Copyright for Students: Plagiarism

Plagiarism includes:

• Using materials (either specific words or unique ideas) from another person’s work without acknowledgment
• Using quotations without identification as such or paraphrasing without specific identification of the source
• Copying and/or modifying another person’s computer file, program, printout, or portion thereof for use in an assignment without permission of the instructor
• Knowingly permitting one’s computer file, program, printout, or portion thereof to be copied or modified by another student for use in an assignment without permission of the instructor

(Student Conduct Code)

Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty. 

According to the Student Conduct Code:

Academic dishonesty is defined as any act by a student that misrepresents or attempts to misrepresent to an instructor or any College official, the proficiency or achievement of that student or another student in any academic exercise, or that is intended to alter any record of a student’s academic performance by unauthorized means. 

A student deemed guilty of an act of academic dishonesty may, depending on the nature of the offense, be subject to one or more of the following measures: failure of the assignment or examination, failure of the course, or dismissal from the College. Depending upon the severity of the violation, as determined by the College’s Office of Judicial Affairs, the student may be referred to the Standing Disciplinary Board. Second offenses will result in a mandatory referral of the case to the Standing Disciplinary Board, or, if the Board cannot be convened in a timely manner, the Director of Judicial Affairs will hear the case. The penalties that may be assessed by the Board are listed under the Procedures of the Standing Disciplinary Board as published in this publication; however, the normal penalty is suspension or dismissal. 

It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand the policy on all aspects of academic integrity as published in this publication and the Catalog. However, individual faculty members may wish to explain the policy as it relates to their courses. It is emphasized that students who have any questions about what constitutes a violation of academic integrity have the responsibility of clarifying them by conferring with their instructor(s).