lnLerofflce Memo

DA1L !anuary 23 2011

1C rofessors ueparLmenL of Language and Llberal SLudles
IkCM !ason ?eoman ueparLmenL Supervlsor
SU8ILC1 S1uuLn1 LAClA8lSM ln A ulCl1AL WC8Lu

Wn IS LAGIAkISM AN ISSUL?
ln 20 years our socleLy has rapldly adapLed Lo evolvlng forms of Lechnology As a resulL of Lhe
lnLegraLlon of Lechnology lnLo our dally llves some sLudenLs are unaware of plaglarlsm and Lhe serlous
naLure of Lhe offense Many sLudenLs have been ralsed on Lhe ldeal LhaL Lhe lnLerneL can provlde
lmmedlaLe saLlsfacLlon Lo many problems SLudenLs Lherefore flnd lL dlfflculL Lo ascerLaln Lhe
lmporLance of lnLellecLual properLy
1nL kLALI1ILS CI ACADLMIC LAGIAkISM IN 1nL 21
S1
CLN1Uk
LducaLors who sLudy plaglarlsm have acknowledged LhaL concepLs such as copyrlghL orlglnallLy and
lnLellecLual properLy are mlsundersLood by sLudenLs who are confused by Lhe endless exchange of
lnformaLlon onllne ln 2010 uonald L McCabe released a sLudy suggesLlng LhaL abouL 40 of 14000
undergraduaLes surveyed admlLLed Lo copylng senLences from oLher sources 1he sLudy also found LhaL
only 29 of sLudenLs consldered copylng senLences Lo be serlous cheaLlng" (Cabrlel 2010)
noLre uame anLhropologlsL Susan u 8lum argues LhaL many of Lhe lssues ln plaglarlsm exhlblL quallLles
LhaL are belng seen ln currenL medla such as consLanLly referenclng oLher medla ln Lelevlslon shows or
releaslng a song LhaL samples muslc from prevlously released maLerlal Ms 8lum also belleves LhaL Lhere
may be a correlaLlon beLween Lhe wanlng of lndlvldual ldenLlLy and Lhe rlse of plaglarlsm Susan 8lum
sLaLes LhaL lf you are no so worrled abouL presenLlng yourself as absoluLely unlque Lhen lL's okay lf you
say oLher people's wordsbecause Lhey accompllsh Lhe Lask" (Cabrlel 2010)
Whlle Lhere are serlous concerns ln engaglng sLudenLs ln Lhe wrlLlng process Lhere are many sLudenLs
and educaLors who belleve LhaL lL ls slmply a case of lazlness and less abouL Lhe Lechnologlcal
advancemenLs Sarah Wllensky a senlor aL lndlana unlverslLy eloquanLly addresses Lhe lssue when she
sLaLes LhaL lf you're LaughL how Lo closely read sources and synLheslze Lhem lnLo your own orlglnal
argumenL ln mlddle and hlgh school you're noL golng Lo be LempLed Lo plaglarlze ln college and you
cerLalnly won'L do so unknowlngly" (Cabrlel 2010)
1nL NLk1 S1L AS LDUCA1CkS
As professors aL lanshawe College each of you are lnvaluable ln engaglng sLudenLs ln Lhe wrlLlng
process and provldlng guldance on uslng Lhe medla and Lools avallable Lo Lhem ln a responslble eLhlcal
manner 1here are many opporLunlLles Lo engage your sLudenLs on Lhe Loplc of plaglarlsm
O ave a class dlscusslon on Lhe beneflLs and deLracLlons Lo medla plracy Ask sLudenLs Lo conslder
wheLher Lhey would be pleased lf Lhey performed a song LhaL ended up belng heard and
en[oyed by mllllons only Lo never make any money off Lhe song
ueparLmenL of Language Llberal SLudles age 2 !anuary 23 2010

O llnd many dlfferenL Lypes of plaglarlsm and presenL Lhem Lo Lhe sLudenLs Lngage Lhe sLudenLs
ln a conversaLlon on wheLher Lhey see dlfferenL levels of plaglarlsm ls copylng a paper as
serlous an offense as sLeallng a quoLe from a movle wlLhouL properly referenclng lL?
O ave sLudenLs perform a qulck asslgnmenL where Lhey research a serlous offense of plaglarlsm
ln Lhe buslness academlc or medla world and have sLudenLs elaboraLe on how Lhe person was
caughL and whaL Lhe reprecusslons were 8y havlng a beLLer undersLandlng of Lhe consequences
of plaglarlsm ln socleLy sLudenLs wlll be beLLer prepared Lo welgh Lhe rlsks of plaglarlsm
O Conslder how Lo draw conLemporary lssues lnLo Lhe dlscusslon eople are more llkely Lo engage
ln a Loplc of conversaLlon when Lhey can easlly relaLe Lo Lhe maln lssue belng dlscussed
1here are any number of ways LhaL professors can engage sLudenLs ln Lhe dlscusslon of plaglarlsm 8y
belng aware of Lhe lssue and malnLalnlng a proacLlve sLance on ellmlnaLlng plaglarlsm lanshawe
College sLrlves Lo develop sLudenLs who undersLand Lhe lmporLance of lnLellecLual properLy ln Lhe 21
sL

cenLury
lf you have any oLher quesLlons or concerns regardlng plaglarlsm or suspecL a sLudenL of plaglarlsm
please conLacL my offlce lmmedlaLely aL [_yeoman2[fanshaweonllneca