Purpose before policy: academic integrity, generative AI, and rhetorical stance

Abstract

The release of ChatGPT in 2022 sparked polarised responses in higher education, from rapid curricular adoption to warnings about academic misconduct and threats to academic integrity. This article argues that whether generative AI (GenAI) use constitutes misconduct depends on a prior question: what is the university’s purpose? We contend that (apparent) rising GenAI-related misconduct cases reflect structural incoherence in the neo-liberal university, where technological enthusiasm, corporate influence, and policy enforcement often conflict. Such misalignment produces moral and institutional ambiguity, leaving students accountable for behaviours implicitly shaped by the institution itself. Drawing on an historical and rhetorical account of the Anglo-American university model, we analyse mission statements from leading university networks to reveal gaps between how institutional ideals are communicated versus how they are implemented. We conclude that universities cannot credibly enforce integrity standards in the age of AI without first ensuring coherence between their stated missions, pedagogical practices, and approaches to emerging technologies.