We can't 'policy our way out' of this crisis - for Future Campus news

First published in the 22 June 2026 edition of the 'Future Campus' newsletter. [Subscribe here.](https://futurecampus.com.au/subscribe/)

Professor Judyth Sachs is Chief Academic Officer at Studiosity, and former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Provost at Macquarie University; Pro Vice Chancellor Learning and Teaching at the University of Sydney.

Right now, every Australian leader in higher education is caught in an exhausting cycle of rewriting policies, designing multi-lane assessment frameworks, and trying to outsmart the latest tech disruption.

But in the rush and chaos of this challenging time, some are drifting to enforcement of assessment security as a core strategy, rather than the assurance of learning.

The Policy Illusion: Passing the Burden to the Staffroom

When you look at institutional policies, the language used to address generative AI and academic integrity often relies on comfortable policy phrases:

“...giving flexibility for innovation...”

“...enabling unit-level flexibility...”

By telling educators they have the "flexibility" to innovate their way out of this crisis, the university secures credibility on paper, but relies on the individual labor and innovation of teachers to enforce it. It is an unfair expectation.

The Flawed Proxy of the Static Artefact

The current obsession with detection and surveillance - proctoring, keystrokes, or other forms that fundamentally treat the student with suspicion as core strategy - is an unwinnable technological arms race. It treats a symptom rather than supporting the true goal of education.

In reality, a static digital document is a fundamentally flawed proxy for higher-order learning.

Students do not become critical thinkers at the finish line; they develop those skills in the quiet moments between milestones, through the continuous, ongoing work of learning.

This system assumes misconduct is the norm, and under-values the process of learning that came before, that underpins degree value. It fails to protect educational integrity, and turns exhausted academics into frontline forensic investigators.

Scaling Pedagogical Validation

Instead of worrying about what the technology can do, we need to focus on what the student has actually learned. This means embedding authorship validation directly into the core assessment design, allowing students to take proactive ownership of their work and self-validate their authentic effort.

Universities that adopt this approach will show students, regulators, and industry that they stand behind genuine learning.

Because learning is the point.

About:

[Professor Judyth Sachs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/judyth-sachs-10708970/) is Chief Academic Officer at Studiosity, where she leads global academic strategy and ethical student success. A highly experienced higher education leader, she has served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Macquarie University, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Learning and Teaching at the University of Sydney, and Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic at the University of Canberra, alongside teaching and university advisory roles in Europe. Across these roles, she has been a strong advocate for systemic transformation in teaching and learning.