Lecturer colleague involved in essay mill...

[Itsoundsabitdodgy]

I’ve posted here for help as I’m not sure what to do, if indeed anything.
I’m a lecturer as is the colleague I’m referring to who is in the same department although different specialty.
Just found out colleague set up and ran an essay writing mill. Without giving too many details they knew it would be used for cheating as opposed to providing exemplar essays for study help.
They were exposed by national newspaper. They resigned from directorship of essay mill. It is still in operation though; run by their husband. Still churning out essays for students to cheat.
No one in department apart from me knows. Colleague looks very different now so you wouldn’t immediately associate her with the lady in the newspaper articles. I have worked closely with her though so even with different hair colour/style/makeup she stood out like a shot.
I have been doing some research into essay mills due to concerns that quite a few students have been using them. I was surprised to come across a locally based one as I thought most were foreign given the language encountered in said essays.
I’m pretty shocked to be honest, and surprised it’s still going. I mean we all make mistakes, I just would have thought it would be closed down after she was exposed, not carried on by her DH.
It makes me feel uncomfortable morally but that’s my problem; do I keep schtum or not?
Would really appreciate some advice.

Given it's her DH's company, you don't know that she's actually involved in it. If you called it out with management, wouldn't she just deny any involvement in it?

How do you know you're the only one in the Department who knows?

I'm torn on this. I tend to think that its a case of mind your own business but then also wonder what else I'd turn a blind eye to. There is the saying “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”, do you let it go or speak up and risk being labelled a busybody. Do you believe what they're doing is wrong or is it no big deal. If providing these essays is no big deal then would you say the same to someone submitting such an essay?

Do these essays count towards a student's final qualification? If yes, I'd say it is a concern, because students using them will get the qualification without having done the work and not knowing what they should know.

Does the essay mill only provide essays for your institution, or does it operate more widely? If only yours, it could be damaging if your college or department gets a reputation for turning out people who don't know what they should know.

If the essays don't count and the final qualification is entirely exam based, they'll probably come unstuck then.

Is there a way to get the site shut down without directly involving her?

@JasminaPashmina, I suppose I don’t know if I’m the only one in the department that knows, but I’m not going to ask around as then I certainly wouldn’t be. It may be her DH’s company now but she founded it and that is what sits uncomfortably with me. Deliberately setting out to enable students to cheat.
@BigFatLiar a student caught submitting one would be in serious trouble and face expulsion. Quite rightly.

How can you be the only one who knows when it's been in the media?

I'm a freelance writer. I have been approached to write for these essay mills in the past. I don't do it though because I don't agree with them in principle (and the pay is crap).

These sites aren't illegal. They will say that they are providing a model answer which a student should use as a basis for their own work. Most will be well aware that students take the essay and hand it in as their own work, but don't care. Clear conflict of interest having a teacher/lecturer involved in this sort of site but it's not criminal.

I would raise it with your boss and get advice.

@MarySidney not just my institution, operates very widely from what I see and also offers masters/PhD theses as well as undergrad essays and PhD proposals.

How long ago did she run the site? Was it at the same time as she worked at your university? Academics are required to submit an annual declaration of interests form where I work; I assume this is the same in other universities. There is no way she could have completed the form honestly and the university been OK with it.

@ffswhatnext it was around 5 years ago and she does look very different. The article was in the Scottish version of newspaper as opposed to UK one which probably explains it. They were touting for academic writers in Scotland apparently which is how it came to newspapers attention ( trying not to be too outing with details, but they’re necessary).

I’d chat with my line manager or HR. If she’s been involved in student fraud before I think you have an ethical duty to flag this confidentially as there’s a reputational risk to the institution.

Well this isn't the 'correct' way but if I'm totally honest about what I would do in the same situation...

If I liked her I'd keep it to myself

If I thought she was an arsehole I'd send evidence to the HoD via an anonymous Gmail account

@GCAcademic she was at the institution then but as a research student- don’t know if it was funded or not.

If I liked her I'd keep it to myself

Which is exactly why people get away with things like that which ultimately undermine the entire organisation/profession. Anyone who knows underhand things are happening and refuses to whistle blow is just as guilty in my mind.

@Kazzyhoward is this whistle blowing though? Or a bit of a grey area as she is not directly involved now (as far as I know; she resigned as director). I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t be recommending such sites to students though surely, that would be career suicide.
@Veterinari- I wondered about this. Would I have an ethical duty to report or not. I feel really quite torn over this.
The irony is that their research area focuses on why people lie!!!!

I would advise going to someone in authority & asking what they would advise in a case like this without naming names or identifying her in the first place - its is dishonest & unfair to students who work hard & do their own work to have to compete with this - it always makes me wonder if certain people (politicians?) who come from rich families have managed to get their degrees this way - I heard a few years after I graduated that one of the students who always got high marks did this but as it was so long in the past & i had no proof... it bugged me because I had worked so hard to get what I got & it devalued our degrees & the degree system - so blow whether you like the woman or not if she is involved - do something about it

I hope this won't sound patronising, OP, but I would go to someone higher up than you and raise it as a hypothetical situation. Perhaps your Director of Learning and Teaching or your Head of Department. I think this is a lot for you to carry around and worry about (and, let's be honest, way above your pay grade) so I'd off-load to someone you trust in authority.

As PP said though if the woman is an arsehole, I would send everything I could scrape from the internet anonymously to someone very senior at the University.

@JasminaPashmina it doesn’t sound patronising at all and I’m grateful to you and every pp who has contributed advice. And you’re right, this is way above my pay grade.
I was thinking of emailing colleague from a throwaway account anonymously, stating my awareness of her involvement with essay mill and giving her the opportunity to either shut it down or approach management herself. But maybe it would be better to approach someone in authority myself. I just wanted to give her a chance to come clean herself but maybe I just don’t want to be the snitch and deal with an awkward situation myself.

Oh and she’s not an arsehole, perfectly pleasant. Very focussed on student mental health and providing strategies to help with the stress they can be under. I just don’t think buying essays is an appropriate coping strategy. Although to be fair I doubt she has suggested that. Except in the newspaper article. Pretty sure she hasn’t said it to her students.

Very focussed on student mental health and providing strategies to help with the stress they can be under By writing essays for them!

I was thinking of emailing colleague from a throwaway account anonymously, stating my awareness of her involvement with essay mill and giving her the opportunity to either shut it down or approach management herself. But maybe it would be better to approach someone in authority myself. I just wanted to give her a chance to come clean herself but maybe I just don’t want to be the snitch and deal with an awkward situation myself
I wouldn't do this, personally. I think it could get messy. What if this colleague went to the Head of Department with allegations of harassment? It's very unlikely for sure but there's a risk and you don't want to be implicated in this way.

I, personally, would book at an appointment with your Head of Department and say 'I've become aware that one of our colleagues has previously been involved in essay mills' then give your Head of Department the history. I would say 'I get on well with [colleague] and I'm not reporting this as some kind of malicious or personal act, but I have moral concerns about her previous practices. Given we work well together, I would prefer it if you would keep me out of it and not let her know that this information has come from me'.

Then I would just leave it with them to deal with however they want and just walk away knowing you did the right thing all above-board.

No don’t email your colleague anonymously! You could be accused of bullying.

This is your employer’s problem not yours. Get the details for their whistleblowing policy and process and report through that route anonymously.

It is a public interest disclosure and besides that management wouldn’t want a potential reputational disaster on their hands if it were uncovered by someone less discrete.

Jesus Christ, I didn’t think about the bullying/ harassment angle. Thank you both for flagging it.
I think I’ll look at whistleblowing protocol or approach HoD. HoD would be preferable I think. I’ll try and get an appointment with them, no mean feat at this time of year.
FFS. I’ll feel better once I’ve pissed it on and it’s someone else’s problem.

Passed!

Well done, OP. Will you let us know how it goes?

That’s great that you have a plan. One thing to note is that you probably won’t hear anything about what action they take in relation to this or your colleague due to confidentiality. It can feel a little unsatisfactory but that’s how it works. You might see a general reminder about essay mills and other work interests and ensuring you are complying with your terms and conditions that the university management sends round to cover their backsides.