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Show page 10 , Spring/Summer 2003 It is the professor's responsibility to make sure each that every student understands what plagiarism is. Professors should discuss plagiarism with their students and give examples of plagiarism. Professors and students should also be aware of how to combat cut-and-paste plagiarism from the Internet. Students need to be informed that the Internet does not have "Repeat offenses are more serious, and need to be handled properly. I have had to take away some students' degrees because of repeated plagiarism." gatekeepers, and 40 percent of information obtained from the Internet will change within a year. Students must realize that the Internet is not always accurate. Instructors should give detailed examples of using the Internet as a source for their papers. Students need not only to be thorough in their Internet research, they must also know how to make the correct citations when using Internet sources. Those who are found guilty of plagiarism should be dealt with immediately and punished according to the Student Code. Every department and every instructor feels differently about the punishment for academic dishonesty, but punishment and consequences should be consistent across all colleges. Part V: Student Academic Conduct Section B clarifies what punishment should be enforced: "A student who engages in academic misconduct may be subject to academic sanctions including but not limited to a grade reduction, failing grade, probation, suspension or dismissal from the program or the University." (Student Code available at http://www.sa.utah.edu) Each college should report plagiarizing students so that the correct disciplinary actions can be taken. Students who plagiarize repeatedly need to know that the appropriate actions will be taken for their academic misconduct. "Repeat offenses are more serious, and need to be handled properly. I have had to take away some students' degrees because of repeated plagiarism, " Chapman said. The classroom should be a place where students engage in the free pursuit of ideas and learning. It should also be a place where students should esteem and acknowledge other professional and student work. Professors succeed, and learning ideas are applied when professors encourage best practice in their classrooms. From the Director: Detecting Plagiarism While the availability of papers on the Internet makes plagiarism exquisitely easy, it also is making it easier to catch the thief. I offer www.plagiarism.org as a Web site that scans Internet sites and papers for evidence of plagiarism, though it will cost you $20 for the first 30 papers and 50 cents for each additional paper. A less efficient way is to go directly to such sites as www.cheathouse.com, or www.schoolsucks.com, and determine if any papers you've received match up with those available to students. If you have made your assignment very specific to the literature with which you are familiar, you may recognize certain well-crafted paragraphs, or even ideas. Finally, follow your instincts if your intuition tells you that the quality of a paper does not match the quality of previous work or class participation by a student. Once the student is caught, please be consistent in the consequences each student receives from you, and from colleagues in your department. I urge all department chairs to engage in an open discussion with faculty regarding plagiarism and what shall be the departmental norm for severity of punishment. Harsh as this may seem, if you make the consequences severe enough to matter (i.e., flunking the course) and enforce them the first time, we are all less likely to receive plagiarized work in the next course the student takes. And when informing the student that their theft has been detected, don't make a hasty judgment regarding the consequence, particularly if the student is pleading for a second chance. You can tell them you need 48 hours to think about what the penalty shall be and to consult your department chair. That gives you plenty of time to think and consult and craft your statement to the student so it is firm and supported by your department. I offer you my full moral and practical support in this distasteful faculty activity. s tephanie. richardson@nu rs. u tah.edu |
