WESTERN GOVERNORS UNIVERSITY
Academic Authenticity
Academic Authenticity: A Competency Cornerstone
WGU’s competency-based model enables our students to achieve their degree goals through learning demonstration and skills achievement, an approach that relies on a shared commitment to fairness, ownership, and ethical academic engagement. In this way, academic integrity is a cornerstone of WGU’s philosophy; it underscores our mission to put learning in the hands of our students by ensuring that course progress is honest, competency demonstration is valid, and awarded degrees are credible.
The Academic Authenticity Department
WGU’s Academic Authenticity teams are tasked with the important responsibility of securing our assessments and protecting our students’ work. From policies and investigation to outreach and support, our teams strive to foster a genuine culture of academic authenticity. We prioritize clear expectations and innovative processes to meet the challenges of today’s educational landscape with flexibility and resilience. Just a few of the ways we pursue our commitment to academic integrity include the following:
- Staffing teams with dedicated, professional academic integrity advisors and leaders
- Working directly with our learners
- Regularly reviewing and updating official Academic Authenticity policies
- Collaborating with departments throughout the University
- Engaging in international academic integrity events
- Researching advancements in educational software and assessment design to address the challenges and opportunities of emerging technologies, including generative AI
- Recognizing learner achievement to directly impact motivation and persistence via our unique Excellence Awards program
Academic Authenticity News & Outreach
Curious to learn more about academic integrity at WGU? Check out the latest happenings from WGU’s Academic Authenticity Department below:
