compass event in Fall 2025.

Their responses reveal a campus community that overwhelmingly values honesty yet still faces challenges in navigating expectations and academic pressure. This data suggests that while students deeply value academic honesty, they still benefit from clear expectations and faculty support to consistently uphold it.

The survey results provide valuable insight into how students experience academic integrity on a practical, day-to-day level. One of the strongest findings is that students (N=58) feel comfortable communicating with faculty about academic integrity. Almost all respondents (96%, n=56) reported that they feel very or somewhat comfortable asking professors questions about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism. This indicates that many faculty members are already fostering an approachable and supportive atmosphere. Only a small number of students (n=2) expressed discomfort, further suggesting communicating clear and consistent expectations across courses would be beneficial to students.

CFC Student Assistants, Gabriel and Clemmy, sitting behind a table during an event.

Gabriel (pictured on the left) and Clemmy (pictured on the right) are student assistants at the CFC, both are in their first semester at Western. Gabriel is majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Clemmy is majoring in Marketing.

Students also expressed a strong sense of understanding regarding academic integrity policies. A remarkable 98% (n=57) agreed that they have a good understanding of what constitutes a violation of an academic integrity at WCU. Similarly, over three quarters of the students (79%, n=46) feel very confident about their professors’ expectations around generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in coursework. This highlights the benefits of having ongoing conversations in the classroom, ensuring that expectations are transparent and aligned with departmental and course objectives.

Perhaps the most striking takeaway is how deeply students value integrity itself. Every participant stated that acting with academic integrity is important to them. When asked how integrity affects the value of their degree, students used words like value, earned, legitimate, and ownership to describe why honest work matters. Their responses reflect a strong internal motivation to do work that they can be proud of, reinforcing the idea that academic integrity is not merely a policy, but a personal commitment shared across campus.

Students also reported positive observations of integrity in their peers. 74% (n=43) have “observed a peer at WCU practice academic integrity,” and 86% (n=50) believe that most WCU students act with integrity most of the time. These perceptions matter because they shape the culture of the institution: when students believe their peers are committed to honest work, they are more likely to hold themselves to the same standard (Tatum & Schwartz, 2017).

Despite this overwhelmingly positive outlook, the survey also revealed challenges that commonly interfere with students’ ability to uphold academic integrity. Students were asked what the biggest challenges are that stand in the way of maintaining academic integrity. For this question, students could select multiple answers.

Challenges students face in maintaining academic integrity

The challenge students selected the most was time pressure (n=43). Heavy workloads, overlapping deadlines, and personal responsibilities can lead students to feel rushed or overwhelmed, increasing the temptation to cut corners. Lack of confidence in their own work (n=25), unclear expectations (n=19), and the temptation to seek unauthorized help (n=16) were the three other challenges students selected in the survey. These challenges suggest that violations of academic integrity are often less about intent and more about time-crunches, stress, uncertainty, or feeling unprepared.

The survey also exposed a few knowledge gaps. While most students demonstrated a solid understanding of academic integrity, only 60% (n=35) correctly identified fabrication as the act of creating or falsifying information. The remaining students confused this term with plagiarism (n=16), self-plagiarism (n=5), or facilitation (n=2), highlighting the need for continued education on the distinctions between these concepts.

Overall, the survey results suggest a campus that is committed to integrity but still navigating the pressures and complexities of modern academic life. Instructors can play a key role by clarifying expectations, especially around ethical GenAI use, and how to properly cite sources, and by recognizing the impact of external factors on student decision-making. Meanwhile, students can continue to contribute to a culture of honesty by asking questions, seeking support when needed, and reflecting on the long-term value of earning their degree with integrity.

Reference

Tatum, H., & Schwartz, B. M. (2017). Honor codes: Evidence based strategies for improving academic integrity. Theory into Practice, 56(2), 129–135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405841.2017.1308175

Back due to popular demand: AI Forum

by Aaron Ratcliffe | Jan 9, 2026 | AI, Blog, Classroom, Educational Technology, Faculty Development Workshop

Using Artificial Intelligence to Enhance Teaching & Learning

Tuesday, January 27 | 3:30 – 5:00 pm
Hunter Library 156 (CFC) or via Zoom

You’re invited to an open forum for faculty across disciplines to share ideas, challenges, and best practices focused on uses of AI in the classroom. The forum will be structured into two parts. Part 1: Faculty will share ideas regarding how they are using generative AI for teaching innovation and to ease course administration burdens. Part 2: Faculty will share ideas for setting and maintaining clear expectations regarding ethical and responsible student use of AI and the impacts of AI on student learning processes. We will also reflect on how faculty and students can set competency-based learning goals that emphasize distinctive human skills. Come ready to share your ideas and to learn from and be inspired by others.

Register for "Using AI to Enhance Teaching & Learning"

Things instructors should know about the WaLC’s AI policy

by Anabel Livengood | Jan 7, 2026 | Academic Integrity, AI, Blog, University Support

If you teach at Western, you might be wondering how peer educators at the WaLC (Writing and Learning Commons) navigate conversations around AI with students seeking support. The WaLC team would like instructors to know that an internal AI policy exists, and that it was developed to be as faculty forward as possible and while the policy allows for some flexibility, it’s conservative in its application.

By default, peer educators ask students who come to the WaLC what their instructor has written in their syllabus (or assignment instructions) concerning the course’s AI policy. If there is no policy to be found, peer educators won’t encourage students to utilize AI in any way. If there is a statement that allows for AI use, peer educators can assist “in areas provided on the syllabus, or if not stated, in areas such as brainstorming, gathering information, interpreting feedback, outlining, and quizzing” (see AI Decision Tree, developed by the WaLC).

Additionally, the WaLC team has open conversations with their own peer educators who feel uncomfortable using AI themselves (see Step 1 of the AI decision tree). If they encounter a student whose professor requires their students to use AI and they neither are familiar nor comfortable using AI, they can refer the student to a peer educator who is.

Decision Tree if peer educators should use AI.

One recommendation both the WaLC and the CFC have is for instructors to have a conversation with students of what is to be considered acceptable AI use in addition to having a course specific AI policy in the syllabus. For example, some students are still unsure if they can use certain software (Grammarly is a common example) in all of their course work, only for some activities, or not at all.

The WaLC’s goal is to empower students to achieve their academic goals. To that end, the WaLC’s peer educators have come up with some creative ways in which they have utilized AI to help students. In one case, a recreational therapy major struggled using person-first language when discussing a patient’s disability. With the help of AI, they curated a vocabulary list consisting of words and phrases that helped the student expand their repertoire and become a more confident writer. Another example includes a student who couldn’t make sense of their instructor’s track changes and suggestions on their first draft since there weren’t any additional comments provided. They asked AI why the paper was marked up the way it was and concluded that a lot of their writing had been repetitive.

Sometimes, students do come into the WaLC with AI-generated writing. Peer educators are trained to approach those conversations similarly to the conversations about suspected plagiarism. These conversations all begin by asking open-ended, non-judgmental questions: “Do you know how to cite?” or “Did you forget to add attribution here?” to detect if plagiarism they noticed occurred unintentionally due to a lack of knowledge. Likewise, when a peer educator suspects AI use, they also ask probing questions to find out if and how AI was used by the student. Peer educators will always advise students to adhere to the instructor’s policy, and they remind students if they notice when AI was used, their professors will notice too.

If you have questions about the WaLC’s AI policy, feel free to reach out to Haylee Melton at wilkieh@wcu.edu; if you would like support on how to approach your own AI policy, reach out to Coulter Faculty Commons at cfc@wcu.edu.

NEW: AI Ethics Course Module

The CFC is launching a module instructors can import into their Canvas course. The goal of this module is to help students learn the importance of using AI ethically in their college studies. It is a self-contained module that is intended to be customized by each instructor as desired to fit their teaching needs. Instructions are included in non-published pages of the module.

If you are interested in piloting the module, import the “AI Course Ethics Module” from Canvas Commons. For step-by-step instructions, review Importing a Resource from Canvas Commons.

The CFC would like to extend its thanks to Haylee Melton,
Associate Director of the Writing and Learning Commons, in collaborating on this article.

Teaching Analysis Polls (TAPs) registration is open for Spring

by Anabel Livengood | Jan 6, 2026 | Assessment, Blog, Feedback

Spring 2026 TAPs Dates

Teaching Analysis Polls (TAPs), the CFC’s mid-semester assessment program, will run from Monday, February 16 – Friday, March 6 during the 2026 Spring semester.

Register for a TAP & save your spot!

Why sign up for a TAP?

Get feedback from your students when it matters most: while you are actually teaching your class.

Improve student learning: Make small teaching changes now and see the benefits for your current class.
Promote inclusive teaching: Show students you value their input by collecting feedback and making meaningful changes.
Document your teaching: Highlight your responsiveness to student needs in your teaching materials.

Optimize your teaching in less than 2 hours with a TAP. Coulter Faculty Commons

This is what past participants have to say:

The TAP process was an easy and helpful one to improve my student engagement and outcomes. I recommend participating for all faculty looking to improve their courses via student feedback.

Reece Hayes

College of Health and Human Sciences

As a professor, the only feedback I tend to get is from student evaluation data at the conclusion of the semester. I appreciate the CFC for providing this opportunity to gather feedback from students mid-semester, as it was valuable formative feedback. Meeting with the CFC staff member to discuss the feedback and actionable steps I could take for the rest of the semester and beyond was the personalized professional development I needed to reflect on my teaching, as well as my students’ learning.

Roya Q. Scales

College of Education and Allied Professions

TAPs are available to anyone who teaches at WCU and are completely confidential.
We are offering in-person options at both the main campus and Biltmore Park, as well as online options for evening or remote classes.

Please reach out to Anabel Livengood at llivengood@wcu.edu if you have any questions.

QR code for TAPs Registration (Spring 2026)

Get Ready for Spring with the CFC. January’s Week Zero: Canvas, Syllabi, and More

by Anabel Livengood | Dec 1, 2025 | Blog, Canvas, Faculty Development Workshop, Teaching and Learning

Week Zero: We’ve got you covered for Spring semester

Finalize your spring courses before the semester begins! During Week Zero, the Coulter Faculty Commons has you covered:

Our team will be available for individual consultations all week (both in-person and virtual), and we’ll host focused workshops on Thursday and Friday to help you finalize your course setup.

Join us for:

Canvas Essentials: streamline your gradebook and boost your communication strategies.
AI & the Syllabus: explore ways to address AI thoughtfully in your course policies.
Syllabus & Canvas Clinic (in-person drop-in support): bring your syllabus, assignments, or Canvas questions and get one-on-one help from our team.

Week Zero flyer: Get ready for Spring with the CFC.

Register for Week Zero

All Week (Monday, January 5 – Friday, January 9)

Our team will be available for individual consultations all week to help you get your spring classes ready — wherever you are in the process. Whether you’d like feedback on your syllabus, ideas for new or revised assignments, or a hand with your Canvas setup and gradebook, we’re here to support you. Bring your questions, drafts, or big-picture plans, and we’ll work with you to make sure your course is ready to launch with confidence.

Schedule a consultation directly or email cfc@wcu.edu to set up an in-person or virtual appointment.

Thursday, January 8

Canvas Gradebook Setup & Best Practices – hybrid | 10:00 – 10:45 am
Because your Canvas gradebook is built from your assignments, it’s important to set it up accurately from the start. In this session, we’ll guide you through organizing assignments, applying weights, and setting grading policies correctly. This is a 30-minute demo, followed by a brief Q&A.

AI & Syllabus Policy – hybrid | 11:00 am – noon
Explore ways to address AI thoughtfully in your syllabus. We’ll look at sample policy language, classroom scenarios, and strategies for aligning expectations with your teaching goals. This session is an interactive workshop.

Syllabus & Canvas Clinic – in-person | 1:00 – 3:00 pm
Work side-by-side with CFC consultants to review your syllabus, organize your Canvas materials, and make sure your course is ready for students on day one. This session follows a drop-in consultation format.

Friday, January 9

Syllabus & Canvas Clinic – in-person | 10:00 am – noon
Work side-by-side with CFC consultants to review your syllabus, organize your Canvas materials, and make sure your course is ready for students on day one. This session follows a drop-in consultation format.

Communication in Canvas – hybrid | 1:15 – 2:00 pm
Stay connected with your students with built-in Canvas features. We’ll show you how to use announcements, feedback tools, the syllabus feature, and discussions to build an engaging and communicative course environment.