Episode 52: Mary-Claire Kennedy & Justin Tonra

“I am hopeful about is the the increasing degree to which I've encountered students in in this academic year who are thinking more critically about generative AI use.”

“I think pessimistically this is going to take a decade to sort out to find an equilibrium of how we proceed here.”

In this 52nd episode of The Opposite of Cheating Podcast, Tricia is joined by fellow "hopeful pessimists" Mary-Claire Kennedy (University of Limerick) and Justin Tonra (University of Galway), two national leaders advancing academic integrity across Ireland. Together we discuss how Ireland’s National Academic Integrity Network creates a collaborative infrastructure that supports institutions while preserving local autonomy, allowing universities to share practices, develop guidance, and respond collectively to emerging challenges like generative AI.

Mary-Claire and Justin reflect on the evolution from a narrow focus on plagiarism toward a broader culture of integrity grounded in responsibility, transparency, and professional formation. They also explore the opportunities and risks AI presents, expressing cautious optimism that students themselves are beginning to question its impact on their learning. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the power of coordinated leadership, practitioner networks, and shared responsibility in strengthening integrity across an entire higher education system.

You can follow Mary-Claire on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mary-claire-kennedy-0389aa25/ and learn more about Justin's work at https://research.universityofgalway.ie/en/persons/justin-tonra/.

You can read up about the HEA framework at Generative AI in Higher Education Teaching & Learning: National Policy Framework - National Resource Hub and the NAIN strategy at national-academic-integrity-network-strategy-2025-2028.pdf

(Disclaimer: episode quotes and summary were created using Youtube's Transcript and ChatGPT and edited by a human. Any errors are the responsibility of the human).