Plagiarism In My Students Work example essay topic

I understand the pressures grades can sometimes cause. It could be the standards you " ve set for yourself, or the fact that parents, teachers, counselors, friends, and prospective colleges judge you, in part, by the grades you receive, but plagiarizing work is not an option. Plagiarism occurs when you take someone else's words or ideas and pass them off as your own. Sometimes you might not even know you " re doing it. Maybe you found a great passage in a research book, an encyclopedia, or on the internet, and so you cut and paste it into your own paper without acknowledging the author. After all, you " re doing something you " ve been told to do repeatedly by your teachers: backing up your ideas with evidence.

But even though your deception wasn't intentional, you " ve still committed a crime: intellectual theft. Universities take plagiarism seriously. At ASU, it will get you expelled, and your record will follow you as you enroll in another college. I expect you to read assigned class works in the full form, no SparkNotes or other student guides or resources will do. Further, I expect that all written work will be your own, except for documented data. Any evidence indicating that you (1) have not read the work carefully or in full, or (2) have read a summary or student guide instead of the work will subject you to a detailed interview to determine if I have a case for my suspicions.

In addition, you should realize that any written work lifted or paraphrased without proper credit to the source will be considered fraudulent. It's fairly simple to spot plagiarism, and while I never anticipate plagiarism in my students' work, it's happened in the past, and if one is caught, the price is steep: The student receives a zero on the assignment, and is referred to the Dean of Students for disciplinary action. Parents will be notified. A repeat performance could result in loss of credit for the class. And of course, any student who violates this trust agreement will not receive any recommendation or referral from me for any admission, award, scholarship, etc., to which he or she is applying. But actually, that's not the reason why most of your teachers here at Mingus discourage plagiarism.

One of our goals here as the folks who are guiding you through your education is to help you become skilled critical readers, imaginative and entertaining writers, and creative problem-solvers. Plagiarism works contrary to this; it encourages haphazard reading, cut-and-paste construction of written pieces, and the avoidance of thought. And it's just plain wrong. More important than any grade is learning how to approach a task and carry it through to completion using the tools we have given you and that you have practiced. I'll do everything I can this term to continue helping you develop creativity and originality in your work. You " ll practice researching and documenting information effectively, and your assignments won't be found on any "Term Papers 'R' Us" site.

And I will be encouraging you to continue your development of your own manner of expressing your thoughts through dialogue - with me, your classmates, and with your parents. Technology may be a great tool - but it is no substitute for knowledge, skills, and creativity. Please share this with your parents, have them sign it, and return it ASAP to me..