Wednesday, November 8, 1972
7
Term Papers Big Business
ers
By CONNIE AHLBERG Kansan Staff Writer
For the past couple of years many students around the country have simplified the arduous task of term paper writing by simply buying their term papers from ghost pay for undergraduate work to $7.50 a page for graduate work.
Term paper writing has turned into such a lucrative, well-organized enterprise, as proven by the high profits of some of the term paper companies, that some college officials have been forced to take the matter seriously.
According to William Balfour, vice chancellor of student affairs, the problem of purchased term papers has not arisen at the University of Kansas. He said that to his knowledge no student has ever been caught with a purchased term paper at KU.
THE RULES and regulations of the University Senate concerning academic misconduct state, "academic misconduct by a student shall include knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work."
The possible penalty for academic misconduct can be anything from admonishing to suspension.
Balfour said that if the situation did come up it would probably be turned over to the individual teacher to decide what would be done. He said, however, it would be unlikely that a student would be dismissed from school.
If purchased term papers became a real problem here, Balfour said, the University might take action. He added that such term companies were not prohibited by Kungas law.
One university is the University of Wisconsin. Last spring, it was the first major institution to take mass action against purchased knowledge. The grades of some 600 students who had purchased papers were placed on restrictive hold.
OTHER COLLEGES and universities
had been trouble with purchased
term paper.
The University of Wisconsin was fur-
nished the names by the state's attorn-
ment, but he is still a longtime re-
member.
The catalog states, "Since some school administrators are not in line with our thinking, we will keep our correspondence with the student in confidence."
TERM PAPER companies in other states are still legally in business. One company, Educational Research, Inc., in Washington D.C., offers undergraduate papers for $2 a page. They send out a catalog upon request and the papers are alphabetically written. They are alphabetically indexed by subject and coded for easy ordering.
City Sidewalk Policy Made More Flexible
According to a recent Newsweek magazine article, graduate students, instructors, and even an occasional professor, write papers for these companies. The starting wage for writers is $2.4 an hour. The pay is higher for more specialized jobs.
firm called Academic Marketplace. The state of Wisconsin recently issued a form that allowed companies to sell their
By CHUCK POTTER Kansan Staff Writer
The Lawrence City Commission authorized the city staff to prepare an ordinance amending the city's sidewalk policy and requiring the city's regular session Tuesday afternoon.
The commission was responding to a memorandum received from its staff Oct. 25 to the effect that Ordinance No. 4124, which outlines city policy regarding installation of sidewalks, is not flexible enough.
An order for an original paper costs $4.85 per page for undergraduate work and $8.65 for graduate work and must be paid in full before the order is acted upon.
The ordinance currently states that sidewalks shall be placed on both sides of all streets and that no paving request will be accompanied by the pedestrian petition accompanies the request.
THE MEMORANDUM also suggested that the ordinance be amended to read "No petitions should be considered by the governing body unless such petitions are accompanied by valid petitions for the construction of sidewalks, the building and the governing body has specifically waived its liability."
The memorandum suggests that the "governing body" be allowed to waive installation of sidewalks on both sides of all streets.
Commissioner Jack Rose objected to the proposed amendment.
"For two years we have put sidewalks on both sides of any street we paved," Rose said, "and no one complained. Suddenly we have one request to deviate from that area then another. If we set this up, pretty soon a lot of people will be asking for deviations."
Commissioner Charles Fisher, favoring the move, said, "Our sidewalk policy has been unjust in the past. The city com- munity should have the right to remain flexible."
THE COMMISSION also set 10 a.m. Dec.
4 the Commission to receive bid for the sale of
the land on behalf of the owner.
Fisher motioned that the proceeds from the sale of the library property should be used to reduce indebtedness bonds on the new library.
west corner of Ninth and Vermont streets.
Fisher said he did not think the bidding date should be set without the commission space should be the money from the sale should be applied.
THE MOTION carried unanimously.
A FIRM CALLED Termapers Unlimited last summer their writers average $150 a week and can earn up to $300 a week. Their customers pay $3.85 or $5.04 a page for work.
Fisher also motioned that proceeds from the sale of a parking lot property near the library should be placed in the city's parking meter fund.
Another firm called Write-On, Inc., offers lecture notes, class outlines, language translations, tutoring, and manuals for solving common math and science problems, as well as furnishing term papers.
Mayor John Emick also signed a proclamation to celebrate Youth Week. "Youth Week!"
The companies supposedly use intricate codes to make sure professors don't receive the same paper more than once. They also do not guarantee grades.
William W. Brickman, editor of School and Society magazine, stated in his magazine that he thought the rise in the term paper business could possibly be explained by the relaxation of morals and ethics in the U.S. educational system
He offered a solution to the problem beyond the passing of laws to prohibit the killing.
"A key, if not the key, toward resolution of the mess of the sale of term reports is the reinforcement by faculty, administration, and trustees, of the principles and practices of morality and ethics underlying higher education," he said.
Discover the World of Travel SUA Travel Fair Nov. 15-18
JOB: N. South, representing the Experiment in International Living, will speak at JCB 12th Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia, abroad, year abroad, semester abroad, family living, and ELI conferences.
NOV.15
Nicolas Patinos, Midwest Director for the Institute of International Education, will present observations on the topic of emergency shock examinations abroad. On Thursday and Friday representatives of various countries, travel agencies, hospitals and other medical institutions individual students. They will provide literature on subjects such as study programs, work programs, inexpensive travel, and Peace Corps opportunities. They will provide continuous showing of films starting on Thursday and continuing into Friday.
NOV.16
Anita Herzfeld, of the KU Foreign Studies Program, will describe the program at 1:30 p.m. in the Council Room in the Union. The Gallery exhibits and films will be shown on Thursday.
NOV.17
An Equal Opportunity Employe
SUA Studying Possible Use Of Darkrooms
The Student Union Activities (SUA) is studying the possibility of renovating the photographic darkrooms in the Kansas Union and opening them for student use
The three rooms are in the basement of the Union across the hall from the Emporium bookstore. One is used by the Jayhawker yearbook staff. The other two are not currently in use because of the poor condition of the equipment.
Katherine Giele, assistant director of SUA programs, said the SUA was investigating the cost and problems involved with the facilities and opening them to students.
Lawrence Photo Supply, a Wichita firm, has submitted a bid of nearly $100 to install new sinks and plumbing in each of the six rooms, as well as cabinets and "shelves."
The darkrooms were installed in 1933 when the south wing of the Union was built.
Giele said the rooms previously were able to students during regular Union hours, but that the equipment had been added to the point that it had become unusable.
Funded by the SUA, the project would facilitate facilities once again to students.
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FREE
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