UofA Cheating Scheme Advertised Across Campus Led To 40 Students Getting Caught

Long gone are the days of peeking at your neighbour's exam and hoping nobody would catch you in the act. About 40 University of Alberta students have found themselves in a bind after getting caught using an online cheating service. Meanwhile, advertisements for this notorious "tutoring" company are plastered all over campus. 

In a letter sent to the students, the University of Alberta confirmed that 40 students in Computer Science were found guilty of cheating on their lab assignments. 

They said that the students have been "charged and face significant sanctions" as a consequence.

The institution also said that the departments will continue to screen each assignment extensively, so any other students getting caught will also get charged. 

Any student caught doing something of this nature "may face expulsion."

They've also pointed out one particular company that's being associated with this cheating scandal: Ez4EDU.

The Toronto-based company claims to be a Chinese-language tutoring service that provides assistance to international Chinese students all over the country, including academic hotspots such as Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, and Ottawa among others. 

The University of Alberta has accused this company of being a "cheating service."

The company reportedly asked the students to make only "slight changes" to the answers provided before they submit them as their own. 

The letter from the university claims that the students also gave access to their course software to the company's staff, who tested out the solutions on behalf of the students. 

The above photo is just one example of how Ez4EDU has advertised its services to students. 

Narcity spoke to a current U of A student, who wished to remain anonymous. They told us that "There are quite a few services like this on campus. With posters everywhere." 

They continued to say that another company, Vertex International, provides similar services as that of Ez4. "I have a few friends who have been offered 'tutoring' from these companies, Vertex and Ez4." 

They said that they've witnessed students cheating on lab assignments multiple times. "It can be as little as getting assignment solutions up to actually writing an exam for someone."

They provided us with an advertising sign of another company believed to be a cheating service. 

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Our source also told us that they've had courses in classes in which up to 10 students were "caught cheating on almost every lab." 

In the case of Ez4, the company's CEO Gary Kang staunchly defends his "very reputable company" and is now conducting an internal review, as stated by CTV News.

They claim to use open-source, online information, and "old class materials" to help students. 

It remains to be seen how these students found guilty of cheating will be sanctioned going forward.

Narcity has reached out to the University of Alberta for comment and we will update this story when we receive a response.