1. What Is Contract Cheating?
- Contract cheating occurs when a student enlists someone else to do their academic work.
- Some examples include:
- Purchasing a paper or exam answers
- Paying someone to complete an assignment or take an exam for you
- Enlisting someone to complete an assignment or take an exam for you, even if that person is not paid
- 7% of US students report having purchased an assignment
2. The Risks Of Contract Cheating
- Serious academic and disciplinary penalties (including failure in a course, suspension, or expulsion)
- Risk of doing business with a dishonest person or organization – students have reported being blackmailed after paying a service to write papers on their behalf
- Robbing yourself of an opportunity to learn
- Possible illegal activity (NJ Rev Stat § 18A:2-3 (2019))
3. Community Impact
- Damages the reputation of the institution
- Diminishes the value of a Rutgers education – employers will be less likely to hire individuals who come from programs where students are known to cheat
- Unfair to students who work honestly; 23% of US students reported having peers who purchased assignments
4. What Can I Do To Help?
- Share information about contract cheating among your peers
- Steer clear of any service or “tutor” that promises A grades or asks for your NetID and password
- Hold yourself and other students accountable for completing work independently
- Follow the Rutgers University Honor Pledge: “On my honor, I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance on this examination or assignment.”