On October 20, 2021, an International Day of Action (IDoA) is scheduled to take place. Schools from around the world will be participating in raising awareness of the issue of contract cheating. Contract cheating has been defined as “the form of academic dishonesty where students get academic work completed on their behalf, which they then submit for academic credit as if they had created it themselves” (http://www.contractcheating.com).

This year, the discussion has extended to include online sites that suggest they offer tutoring services but in fact, are supporting acts of academic dishonesty by answering online test and exam questions or completing graded assignments for students. These sites are predatory in nature and during the height of COVID, aggressively marketed to students, profiting financially and putting student learning at risk.

If you would like to learn more about some of the international events happening on October 20, or more about free educational sessions on the day, please go to ICAI-IDoA.

You can also show your support for academic integrity by posting your personal messages about your commitment to integrity in the learning setting on your social media and including the hashtag #excelwithintegrity #myownwork. You may also contact Jennie Miron at jennie.miron@humber.ca in the Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness for more information about the day.

Academic integrity is important and our students deserve to learn and flourish in environments that cherish and promote integrity.