The leadership of the Gabelli School of Business (GSB) received credible allegations of cheating on an online final exam, according to an email sent to the Fordham community by Provost Dennis Jacobs on May 12.

Jacobs reported that students enrolled in 19 parallel sections of a single course had collaborated through a third-party platform to share information.

According to two students enrolled in the course, who will remain anonymous to protect themselves from charges of academic dishonesty, the exam was for a class about the principles of managerial accounting, a requirement for the accounting major in GSB. The students said that class members posted the exam questions on the popular study site Chegg.com.

“The alleged cheating represents a major violation of academic integrity, and a serious abrogation of the ethical codes of Gabelli School and Fordham University,” Jacobs said. “The University will adjudicate each and every case of academic dishonesty where there is clear evidence that a student had cheated.”

Donna Rapaccioli, dean of GSB, began an investigation into the cheating allegations on May 9. All 650 test takers were notified that they will have to retake the exam with new anti-cheating measures in place.

Jacobs concluded the email by stating that the breach of academic integrity will be viewed as a “teachable moment” that will lead to new efforts by Fordham to make academic dishonesty “more difficult to accomplish” during examinations.