Amerian University of Nigeria Becomes Only Nigerian Member of Integrity Group

AUN is set to join dozens of universities from 17 countries in the International Center for Academic Integrity (ICAI), an organization created to combat cheating, plagiarism, and academic dishonesty in higher education. Over time, its mission has expanded to include the cultivation of cultures of integrity in academic communities worldwide.

The new Associate Vice President for Institutional Planning, Assessment, and Research, Ms. Gina Cinali, spearheaded the membership, which comes just in time for ICAI’s annual conference in November at Princeton University where she will present a paper on plagiarism in democratic societies.

ICAI provides resources for faculty, students, and administrators at universities, high schools, and all institutions of learning that care about honesty, integrity, trust, respect, and responsibility as well as information on what academic dishonesty is and how faculty and students can adhere to honest practices. 

 “Academic integrity infraction is rampant around the world. It’s not that people are bad; they just need to get some education on what constitutes good academic practices and how they can avoid falling into the trap,” said Ms. Cinali.

“I was impressed when I showed up and saw an academic integrity code. I want to wave the AUN flag and brag about what we already have here. I want to show the world that we are instilling good values in our students,” she said. The University is undergoing re-accreditation from the National Universities Commission and is working with several associations of schools and colleges abroad to obtain international accreditation. “Accreditation is really the tip of the iceberg. Once you prove that you’re good enough, there must be continuous improvement, quality assurance, curriculum review, and the ability to review. This new membership will definitely help score us points," Ms. Cinali added.