Dave Tomar’s new book provides an invaluable resource to educators who seek to better understand how and why their students cheat and what can be done about it.
Dave Tomar is a foremost expert on cheating in higher education. Dave worked for a decade as an academic ghostwriter before bringing widespread attention to the thriving cheating industry with his viral 2010 article, “The Shadow Scholar.”
Today, Dave shares his unique experiences from the underbelly of higher education with the hope educators can use these insights to confront academic dishonesty in their own classrooms. Dave has written for The Chronicle of Higher Education , The Huffington Post , and The New York Times ; and has appeared on ABC World News , Nightline , Fox Business , and The Today Show .
The Complete Guide To Contract Cheating in Higher Education , released on June 17, 2022, constitutes the single most comprehensive source on contract cheating in higher education yet compiled. Drawn from the author’s decade of experience as an academic ghostwriter, and a subsequent decade spent bringing greater attention to cheating in higher education, The Complete Guide to Contract Cheating in Higher Education provides an invaluable resource to educators who seek to better understand how and why their students cheat and what can be done about it.
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For an interesting look into Dave’s take on his groundbreaking new book, check out his announcement of it’s release.
Dave Tomar’s book is an excellent but disturbing look at contract cheating in higher education. Unfortunately, it probably just confirms what experienced faculty already suspected about contract cheating (and cheating in general). But if you can stand to see “how the sausage is made,” this book covers it in gory detail.
Fred Switzer, Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Clemson University
Part confessional, part exposé, this is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn the ins-and-outs of ghostwriting, the reasons why students cheat and how the problem should be understood and best addressed. Grounded in a genuine concern about the pressures students face, a frank recognition of higher education’s contribution to the problem, and a thoughtful perspective on college teaching, this eye-opener of a book grabs your attention and never lets go.
Mike Nietzel, President Emeritus of Missouri State University, Senior Contributor at Forbes Magazine
Any educator who is concerned about student cheating needs to own this book. The combination of Tomar’s experience, his unflinching look at the real issues impacting higher education, and his unique window into the business of cheating makes for a fascinating read. More importantly, it makes for a singular resource on cheating. If you want to stop cheating in your classroom, you need to understand why students do it and how they get away with it. Tomar’s book is packed with insights on these very topics and is sure to generate productive discussions on campuses around the world.
Jed Macosko, Professor of Physics, Wake Forest University
Dave Tomar’s book on the pandemic of academic cheating leaves no stone unturned. As a former, now reformed, ‘professional ghostwriter’, his 13 revealing chapters and four appendices include discussions on his experience as a once shadow scholar, now reformed. An important chapter helps faculty detect the problem early with a chapter on college “admission essays.” More likely than not, every faculty member has had firsthand experience with papers submitted that are clearly not the work of the “student” author. Tomar’s Complete Guide to Contract Cheating in Higher Education is a superb resource for helping faculty detect cheating, with sections on the design, deterrence, detection and diagnosis of this growing phenomenon. Tomar leaves no stone unturned, no trick unexplained.
Mary Poplin, Professor of Education and Transdisciplinary Studies, Claremont Graduate University
David Tomar gave higher education his brave and unblinking candor in revealing his own role years ago in contract cheating. Now he turns the spotlight on “Higher Ed, Inc.” and its many enablers, an industry that is often more concerned about revenue stream and emoluments than the students it should serve. His admonition to address writing deficiencies is sound, but even more important is the message to look at the epidemic of academic dishonesty in the context of systemic dysfunction. We must not ignore Mr. Tomar’s message.
Michael Poliakoff, President of ACTA (American Council of Trustees and Alumni)
“A fascinating exposé of the remarkably robust industry of academic ghostwriting.” The Wall Street Journal
“Appropriately, coincides with a year of cheating scandals.” The New York Times
“A cautionary tale worth pressing upon any freshman.” AV Club .
“Stunning tale of academic fraud.” Washington Post
“. page-turning account of a first-class bullshit artist and his never-ending search for redemption.” Kirkus Reviews
The Shadow Scholar. Originally published in The Chronicle of Higher Education , November 12, 2010.
How I Helped Teachers Cheat. Originally published in The New York Times , November 2, 2012.
From User to Deal. A Vinyl Junkie Goes Pro. Originally published in The Huffington Post , July 29, 2014.
Ghost in the Machine? How to Spot a Ghostwritten Paper. Originally published in The Huffington Post , January 8, 2014.
Cable Television’s Music Streaming Service is Obsessed With Death. Originally published in The Huffington Post , October 30, 2017.
Why Students Cheat. Originally published in Inflection Magazine , September 25, 2019.
Fox Business News . Originally aired on Fox News Network, October 1, 2012.
The Today Show . Originally aired on NBC, September 19, 2012.
Faking the Grade . A Documentary from Merit Motion Pictures. Directed by Andrew Blicq. Originally aired on CBC , November 15, 2012.
ABC World News Tonight . Originally aired on ABC , August 21, 2012
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