To report this girl to her university?

[no1understands]

I am a private tutor, working with A level and degree students. This academic year, I have had enquiry after enquiry from university students asking me to do their coursework for them. I always say no, I'll help, point you in the right direction, do an assignment outline but I will not do the assignment for them. They show no interest! I feel like saying 'so, you are telling me you aren't prepared to put in ANY effort whatsoever to get your degree?' One girl said she has got someone to do her coursework for 2 years but now he can't do it, she's looking for someone else. She told me what uni it was and I've had others from there asking the same thing. I feel like ringing the university and telling them what's happening. I need more students to make my business viable. I feel like just doing the coursework for a wad of cash but when it comes down to it, I can't because I'm so angry with them! I feel like I should do something!

Sansa come on, you know what they are doing with your research, they're using it to cheat. It's completely unethical and you are helping them do it. Of course it's not illegal, hey do what you want, but I do reserve the right to scorn people who do this.

I've been a self-employed editor and researcher for years, I have made plenty of money in the past from editing and writing and researching, and I have never had to cross that ethical line. It's just not necessary.

I think disapproval is the price you pay for doing this. I know it won't affect your bottom line but you can't expect people to share your attitude really.

Because you're encouraging cheating and the work is completely dishonest. If you love writing academic essays so much and are so suited, why don't you go into real academia or write in your own name? You sound so selfish - Oh it suits me well and gives me an extra grubby few quid so I don't care about undermining the system.

I'm not an academic. I'm a self-employed writer.

If this is as wide spread as everyone here is saying then it is another reason that degrees today will be seen as not worth the paper they are written on. This is so sad for those who take pride in doing the work themselves.
I was a mediocre undergraduate in the 80s [2:2 and partying] but it was my own work and a hellish final year when I had to really knuckle down to my exams.
[Years later I did an OU MA and was less mediocre!].

Sansa, do you want an academic job? If you find writing & researching so straightforward, surely your talents would be best put to writing your own, original research, publishing articles, or, even better, books, and making yourself REF-attractive?

This kind of attitude is how 'we' collectively get into all sorts of messes. It's not illegal and one can pretend that one doesn't know that the primary use of these things is cheating so it's perfectly OK.

It makes me feel quite sad.

Bold as brass is what you are!

You're not "a fool" for turning it down - you are a decent principled person who is making a choice based on the fact that it would be immoral to collude in cheating, even if it's not strictly illegal for you to do the work.

Congratulations! It may or may not make a difference - any more than paying your taxes and not doing 70mph past a school - but you know it is the right thing to do, whether or not you are likely to be caught and/or punished, or whether the student is likely to get caught out.

Believe it or not, most people make moral choices, except when pushed to save their children from starvation etc. Which is why (with one notable exception) people on this thread are saying you're making the right choice, and should consider taking action to inform the university.

Oh, please, proudfoot! Yes, I'm selfish and horrid for turning out coursework, essays and assorted written material for people who pay me money, a criminal, pond scum, whatever.

It pays the bills, I enjoy it and it suits my lifestyle at present.

I couldn't care less what people who buy it do with it.

No, Penthesileia, I do not want an academic job. I have worked with academics for many years. It is a not a profession I would want for myself.

Ah, ok. Do you also write "for yourself", though?

I have already been published, far more than once from my own research results, just under a different guise :o.

I'm an academic. Not sure it's a profession I want for myself.

OP, please tell the uni what you know. Even if they can't do anything with it, at least you will have done the honest thing.

Don't take the work on - somebody who makes money knowing their work is being used by lazy cheating students is not worth respect IMO.

I'm not sure the picture is quite as bad as it's being painted, 2Boys. For a start, I don't think that many students can afford to pay for all these essays. In a typical year, my students would have to produce at least 20 pieces of assessed work. It would be very expensive to pay someone to write them all, and inconsistency would be a red-flag.

I suspect that these kinds of services are largely being used by overseas students (who are frequently from better-off backgrounds) and richer UK students. So hardly a majority. Though I could be naive & wrong about that.

I didn't say you were criminal scum Clearly you are not doing anything illegal but I can still express my disapproval. It is your attitude that is the worst - how brazenly you brag about doing something unethical and congratulate yourself on what a clever little earner you have.

Not a criminal perhaps but I would be ashamed of myself if I had done that. I have personally been called scum on MN but I would never stoop so low.

No, I do not write for myself at all. If given a topic or any sort of parameters I do well, but I'm not spontaneously creative at all, although I find such a trait admirable.

Best money is international students in the sciences and engineering. I have two ex-boyfriends, one an engineer and another a surgeon, who from time to time assist where I have need or assist me in assisting myself.

But I began this sort of work in the humanities and it is still the most enjoyable part of the job(s).

Yes, I'm selfish and horrid for turning out coursework, essays and assorted written material for people who pay me money, a criminal, pond scum...

Oh! Something we agree on. How nice.

As in all matters where a product is consumed voluntarily/without necessity, I largely think it is more the responsibility of the service-consumer, than the service-provider (think prostitution ), to shoulder the bulk of moral blame. And getting all outraged at an anonymous person on the internet is a bit pointless.

Your last post is correct in its assessment, Penthesileia. It is a small minority.

Mmm. Engineers who don't do their own coursework. Wonder how many accidents they cause later as a result of duff work...

I'm not sure that all that matters where a product is consumed that only the consumer is at fault. They are, obviously, completely in the wrong. Unequivocally. But, as in everything else in life, the service-provider should take some responsibility for what they're doing and the broader consequences of it. Knowingly assisting someone else's cheating is still not very ethical.

'Engineers who don't do their own coursework.'

You don't write programmes or formulas for them! You just help them out with the parts that need to be in normal English, which usually isn't all that much.

What DID said