ENSA Advice Blog

End of Summer Wrap-up

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:31:06 +0100

August Update from the ENSA Advice Team

As Summer draws to a close, the ENSA Advice team has continued supporting students through what is often a surprisingly busy period of the academic year. Throughout August we have been helping students with a range of academic matters including Trimester 3 assessments, summer reassessments, appeals following the reassessment period and ongoing academic integrity cases. We know this can be an uncertain and stressful time, and we have been working closely with students to help them understand University procedures and their available options.

AI use within assessments campaign

Work has continued on our Artificial Intelligence in Assessments campaign. The campaign aims to provide students with clear guidance on the appropriate use of AI within their studies, helping to reduce confusion and increase confidence around academic integrity. Our new Sabbatical Officers have been keen to support the project and we are also hoping to involve students in the design of the campaign to ensure it is engaging, relevant and useful.

Working with other advice services

This month we met with the advice team from Heriot Watt University. It was a valuable opportunity to share experiences, discuss common challenges and explore ways we can work together in the future. Building relationships with colleagues across the sector and city, helps us learn from one another and continue improving the support we provide to students.

AdvicePro

Following the launch of our new case management system, AdvicePro, we have been spending time getting familiar with the new software and embedding it into our day-to-day work. The system will help us manage and track student cases more effectively while also providing more detailed insight into the types of support students are accessing. This will allow us to better understand emerging trends and continue developing our service.

Training and development

Diane attended the AdviceUK Scottish Members Forum, where advisers from across Scotland came together to discuss the current advice landscape, explore opportunities to strengthen peer networks and consider how online communities can support collaboration across the sector. Attending events like these helps us stay informed about developments affecting advice services and ensures we continue to provide the best possible support for our students.

Marianne and Hannah, together with other members of the wider ENSA team, attended the NUS Member Services Conference in Manchester, providing an opportunity to connect with colleagues from students' unions across the UK and bring back ideas to help strengthen our work.

Looking ahead to the New Academic Year

While we support students throughout the year, with many beginning their studies at different times, we're looking forward to welcoming our largest cohort of new students in September. Behind the scenes, the team has been busy preparing for another academic year. Planning is well underway for Welcome Week and we're looking forward to meeting both new and returning students, introducing them to ENSA and highlighting the support available throughout their time at university.

We are also developing a student housing campaign to provide helpful information and guidance on accommodation issues, with more details to follow soon.

Need advice or reassurance?

Whether you have questions about your studies, housing or wellbeing, the ENSA Advice team is here to provide free, independent and confidential advice. If you would like to speak with one of our advisers, you can book an appointment through the ENSA Advice booking system.

ENSA Advice - Academic Integrity

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:19:44 +0100

In this blog we will discuss academic integrity at Edinburgh Napier University and the support that ENSA Advice can offer to students worried about the process, or experiencing an Academic Integrity investigation. If you are a current or recently graduated (2026) Napier student, please provide some feedback on Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence to help inform our work next academic year: ENSA Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey – Fill out form

Blog content:

What is Academic Integrity?
Why does Academic Integrity matter?
How can ENSA help with Academic Integrity issues?
How can I avoid issues with Academic Integrity?
How can I make my voice heard about Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence in my studies?

What is Academic Integrity?

Edinburgh Napier defines Academic Integrity as " acting in a way that is honest, fair, respectful, responsible, and courageous in your academic practice. These are values that are expected of both staff and students". You can read more about this, including examples, on MyNapier at: https://my.napier.ac.uk/Your-Studies/Academic-integrity

There are various types of Academic Integrity issue such as plagiarism, falsification, collusion, using essay mills or exam cheating. Sometimes this is obvious – e.g. copying someone else's work or paying someone to complete work for you and submitting it as your own. But sometimes breaches can be accidental – e.g. submitting work without properly citing (referencing) the original source, as this is also essentially copying someone else's ideas and submitting them as your own, even if you did not intend to. One of the newest areas in which students can have issues is Artificial Intelligence (AI). If you use AI without stating this in your assessment declaration or use AI in some way that is not permitted in assignment guidelines, this will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Regulations.

Why does Academic Integrity matter?

Adhering to the Academic Integrity Regulations means committing to good study practices, such as note-taking, careful planning and drafting of assignments, and consistent referencing. Failing to do so can have negative consequences for your studies. You can be formally investigated and, if found to have breached the academic integrity regulations, receive a penalty. Some of the more severe penalties can include having your assessment failed or in the most serious cases, such as repeated breaches or the fabrication of dissertation data, students can be referred to a university panel who can decide if it is appropriate for you to continue your studies.

How can ENSA help with Academic Integrity issues?

The Advice team at ENSA can help students who are being investigated for possible Academic Integrity breaches. ENSA Advice are an independent, impartial, and confidential service. This means that we are not interested in whether you have breached the Academic Integrity regulations and anything that you tell us will not be used in your investigation. Our role is purely to help you to understand the process, your options, and advise you on next steps and sources of support.

If you would like help with an academic integrity investigation, we would suggest that you book an appointment for support: ENSA ADVICE. If you are unable to do so you can also email ensa.advice@napier.ac.uk.

You may request that an ENSA Adviser accompany you at an Academic Integrity meeting (if we are able to do so). Please let us know your time, date & location, as far in advance as possible so that we can advise you if there are any scheduling conflicts and suggest alternative support.

If you are being impacted by other issues that mean you are considering breaching the Academic Integrity regulations or using tools for your study that you are unsure about, please book an appointment with an ENSA adviser, and we will talk you through your other options and sources of support.

How can I avoid issues with Academic Integrity?

The university has some great guidance on

It is important to read this guidance as there are some issues you might not even be aware of. For example, did you know that collusion is a breach of the Academic Integrity regulations?

Collusion is when you share your work, firm ideas, plans and solutions with other people and they then submit the same work as you. For example, working closely with someone else on an individual assignment, or someone asking in WhatsApp what answer someone else put to a question, and that person providing their answer.

Many tools for study now use AI as part of their system, whether you are aware they are doing this or not. This includes, for example, Grammarly. Check any tools that you use which are making changes to your work, find out if any AI is used, and decide if that tool is appropriate for your assignment.

Instead of relying too heavily, or even inappropriately, on AI tools, you might consider these other sources of advice and support:

If you have personal or health problems, consider an extension or deferral under the Fit to Sit processes. Not sure whether you can or where to start? Book an appointment with an ENSA adviser ASAP.
Running out of time with your references, or not sure how to format them? Check out the MyNapier guidance, the university's recommended tools, or book an appointment with Academic Skills. Using AI for your references can sometimes make changes to your work without you realising, or cite things incorrectly, which can cause an academic integrity issue.
Worried about your English language skills when producing assignments if English is not your first language? There are lots of sources of support to help you develop your academic English skills: English language support.
Struggling to manage your studies due to a disability or learning difference? Speak to the Disability Inclusion team about study skills, approved learning technologies, or a personalised Learning Profile (support plan).
If you are impacted by stress, worry or your mental health, seek support from the Counselling & Mental Wellbeing team.

If you do use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your academic work, make sure that you:

Check your assignment guidance for what AI use (if any) is appropriate in that module.
Check the University's guidance on Artificial intelligence tools.
Get confirmation from your Module Leader in writing that the way you intend to use AI is appropriate for the assignment.
Be confident that the work is still your own and that you understand all elements and can talk confidently about the content and about how you produced it.
Consider keeping drafts of your work and notes. These can help to show how you approached your work and can separate the input of any AI tools from your independent work. You can seek guidance from your module leader on how to do this. For example, be prepared to provide a copy of your AI conversation as an appendix to an assignment.
Remember that you must always declare AI use on your cover sheet. However, even if you have declared your use of AI, you still need to ensure that the extent is appropriate. You are responsible for ensuring your work reflects your own thinking, skills, and understanding.
Be aware that an AI tool may give you answers which are incorrect or biased. You will need to use other sources and your own understanding of a topic to confirm the accuracy of any information provided.

How can I make my voice heard about Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence in my studies?

ENSA are interested in your knowledge and experiences of the Academic Integrity process, whether you have been through it or not, and your understanding or concerns about how Artificial Intelligence can be used in assessments.

Please complete our anonymous survey here: ENSA Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey – Fill out form

We will use this data to ensure that Student voice is at the heart of our work over the next academic year, and alongside our sabbatical officers (your President and Co-Presidents) and the rest of ENSA to both work with the university and to improve our own processes and support.

If you would like to provide further feedback or to share with us your name/story, please contact ensa.advice@napier.ac.uk with the email subject heading: Academic Integrity Feedback.

Closing out the 2025/26 Academic Year

Wed, 20 May 2026 15:24:25 +0100

As the 2025/26 year draws to a close, I thought I’d share a few statistics from the ENSA Advice Service over the past academic year:

We’ve assisted with 784 Advice Enquiries
44% of those have related to Welfare Cases; 56% have been Academic Cases
We have supported a pretty even split of Undergraduate students (51%) and Postgraduate students (49%)
And a similarly even split of Home students (47%) and International students (50%), with the remaining 3% relating to students from elsewhere in the UK.
The Top 3 reasons students contacted the Advice Team were:
1. Academic Misconduct
2. General Course Queries
3. Financial Hardship

What have we been up to?

When we last blogged (in April) we’d been busy. That hasn’t changed! Alongside supporting students day-to-day, we’ve been working on a range of projects behind the scenes to help improve the service we provide:

ENSA Advice Website

One of our main focuses recently has been reviewing and updating content across the ENSA Advice website. We know students rely on our online information to help navigate University Life, so we’ve been looking at ways to make our guidance clearer and easier to find.

Case Management System Migration

As Hannah mentioned in March’s blog, we’re also in the process of moving to a new case management system, and we’re excited to get this up and running over the summer. There’s a lot of work happening behind the scenes to prepare for the transition, and we’re looking forward to the benefits it will bring.

Training

As part of our ongoing professional development, members of the team recently attended a workshop on Cults and New Religious Movements. This session was run by an organisation called Inform and provided some valuable insight into recognising and supporting students who may be affected by harmful groups or coercive behaviours.

Strategic Planning

Earlier this month, a few of us from the wider ENSA team also attended a Strategic Planning session with the University Principal Sue Rigby, which gave us a chance to contribute to discussions about ENU’s future direction.

Team Appraisals & Work Plans

Internally, we’ve been carrying out team appraisals, and developing our individual work plans, which will feed into the wider ENSA Student Community Development Plan. It’s been useful to reflect on our achievements from the past year, and to identify goals and priorities for the year ahead.

A final few highlights from across ENSA this month:

Diane, together with Evans (our Student President for Societies & Community) presented to a group of International Recruitment Agents on the support that ENSA can offer.
Moray & Hannah supported our colleagues in ENSA Sports & Societies by presenting at the Committee training sessions
We also helped with shortlisting nominations for ENSA’s Excellence Awards.

And last, but not least!!

A reminder that the ENSA Advice Team remains open throughout the summer. Whether you need support with exam results, housing, money, or anything else – we’re here for you. You can make an appointment with us here: Make an Appointment with an Adviser

Good luck to anyone waiting for exam results, and we hope that everyone has a great summer break.

ENSA Advice - Exam and Assessments

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:00:53 +0100

Exam and assessments for Trimester 2 are upcoming, here is our short guide on how to approach them:

1: Getting prepared

Find out when are your exams are from the Exam timetable

For assessments see your specific courses Moodle pages

How to help tackle them:

Engage with academic materials from Moodle - make sure you read the assessment or exam brief
If you still have questions you can contact your Module leader
If you need additional academic support speak to the study skills team

2: Are you ready?

Are you in the right frame of mind to be sitting these assessments? Read the Fit to Sit and extenuating circumstances policy

Ensure you are following the Artificial intelligence tools guidance and upholding Academic integrity

Do you need additional provisions made due to a health condition, learning difficulty or disability? Contact the Inclusion team

3. Getting through them!

Make sure you are timetabling for sleep, free time and doing things to unwind. This will help you to succeed

If you need Wellbeing Support, contact the team

If you would like anonymous, online support, you can contact Togetherall

Throughout this whole process you can contact ENSA’s Student Advisers for free, independent, confidential and impartial advice by booking an appointment here: ENSA ADVICE. We will post more advice on what to do about results once the exam period ends. Good luck!

ENSA Advice - March Blog

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 14:45:59 +0100

March Update from the ENSA Advice Team

March has been a key month for the advice team at ENSA. Following the busy February Trimester 1 Results and Appeals Deadlines, and ongoing academic misconduct cases, the team has dealwith an increase in student's seeking support for welfare issues including financial hardship. The team have also been working on ongoing project work to increase our support, including an upcoming Academic Integrity and Artificial Intelligence campaign and a review of our website content.

We also attended a meeting with the Fit to Sit Officers from each school in order to discuss key issues impacting students and the best ways to work together to support students who's studies are impacted by extenuating circumstances.

The team are also in the process of moving to a more effective record management system which will hopefully enable us to support students in a more efficient way and provide better insight into how we are currently helping students in order to improve our service.

ENSA Collaboration

The team have also continued our contribution to wider ENSA projects, events and planning. As part of this, we all attended a team away day at the start of March focussed on Student Journey and our the Student Community Development Plan. We also all fed into a review and discussion regarding ENSA's Vision, Mission and Values.

Members of the team also supported events for Student Elections, and talked about ENSA Advice's offer at introductory talks for staff and students.

Couch to 5K

If you are a student or staff member who is interested in beginning or returning to running, why not register your interest for our new 9-week "Couch to 5K" group? Currently in week 3, the group meets on Wednesdays at 4pm in Harrison Park (West)- register to attend here: Couch to 5k

This is a positive and inclusive group, designed for anyone who can currently walk comfortably for 30 minutes but would not yet feel able to run 5K. Each week there will be one coach led session, along with two additional runs that participants can complete independently (or with a friend!).

Training and Development

Several advisers attended internal Safeguarding Training, a reminder of the university and ENSA's responsibilities to ensure the safety of students and also vulnerable children and adults in our wider community. If you ever have concerns about the safety of yourself, a student or a vulnerable person you can contact the Wellbeing Support and Inclusion, use the Report & Support service or let an ENSA adviser know.

Hannah also attended a webinar from Student Minds discussing Artificial Intelligence and student wellbeing. Marianne attended the AdviceUK Scotland Member Forum and Diane attended the Edinburgh Food Project - Referral Forum. Attendance at these kinds of events enables us to keep on top of issues impacting the wider student and Edinburgh communities, in order to best support our understanding and inform our advice.

AI use within assessments campaign

ENSA advice are currently planning a campaign focused on AI use within assessments. The aim is to inform students, provide information about university guidelines, reduce confusion and help students feel confident about how to use tools appropriately and ethically in their studies, ultimately reducing the number of academic misconduct cases. Our student survey is currently open and you can complete it here: ENSA Academic Integrity & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey

Need Advice or Reassurance?

In the meantime, remember that we’re here to offer confidential, non-judgmental advice and reassurance on anything related to your welfare, wellbeing, or studies.

If you’d like to speak with an adviser, just click below to book in: ENSA ADVICE | Scheduling and Booking Website