Financial inducements encouraging students to upload course content to file sharing websites

Sector alert

TEQSA is aware of email and social media promotions offering students the chance to win up to $10,000 if they upload course materials or assignments to academic file sharing websites. 

TEQSA’s Higher Education Integrity Unit is concerned by the integrity risk posed by sharing course content and assessment material on these platforms.

TEQSA is also concerned that these websites may facilitate the operation of commercial academic cheating services.

Higher education institutions should consider whether the use of online study platforms constitute a breach of institutional policies and communicate any decision to their students including the disciplinary procedures in place to address this.

Institutions can take practical actions including:

  • ensuring that institutional policies are regularly reviewed and upheld
  • communicating relevant policies regarding academic integrity to all students during induction and regularly throughout their studies
  • informing students about the risks posed via study platforms that may promote or sell commercial cheating services. TEQSA has published advice for students that may form part of your communication to students
  • reminding students and staff about the importance of academic integrity and the risk posed by illegal cheating services
  • monitoring file-sharing sites and taking action, where possible, to remove institutional content from these sites.

Further resources

Providers with any queries about this matter can email integrityunit@teqsa.gov.au.