We are thrilled to announce a first-of-its-kind content partnership between the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) and Turnitin, a global leader in academic integrity and learning solutions. This collaboration is designed to provide higher education faculty with the essential training and support needed to navigate the increasingly complex intersection of AI, effective teaching, and assessment.
To discuss what this partnership means for our community of dedicated educators, we sat down with Dr. Julie Candio Sekel, ACUE’s Executive Director of Content and Learning Innovation, to learn more.
Q: What is the core vision behind the ACUE and Turnitin partnership, and why did the two organizations decide to join forces?
A: Our core mission at ACUE is to ensure student success through quality instruction. In the age of AI, that mission now includes empowering faculty to both use––and teach students how to use––AI responsibly, upholding learning integrity. We launched our first Quick Studies focused on AI almost two years ago, regularly adding to this set of courses to meet the ever-growing demands of AI’s rapid evolution on instructors. As a leader in academic integrity solutions, Turnitin is an exceptional partner for us in this area.
This partnership brings together the high instructional standards of ACUE’s courses with the high academic integrity standards of Turnitin to deliver a timely, robust solution for colleges and universities.
Both organizations are committed to supporting faculty in facilitating academic experiences that ensure students are actually learning and deepening their critical thinking skills. We believe that educators require confidence, competence, and clarity to navigate AI effectively, and this partnership is built to deliver exactly that.
Q: The timing of this partnership is significant. Why is it so important right now to address academic integrity in higher education?
A: The accelerated adoption of AI is putting increasing pressure on institutions to maintain educational standards while simultaneously seizing new opportunities for student engagement. AI has fundamentally changed how students learn and how educators assess that learning.
We are past the point of simply trying to restrict AI and now must provide faculty with the know-how to leverage AI to provide meaningful feedback, promote academic integrity, and ensure their assessments are true measures of student learning.
Although the conversation around AI integrity sometimes takes a more punitive tone, that’s not what this partnership is about. Our singular focus is on equipping educators and institutions to take proactive steps to build a foundation of trust between faculty and students and keep what’s most important at the center of every course: the learning.
Q: How will this new initiative be integrated into ACUE’s learning ecosystem to support faculty?
A: The Quick Studies and other learning opportunities we develop with Turnitin will be an integral and seamless part of ACUE’s learning ecosystem, which is anchored in our certification courses and vibrant community of educators. ACUE Commons members will have access to the courses alongside our existing catalog of 20+ Quick Studies that deliver self-paced learning on AI and other cutting-edge topics like workforce readiness, deliberative dialogue, well-being, and more.
Based on feedback from our members, we are soon launching a series of “endorsements,” which will recognize ACUE-certified faculty for continuing to upskill their practice and stay current in timely teaching topics. The Quick Studies we produce with Turnitin will be part of our AI for Educators endorsement, allowing faculty to proudly showcase their commitment to teaching excellence and student success.
Q: Beyond the endorsements, what is the ultimate goal you hope to achieve through this partnership?
A: Here at ACUE, we want to ensure that every student experiences dynamic and inspired teaching that deepens their learning and propels their success.
By helping faculty move beyond just detection and toward designing authentic assessments and fostering a culture of original thinking, we are building on our tried-and-true certification courses and unlocking new levels of instructional excellence. Educators will feel empowered as agents of change in their classrooms and ensure that the integrity of a college degree remains paramount.
Our goal with this partnership is not just to rise to meet the challenges of AI but to continue to encourage faculty to keep student learning at the heart of their teaching. Read more about our partnership with Turnitin.
