Midterm Exam -- Status and a Warning
In light of the many students who still have not yet turned in their assignments, I will release the instructions for the exam tomorrow.
In addition, I must give you a stern warning about academic honesty, especially now that you will be working on your midterm examination.
I have wasted much of today reading plagiarized essays. Six (6) students have already been caught and will receive an "F" for the course. The Dean of the College, the Chair of the Department, the Provost, and the Executive Director for Student Life have all been notified. The students may be subject to University disciplinary actions, and appeals to such a decision should be in conformance with University regulations.
As stated in the syllabus, "No form of dishonesty is acceptable. I will promptly and publicly fail and humiliate anyone caught lying, cheating, or stealing. That includes academic dishonesty, copyright violations, software piracy, or any other form of dishonesty." True to my word, the students caught so far are:
- Monica Soto
- Jose Palos
- Marla Resendez
- Dolores E. Schandua
- Alexis Solis
- Epifanio Sanchez
My staff has made a preliminary investigation of all essays and believes the most egregious violators have been found. However, I have not yet read all of the essays by all the other students, so it is possible that more will be found.
As I stated in the orientation meeting, the basic difference between plagiarizing and research is that research cites the origin of the information. Many of the essays I have read do not fully rise to the level of plagiarism because the author acknowledged the origin, but the author did not fully and properly cite the source of the information. This "gray area" will lead to a reduction in the score for the work, and depending on the circumstances an admonishment may also be in order. CITE YOUR SOURCE PROPERLY, SPECIFICALLY, AND FULLY. It should be readily apparent what information came from precisely what source.
From a practical matter, your own opinion or thoughts about a subject is really very meaningless unless you are able to back it up with references to authoritative sources. In addition, if you have written well, the reader will want to learn more about the subject, and links or citations to more information aids the reader (and makes you look smart).
Finally, plagiarism is manifestly unfair and disrespectful to your classmates. There are students taking the course who are working very, very hard to learn a subject that in many case is foreign to them. A plagiarizer is implicitly treating the honest, hard-working student as a dupe. Of course, the plagiarizer is the dupe or else would not need to plagiarize.
The midterm is going to be a difficult assignment. You will be expected to think, cite relevant resources, and write well. You will also be expected to demonstrate a command of all the information presented in the class so far. Above all, you are expected to do your own work and conduct yourself with honor. You are allowed, indeed expected, to marshall all the information at your disposal, but you shall not plagiarize, collaborate with another, or otherwise commit any act of dishonesty.
Happy Trails,
Loye Young
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