A plagiarism forum was held Tuesday, Dec. 4, by the Student Life committee of Student Senate. Dr. David Zehr, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, and Psychology Professor along with English Professor, Scott Coykendall, were the main speakers.
A handful of people attended the forum. Professor Coykendall and Dr. Zehr began by lecturing about plagiarism, and then the floor opened to individual questions. The seminar began with a simple definition of plagiarism. “Presenting someone else’s work as your own,” Coykendall said.
Plagiarism is generally an issue at Universities. Often students simply do not know they have to cite a source. The Academic Integrity Panel has seen examples where students simply did not know they had committed plagiarism. For example, a student may not simply cut and paste a phrase or paragraph directly from a website. Websites do not offer free information, they must be cited. Plagiarism carries a tough penalty at the University level. A first convicted offense can lead to failure of the class. Further offenses can lead to expulsion.
The function of the Academic Integrity Panel is to give students a chance to explain their situation, “In the past, professors have had more discretion for the penalties given to students regarding plagiarism,” said Zehr. According to Zehr the Academic Integrity Panel allows for the penalties to be more mainstream. It also allows for due process.
The Academic Integrity Panel is comprised of a number of people. An Undergraduate Dean, a chair of the Panel, a faculty member and two students always serve the committee. The same people do not always serve on the committee each year.
The process involved in bringing a student to the Academic Integrity Panel is long. If a professor suspects a student of plagiarism, they must bring the work forward to the chair of the academic department. If the chair decides there is reasonable doubt regarding the validity of the student’s work. The professor must then bring the student to the Academic Integrity Panel. The professor will then explain the offense and the student will have a chance to explain himself or herself. The committee will then decide on whether or not the student committed plagiarism.
“This is the Academic Integrity Panel’s bust season,” said Coykendall, “This is most likely due to the increase in work, and the professor’s familiarity with the students writing,” he added. “One of the first questions we ask is, ‘when was the paper assigned, and when was it due?'” said Coykendall, “Procrastination usually plays a big role.”
It is important to understand what constitutes plagiarism, “You don’t have to cite common knowledge,” said Coykendall. Dr. Zehr explained the vast amount of things that could possibly be plagiarized, “Plagiarism is about ideas. Computer codes, dance routines, and art can all be plagiarized,” said Zehr.
Zehr continued by warning that simply quoting and citing sources does not make for a good paper. “A paper cannot rely on quotation’s alone, it is not academic writing,” said Zehr. Professor Coykendall added to this by explaining the uses of paraphrasing in academic writing.
Professor Coykendall explained how, by paraphrasing, a student can effectively show their knowledge of a topic. If a student paraphrases, he or she understands the principle of the passage, and can essentially summarize the work. But he also warned students, “Paraphrasing still requires a citation.” Dr. Zehr added, “Always communicate with the professor about the expectations of a paper.”
The two most common forms of citation used at Plymouth State University are MLA (Modern Language Association) and APA (American Psychological Association). MLA style formatting requires a works cited page at the end of the work. APA style requires a references page. There are minor technical differences between the formats as well.
“We assume you are not only doing your best work but you are also honest about it,” said Coykendall. This is the main sentiment when it comes to academic integrity. The event, while not heavily attended, received great reviews.
“This was very informative in every aspect. I now have a better understanding on citing. We should have more activities like this. I feel that instances of plagiarism would probably go down because students would be more informed,” said Anthony Grimaldi, a first-year history major.
“I think it was a very useful program,” said Professor Arthur Fried of the English department, “I wish more students would have come.”