POLICY ON PLAGIARISM – All Writing Courses

 All of us teaching writing assume that you will do honest work and that you will work with your instructor on improving writing that is your own.  But, since plagiarism is a serious matter, we feel that it is important to explain what plagiarism is and what the consequences are.

What Plagiarism is (Two Basic Forms):

1. Using someone else's work as your own, without citing the source.  This includes direct copying, rephrasing, and summarizing, as well as taking someone else's idea and putting it in different words.

2. Not indicating directly quoted passages or ideas even while citing the work as a general source.

 What the Consequences of Plagiarism are:

 If a paper involves plagiarism of the second kind (less serious), the instructor may ask you to rewrite the paper, using correct forms of documentation.

 If a paper involves plagiarism, the instructor is empowered by university regulations to assign you a failing grade in the course.  In addition, a file may be established with the Dean of Students to record the incident, in case of repeated offenses.  You can read the academic regulations regarding plagiarism in the two places on the Web. 

This link will take you to academic Regulation O-2 (see also page 50 of 2004-05 Catalog).  

This link will take you to Article II of the Student Code of Conduct.

 Instructors may demonstrate that a paper involves plagiarism in two ways:  

1. By identifying the source, or 

2. By showing the discrepancy of style between previous papers and the paper in question.

 A final word on plagiarism:  we understand the occasional temptation to plagiarize—but we are surprisingly good at recognizing plagiarism.  Our basic message is DON'T DO IT.  When you need to take something from another person's work—an idea, a powerful statement, a set of facts, or an explanation—cite your source.