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The position of Director of the International Human Rights Programme at the University of Toronto was offered to an "academically unworthy" individual after US$8 million was donated to the university's medical schools. A US banking company, which reportedly made large donations through its foundation to at least 60 universities, demanded to teach a course from a particular political perspective. As a result, colleges and universities in North America are developing written policies to prevent undue influence from donors.

To help combat cheating and plagiarism during the pandemic and to encourage studying and preparedness a University of Prince Edward Island professor developed the testing method called TSINC. This method stands for time-pressed, sequential, individualized, not searchable, and calibrated. Each student receives a unique exam of 50 question orders, with 30 minutes to answer which they are not allowed to go back to.

According to a report at the Thompson Rivers University, the number of academic integrity cases has doubled. They include 514 incidents of plagiarism, 342 incidents of cheating, 5 incidents of fabrication and 347 incidents of academic misconduct for 1,208 cases recorded from September 2019 to August 2020. 80 students have been subject to suspension by November 2020.

Over 75 students were charged for breaking West Point’s Cadet Honor Code in a math test while studying remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Those who admitted cheating had been sent on a six-month rehabilitation programme and would be on probation for the rest of their time at West Point. This is the biggest cheating scandal at West Point since 1976 when 153 cadets were expelled or resigned for cheating on an electrical engineering exam.

The University of California system inappropriately admitted 64 wealthy and well-connected students as favors to donors, family, and friends and denied applicants that are more qualified an equal opportunity to education. 55 people were charged with bribery and fraud to secure admission included faking credentials of student-athletes.

According to a recent poll of Mercer Country Community College students, 64% said they felt more inclined to cheat since moving online. Even though the MCCC uses the Honorlock software that can detect nearby device searches, recognize verbal keywords, and track the students’ movement, the college’s Academic Integrity Committee (AIC) found 45 cases of cheating.

The assistant dean of students reported 292 cases of academic dishonesty on the Atlanta campus for the academic year 2019/20. For the current year, from July 1 through, 268 more cases through November 5. With the increased use of technology and apps like GroupMe, universities all over the country had to integrate cheating via GroupMe into their academic honesty policies.

Six officials at the Apex School of Theology orchestrated a scam to fraudulently claim $12 million in Federal student aid. The scheme involved recruiting fake students, forging fake applications for financial aid, as well as plagiarizing schoolwork and diplomas. FBI called the conspiracy a “blatant abuse of a Federally funded program” and “an insult to all taxpayers.

UC Berkeley’s Center for Student Conduct has received over 300 reports of alleged academic misconduct during the fall semester and as a result, professors have updated their misconduct policies. The chair of UC Berkeley’s Academic Senate recommended that faculty members use online programs to catch cases of misconduct, register on sites to observe collaboration during exams and use frequent, lower-stakes assessments.

With many students forced to trade in-person lectures for online learning during the pandemic and the rising cases of academic misconduct, students, as well as professors, are concerned about the software being used to assess them. The vice-president of the University of Alberta Students’ Union (UMSU) says black students have had problems where the application doesn't recognize their faces. Other students with disabilities reported that they rely on specific screen-reader software that is incompatible with remote proctoring software. Although professors recognize that some courses may require e-proctored exams, they want them to be implemented correctly.