The Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association, (SUPRA) regards the recent revelation of the existence of a ‘cash for grades’ essay writing scheme ran through the “MyMaster” website as deeply troubling, not only because plagiarism undermines learning, but also for what it reveals about the state of Australian universities.
SUPRA President Timothy Scriven said “Universities should be about learning and self development. When University becomes simply another commodity that adds value to your CV, it’s unsurprising that some students will fork out hundreds of dollars for a better mark- they’ve already paid tens of thousands for the degree itself. I would be very surprised if deregulation didn’t worsen the situation, skyrocketing fees and the sense that you are simply ‘buying’ a qualification means that anything which prevents you from failing and having to pay for a subject again looks good.”
SUPRA is concerned that Universities have often taken a punitive perspective on plagiarism without dealing with the roots of the problem. Even when it is not detected as plagiarism, plagiarized work is usually of an inferior quality, and so students often turn to plagiarism out of desperation. Greater provision of English learning resources, a focus on articulating why academic integrity matters intrinsically in the curriculum, inherently interesting and enticing assessments that encourage students to develop their own thinking and creativity and more funding for teaching and learning budgets are better solutions than intensified surveillance and harsher punishments. When teachers know students and their work on an individual level, and students have the resources they need to thrive, there is far less opportunity for websites like MyMaster to flourish.
These revelations should be an opportunity for reflection on the values and pedagogy of our universities - not a hunt for rule breakers.
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