Handling Plagiarism
Early in the semester, instructors should discuss
the issue of plagiarism with English 101 students. These students
should have ready access to the English Department's policy on plagiarism
through a handout or though a guided review of the plagiarism section
of the English Department's web page. At that time instructors should
read through the policy with students, ensuring that the students
know what plagiarism is, what forms it can take, what the penalties
for plagiarism are, and how worries about plagiarism can be avoided.
Each instructor should also be familiar with the relevant sections
of the Handbook for Teaching Faculty (7.7) and The Student Conduct
Code and Disciplinary Procedures (III.B.1).
Definition of Plagiarism
Students plagiarize when they do not credit the
sources of their writing—the words, information, ideas, or
opinions of others. Plagiarism takes several forms; plagiarism in
all its forms deserves a response from the student’s instructor
and from Calvin College
Context for the policy:
Calvin College divides its core curriculum into
three parts: knowledge, skills, and virtues. Studying in core courses
like English 101, students expand their knowledge of God’s
world, develop their ability to act effectively in that world, and
deepen their commitment to living for God and for others. When students
plagiarize, they reject the opportunity to learn something new,
to understand alternative perspectives, and to develop their own
opinions; they fail to develop the skills of research and writing
that enhance their ability to understand, inform, and persuade;
and they act contrary to the virtues that ought to guide their lives,
virtues such as diligence, honesty, courage, stewardship, and justice.
Acts of plagiarism affect not only the plagiarizer but also the
entire academic community. First, plagiarism taints the trust between
instructor and student, creating a climate of suspicion. For example,
instructors who have encountered plagiarism might be more inclined
to question students’ integrity. Moreover, hoping to deter
students from plagiarizing, instructors might be more likely to
craft exceedingly narrow assignments, limiting students’ freedom
to pursue academic research as their interests lead them. Acts of
plagiarism also taint relationships among students and compromise
the fairness of grades. Finally, acts of plagiarism challenge the
academic reputation of Calvin College and all its graduates.
Extended Definition:
A first step toward avoiding plagiarism is understanding
plagiarism in all its forms. The English 101 Committee, therefore,
provides the following extended definition of plagiarism.
1. Students plagiarize if they submit as their
own work any of the following:
a. An entire essay written by someone else.
This form of plagiarism includes, for example, essays purchased
from web sites that specialize in academic essays, essays published
on the web or in other sources, and unpublished essays written
by others.
b. The exact words of someone else without
quotation marks around those words. This form of plagiarism
can include copying exact wording without quotation marks even
if a student provides documentation in the “Works Cited”
section.
c. A paraphrase of someone else’s words
without documentation. This form of plagiarism includes reordering
or replacing someone else’s words while keeping the main
idea or the central information.
d. A summary of someone else’s words
or ideas without documentation. This form of plagiarism includes
using some, few, or even none of the original words to reproduce
a shorter version of some or all of someone else’s ideas
or text.
e. Undocumented use of information from someone
else. In this kind of plagiarism, a student takes information
that she found in a particular source and presents it as her
own knowledge or as common knowledge. A student must document
information that appears in one or only a few specialized sources,
is the work or idea of a particular person, or represents a
controversial stance on a topic. A student need not document
information that is common knowledge.
f. Undocumented use of information that someone
else has collected. A student must document research aids such
as web-based “research” services and annotated bibliographies.
g. The sequence of ideas, arrangement of
material, pattern of thought, or visual representation of information
(images, tables, charts, or graphs) from someone else. This
form of plagiarism includes any of these textual features even
if students present the ideas or information in their own words.
2. Students are accomplices to plagiarism if
they do any of the following:
a. They allow a fellow student to submit
their work as the student’s own, or they write an essay
for another student and allow that student to submit it as his
or her own.
b. They do not report a fellow student who
plagiarizes.
c. They contribute an essay to a collection
of essays (among friends or at a web site) that they know provides
opportunity for other students to plagiarize.
Policy
English 101 instructors should treat both suspicions
and evidence of plagiarism as opportunities to help students understand
the moral and legal ramifications of plagiarism. Furthermore, instructors
should see these as occasions to teach students ways to avoid plagiarism.
Because the effects of plagiarism are so great, English 101 students
should carefully learn and practice writing behaviors that ensure
that they do not plagiarize; instructors should do all they can
to help students avoid plagiarizing.
1. An instructor who suspects that a student
has plagiarized should first discuss those suspicions with the
student. The instructor should explain the basis for the suspicions
and ask the student to respond to these suspicions with reasoning
and with evidence either from the student’s research (sources
and notes on sources) or from his drafts. It is a student’s
responsibility to keep all the materials that he used when writing
an essay for English 101.
2. An instructor who finds proof of plagiarism
should discuss the proof with the student, calling the student’s
attention to the moral implications and academic ramifications
of plagiarism. According to the Student Handbook, “In cases
where the student admits to academic dishonesty, a faculty member
may impose an academic sanction without a hearing [of the Student
Discipline Committee]” (70). Normally, instructors fail
work for which they have proof of plagiarism. Instructors also
have the right to fail the student in the course, although usually
they exercise this right only after consulting with the Chair
of the English Department.
3. Calvin College requires that instructors
report all cases of academic dishonesty—including all cases
of plagiarism—to the Student Life office using the form
that follows this document. The Vice President for Student Life
then decides what additional measures, if any, the case merits.
Students and instructors should consult The New
St. Martin’s Handbook for additional discussion of these topics:
Section 17: Integrating Sources into Your Writing
Section 18: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism
This plagiarism statement draws from both The
New St. Martin’s Handbook and a draft version of the Plagiarism
Statement from the National Council of Writing Program Administrators.
Several on-line sites offer help discouraging
and detecting plagiarism.
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