Academic Integrity and Accommodations: The Intersections of Ethics and Flexibility

Abstract

Instructors face new challenges, and opportunities, in balancing critically important needs for increased flexibility and academic integrity. Rates of students with disability have increased significantly (e.g., Canadian University Survey Consortium, 2013 first-year university student survey: master report. https://cusc-ccreu.ca/wordpress/?page_id=32&lang=en, 2013; 2022 first-year students survey: Master report. https://cusc-ccreu.ca/wordpress/?page_id=32&lang=en, 2022), and especially since the beginning of COVID-19, there have been signs that rates of violations of academic integrity have increased (e.g., Eaton, The intersection of contract academic work and contract cheating: policy brief. Online submission, 2020). A tension exists where instructors must design assessments and courses that are flexible and inclusive for students with diverse needs while ensuring that they are resistant to violations of academic integrity. This chapter reviews accessible course design principles in tandem with academic integrity considerations. Common academic accommodations are also described along with methods for facilitating academic integrity specific to those accommodations.