This year, 21 October marks the 5th annual International Day of Action against Contract Cheating. Contract cheating is students having others – whether paid or for free – completing assessments for them. With the disruptions of Covid-19, essay mill, impersonation and contract cheating companies across the world have been increasing their advertising, seeking to prey on students feeling vulnerable during a period of uncertainty. Despite what they say in their publicity, these companies simply want money and do not hesitate to use highly unscrupulous methods to get it.
In collaboration with the Academic Skills Hub of the Library and SUSU, this October, the University’s Academic Integrity Network is providing information about the challenges of contract cheating and the real dangers of becoming entangled with it. There is a new Panopto recording, An Introduction to Contract Cheating and guidance in the University’s Academic Integrity Toolkit. You may also want to access the QAA’s recently revised publication Contracting to Cheat in Higher Education
Valuable support in terms of dealing with the temptations of contract cheating is also available for students. There are the Tips for Good Academic Practice and the Library’s Academic Skills pages have advice on avoiding such problems. If you see publicity for contract cheating companies, please report them via: [email protected]
You can pick up relevant information on social media by following the #DefeatTheCheat hashtag. For more information on the day of action globally see the International Centre for Academic Integrity’s dedicated webpage.
Contact person: Dr Keir Thorpe, [email protected]. If unavailable, please contact Sara Dixon, QSAT, [email protected]
