Contract cheating occurs when a student enlists someone to do their work for them. This is a form of cheating that inherently favors those with leverage—usually, the student who can afford to pay someone to write their essay, take their test, or yes, even take their SAT.

Contract cheating often goes undetected and penalizes those who do everything by the book. Students who work the hardest see their grades diluted by the fraudulent submissions of corner-cutters.

Under normal circumstances, the corner-cutter would turn in, let's say, C-level work. The hard-working student shines by comparison, earning a grade that reflects their hard work.

Contract cheating skews the normal grade distribution, allowing slackers to turn in work far above their competency. Their work appears similar to that of the hard-working, honest student and thus robs the honest student's work of its exceptional quality.

Thanks to one of the most-discussed university scandals of our time, we now know that contract cheating is rampant. We also know that new solutions are necessary for universities to reinstate a fair playing field.

Varsity Blues Scandal Puts a Face to Contract Cheating

To many, the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal was little more than a flashy headline replete with Hollywood starlets, fashion moguls, elite universities, and class conflicts.

For honest college students handicapped by rampant contract cheating, Varsity Blues brought much-needed awareness to a problem that affects them firsthand. What those honest students may not have realized before the scandal broke, though, was that they weren't only competing against dishonest students—they were competing against dishonest parents, too.

The scale and scope of contract cheating ranges far beyond what most suspected. With the problem dragged into the headlines, students have demanded better from their universities.

The Anti-Contract Cheating Movement Is Gaining Steam

Did you know that there is a formal movement fighting against contract cheating? This alone indicates the scale of the problem.

The International Center for Academic Integrity (ACAI) sponsors the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating (IDoA). In October 2020, speakers and supporters gathered to discuss the problem of contract cheating, posing tangible and theoretical solutions to the problem.

I can't help but agree wholeheartedly with the ACAI's view on contract cheating:

“Now more than ever we need to unite as communities of learning to support and ensure that our efforts in creating and cultivating quality learning environments, grounded in the values of academic integrity, are preserved and strengthened.”

What Is the Solution to Contract Cheating?

As an attorney-advisor, I see countless students hammered for the most innocent of mistakes. They work their tails off, perform with integrity for most—if not all—of their academic career, and then face expulsion for a single infraction.

When a contract cheating scandal of the scale of Varsity Blues emerges, it casts doubt on the collegiate approach to discipline. University policies place honest students under a microscope while failing to consider:

• Are there grander forms of dishonesty that we are failing to detect?
• Are we being overly punitive towards students who have made a single mistake?
• Should we reconsider the ways that we assess students so that hard-working students don't feel compelled to cut corners?

I believe that far too few universities are asking these questions. Until administrators focus more on student assistance and less on student discipline, problems like contract cheating will continue to go unaddressed.

Problems With Your University? Call Attorney Joseph D. Lento

The Lento Law Firm can help with your student discipline issue. From unfair discipline to grade issues and more, attorney Joseph D. Lento can help. Call the Lento Law Firm today at 888-535-3686 or contact us online.