Ghostwritten and paid in full: Academic exchanges at Queen’s

While AI tools like ChatGPT can churn out essays and solve equations in seconds, another, more secretive system of academic thrives under the surface.

The hidden culture of academic hustling in university reveals how relentless pressure and unspoken exchanges of academic work redefine what it means to be a successful student. d as academic lifelines, platforms like TopTutors, PapersOwl, EssayPro, and EduBirdie lure students with promises of professional writers ready to tackle coursework. Their websites ooze empathy, playing to students’ emotional struggles.

“We understand that these days academic life is challenging […] students are bombarded with coursework and exams, often with little to no guidance from professors,” TopTutors declares.

This underground academic market pulses just beneath the surface and is connected from laptop to laptop, where essays are ghostwritten, and integrity is sold to the highest bidder. For a 3000-word essay, scoring from 80 to 100 per cent, TopTutors charges students $320 CAD.

But this kind of help with academics comes with a catch—a steep price tag and the potential for devastating consequences.

Philosophy student Sierra Molloy, ArtSci ’25, reflects on her time at Queen’s and finds moments throughout her degree where students have been very open about their practices in exchanging and trading work for monetary reimbursement.

“I’ve heard academic work exchanges are very common in the Faculty of [Arts] and Science, where students frequently trade assignments and rarely seem to get caught,” Molloy said in an interview with The Journal.

Out of 676 academic integrity violations reported across all faculties in 2022-23, 360 cases originated from the Faculty of Arts and Science. The most common offenses included plagiarism, described as a “departure from the core values of academic integrity,” and the use of unauthorized materials.

Now, in her fourth and final year, Molloy has observed her fellow students engaging in the exchange of work. According to her, this exchange is more faculty-based than meets the eye.

“I’ve never seen or experienced academic work exchanges in the arts, and I think the University is good at catching those things,” Molloy said.

Molloy attributes the reason for academic exchanges is the added academic pressure faced by STEM students.

“If the academic environment is so stressful and competitive that students feel driven to trade or buy work, this points to systemic issues. It may also suggest that students don’t feel comfortable seeking from professors or teaching assistants, highlighting a gap in the University’s ability to provide adequate guidance and resources,” Politics, Philosophy, and Economics student Alex McDonald, ArtSci ’26, said in an interview with The Journal.

In light of academic struggles, Queen’s provides Academic Advising and Student Academic Success Services to aid students with work  and provide help they may not be able to get from professors or teaching assistants.

“It seems to be a common belief that collaborating with other students is the only way to keep up with the workload—and since the practice of trading and exchanging with each other is so common, it usually goes undetected,” Molloy said.

While many students nod knowingly at the crushing academic pressures that push some towards using so-called “essay mills” and secret work exchanges, others boil with anger, seeing these shortcuts as a betrayal of the struggle students all endure.

Essay mills are services where students can pay a company to complete assignments for them, and some students see essay mills as a way to sidestep detection, where “getting caught isn’t really a worry,” Molloy said.

“I get disheartened and upset seeing other students receive the same, if not better, grades than me by submitting work that hasn’t been completed by themselves—in the end, if undetected, we will get the same degree,” McDonald said.

The reality of students getting unearned degrees is further exacerbated by the rise of online platforms and social media, which have made it significantly easier for students to engage in the exchange of academic work.

“Online platforms and social media have undoubtedly increased the prevalence of trading academic work. Social media enhances student interconnectivity, making it easier to access larger networks and communities involved in trading or selling assignments,” McDonald said.

“However, I believe there’s still a strong taboo around trading or buying work, and it’s generally frowned upon. In my university experience, I’ve observed students using tools like ChatGPT, collaborating inappropriately, or cheating through other means. However, I have not personally encountered instances of students purchasing work,” McDonald said.

 Queen’s response to the hustle

The University is acutely aware of the students using essay mills to complete assignments.

Gavan Watson, vice-provost (teaching and learning), emphasized the seriousness of contract cheating, calling it a “significant departure from academic integrity.”

To fully grasp the extent of the problem, “the issue of contract cheating extends beyond the operation of essay mills to activities such as hiring individuals to take exams and to posting graded questions on websites such as Chegg,” Watson wrote in a statement to The Journal.

He highlighted a recent shift in the landscape of cheating.

“More recently, the line between contract cheating and the unauthorized use of generative AI has blurred, with students who once relied on essay mills now turning to platforms like ChatGPT,” Watson said.

 “Students often justify cutting corners by thinking it’s a one-time occurrence, that others are doing it, or that tools like ChatGPT are already common. They may be more likely to cheat in elective courses or subjects they view as less relevant to their degree or future career. Additionally, they may perceive purchasing work from peers as more reliable and harder to detect than using AI tools or buying essays online, which contributes to their rationalization process,” McDonald said.

In this covert world, every paper sold is a shortcut through the academic maze that promises success without sweat.

“Queen’s University takes academic integrity very seriously as a cornerstone of our academic community. We are very much aware that contract cheating exists, and these practices represent significant departures from academic integrity, as outlined in our Academic Integrity Procedures,” Watson said.

In the digital age, where ideas flow as freely as information, it’s easy to forget that behind every grade, there’s a human cost—a transaction that may never show up on a transcript but leaves a mark all the same.

“More recently, the line between contract cheating and the unauthorized use of generative artificial intelligence has blurred with students who may have relied on websites or essay mills in the past now relying on platforms like ChatGPT to complete their assignments,” Watson said.

“The University has robust policies to investigate and address both contract cheating and the use of generative AI, amongst other issues. This includes clear procedures for instructors to follow when breaches are suspected, ensuring fairness and evidence-based decision-making.”

“Depending on the severity of the breach, sanctions range from warnings and educational opportunities to course failure or, in serious cases, a requirement to withdraw for a specified minimum period of time,” Watson said.

These sanctions, however, are just one part of Queen’s broader strategy, which also emphasizes education and prevention through resources for students and faculty.

“Queen’s also focuses on education and prevention through resources for students and faculty, aiming to foster a culture that values honesty, trust, and responsibility in academic work,” Watson said.

A student may not see the immediate consequences of exchanging academic work, but every shortcut taken weaves a thread into a larger, more dangerous pattern—a web of deceit that could unravel at the worst possible moment.

“Beyond facing possible sanctions through Queen’s Academic Integrity Procedures, students who engage in contract cheating face a real risk of being blackmailed by the individual or organization they contracted with to complete their work,” said Kelly Packalen, PhD, special advisor on academic integrity to the vice-provost (teaching and learning), associate professor, Smith School of Business, in a statement to The Journal.

“Often this blackmail takes the form of extortion, demanding ongoing payments under the threat that if such payments stop, the individual will University istration to alert them that the student has outsourced academic work,” Packalen said.

But extortion doesn’t end here.

A 2020 study in the International Journal for Educational Integrity found a significant number of students reported being extorted for additional payments or threatened with exposure, creating long-term financial and emotional strain.

“Once the student graduates the blackmail doesn’t always stop. Instead, the blackmailer threatens to expose the student’s action to their employer,” Packalen said. “Students who find themselves in a situation in which they’re being blackmailed are encouraged to reach out to local law enforcement.”

The consequences of academic misconduct aren’t limited to university life; they can follow students into their professional careers, with long-lasting effects on their reputation and future opportunities.

Larger implications

The implications of students purchasing academic work are broad and multifaceted, affecting individuals, academic institutions, and society at large.

Many advocates of academic integrity argue that exchanging grades for cash goes beyond just getting a good grade on one assignment.

“Contract cheating challenges the integrity of qualifications and damages the trustworthiness of academic credentials and this erosion weakens the reputation of institutions and their graduates,” the International Center for Academic Integrity states.

Beyond the issue of undermining the trustworthiness of academic credentials, similar fears surrounding the use of generative AI undermining possible career’s for students compromising necessary skill developments, have their same applications to the exchange of grades for cash.

Employers who discover that academic qualifications were obtained dishonestly may take action, including dismissal or legal proceedings, reports the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education.

 The implications of engaging in breaches of academic integrity through essay mills goes even further than keeping a job, and can undermine social behaviour’s cultural norms.

The prevalence of contract cheating risks normalizing unethical behaviour among students, leading to a culture where dishonesty becomes acceptable. This normalization can extend beyond academia into professional settings, eroding broader societal trust.

“The primary concern is, of course, academic integrity. However, there are less obvious consequences that raise deeper moral questions, such as: What is the true purpose of a university education? If students are fabricating or purchasing work, it undermines the value of their education and personal growth,” McDonald said.

“If students see cheating as a viable option, they may carry these habits into their professional lives, undermining ethical standards across industries,” Dr. Tracey Bretag states in a ResearchGate publication.

As students navigate this undercurrent of shortcuts and secrets, the phenomenon reflects not only the weight of academic expectations but also the evolving challenges of maintaining trust in an era where opportunity, temptation, and consequence intersect.

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