Buying and Selling Course Materials Through Internet Sites
There are numerous internet sites through which college students can buy and sell course materials, whether it be answers to exam questions and course assignments or essays. Such so-called “study sites” include Chegg, CourseHero, and Slader. If you use such a platform to obtain course materials, or otherwise acquire or access course materials or content without your instructor’s permission (permission is extremely unlikely), you face a charge of “Unauthorized Assistance” under the Code of Academic Integrity.
Additionally, if you use such sites to sell or share course materials without your instructor’s authorization (again, permission is extremely unlikely), you are subject to a charge of “Classroom Misconduct.” You may also be participating in copyright infringement. Original course materials are the copyrighted intellectual property of the creator and are not a student’s property to share, distribute, or sell. This is true even if the materials do not contain a copyright notice.
If an internet company contacts you to buy course materials from you, be suspicious. Companies have contacted students and encouraged students to capture and remove materials from course learning management sites, such as Canvas, and then sell the materials to the vendor. Some companies have even falsely told students that the instructor has approved this behavior.
Finally, please note that whether you buy or sell course materials, you risk discovery. Cornell is able to trace posts from so-called “study sites,” including identifying the individuals who provide content and those who access and/or use the content.