Let’s Talk Academic Integrity 2021

Did you know that Canada places #2 among countries in which students outsource their academic work? (Lancaster, 2018). In Canada, 71,000+ post-secondary students engage in contract cheating every year (Eaton, 2018).

This week is Alberta Academic Integrity Week (Oct. 18 to 22, 2021). The GSA joins the Alberta Integrity Association and Dr. Sarah Eaton, a faculty member in the Werklund School of Education and Educational Leader in Residence and Academic Integrity, in promoting the resources and essential information around popular academic integrity topics including contract cheating, plagiarism prevention, and strategies for teaching assistants to promote academic integrity. The GSA will also host a live session on Instagram on October 21 with Dr. Sarah Eaton at 11:30 am.

Below are a few resources you can read to learn more about academic Integrity:

• Contract Cheating and Strategies to Detect Contract Cheating
• Strategies to Prevent Plagiarism
• Teaching Assistants Dos and Don’ts
• Academic Integrity in Large Classes
• Combating systemic racism in Academic Integrity
• Scholarships Without Scrubbles
• Avoiding Predatory Journals and Questionable Conferences: A Resource Guide

This October 21, join Alex, our VP Academic, to chat with Dr. Sarah Eaton on other common topics around academic integrity on Instagram Live.
Send a question to us via social media to enter to win a special prize.

GSA Instagram: @gsacalgary

Other events on campus for Academic Integrity Week:

Integrity Week

Integrity Week is the premiere opportunity to showcase ethical teaching and learning. It aligns with the International Day of Action Against Contract Cheating, October 20, 2021, an event celebrated across the globe on the same day to bring attention to term paper mills, predatory tutoring and other forms of contract cheating.

Webinars:

The Intersection of Academic Integrity and Mental Health: From Resources to Policies
Oct. 19 from 12 –  1 p.m.

Contract Cheating in Alberta and Beyond
Oct. 20 from 4 –  5:30 p.m.

FOIP Training for Academic Integrity
Oct. 22 from 12 –  1 p.m.

Landing page: https://taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca/series-and-events/integrity-week

Academic Integrity: Urgent and Emerging Topics

Contract Cheating in Canada: Exploring Legislative Options

Join us for an introductory discussion about the commercial contract cheating industry (e.g., term paper mills, homework completion services, and paid imposters who take exams on behalf of students). One question people often ask is, “Why aren’t these services illegal?” The short answer is: Academic cheating services are not currently illegal in Canada, but they are in other countries. In this session we’ll provide an overview of which countries have successfully enacted legislation against predatory industry that profits from academic misconduct. We will provide an overview of the legal structures in Canada that might facilitate or present barriers to such legislation being enacted in this country. We do not promise answers or solutions to the complex issue of contract cheating, but instead provide an evidence-base for deeper discussion.

Date: Friday, October 29, 2021
Time: 10 – 11:30 a.m.

Registration link: https://conted.ucalgary.ca/search/publicCourseSearchDetails.do?method=load&courseId=56681459&expandSectionId=64711526&parentSite=TI

References:

Eaton, S. E. (2018). Contract cheating: A Canadian perspective.  Retrieved from http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2018/07/24/contract-cheating-a-canadian-perspective/

Lancaster, T. (2018). US in first place for essays orders (not surprising), with the UK and Canada in equal second place [Tweet].   Retrieved from https://twitter.com/DrLancaster/status/1029014675198013440