[Teaching_Composition] Re: another plagiarism story

Rebecca Moore Howard teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
Wed, 19 Nov 2003 09:57:19 -0500


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I agree with you, Britton.  Students do need to know how seriously the 
academy (and we as individuals) take these issues.  And when students 
just can't or won't learn and observe those expectations, I become what 
one contributor to this list called "a traditionalist"--a gatekeeper 
who's willing to impose sanctions.  I'm glad to know that you've gotten 
through to this student;  too many, I'm afraid, regard this as "just 
another expectation that teachers have," like the avoidance of comma 
errors.  And too many think that teachers don't notice or won't stir 
themselves to act.
Becky


On Tuesday, November 18, 2003, at 06:22 PM, Britton Gildersleeve wrote:

> Today I had my second discussion this semester w/ a student who had
> irrefutably plagiarised four separate websites on her paper. And did I
> mention she'd done this once before?
>
> Today the plagiarism was more comprehensive, and much more problematic 
> to
> me, since it was now a pattern. She had the same story: a teacher who 
> helped
> her 'revise' must have taken out all her quotation marks and 
> citations. I
> have to say I don't believe her...
>
> What I found most disturbing was that despite several discussions of
> plagiarism in class, w/ my _strong_ emphasis on intellectual 
> properties, and
> several class conversations about credibility, academic discourse 
> community
> 'rules,' etc., my student had no idea of the severe consequences 
> possible at
> our university (and others). When I told her that students in the 
> country
> had been expelled for academic dishonesty, that she would lose her
> scholarship if I took her absolutely certain plagiarism to the 
> university
> authorities, and that the accusation would haunt her transcript pretty 
> much
> eternally (precluding many other scholarships), she was horrified. This
> obviously had not been quite that big a deal to her.
>
> Perhaps we need to make clearer to our students how seriously the 
> academic
> community takes plagiarism. We do our students a disservice not to 
> emphasise
> how negatively the university and its attendant citizens view 
> plagiarism. I
> think my student intentionally plagiarised, and chose to do so despite 
> my
> discussions in class. However, I'd like to think that if I had spent 
> more
> time on consequences, she might have made a better choice. But then, we
> always wonder what _we_ could have done differently, don't we?
>
> Britton Gildersleeve
> Oklahoma State University
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com
> [mailto:teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com]On Behalf Of Nancy
> M. Fisher
> Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 4:07 PM
> To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
> Subject: [Teaching_Composition] Re: another plagiarism story
>
>
> I've got to add yet another plagiarism story.  When I confronted one 
> student
> with a copy of his paper which I found on the internet (a la google), 
> he was
> astounded.  "I didn't use the internet," he said.  "I copied it out of 
> a
> book."
>
> teaching_composition-request@mailman.eppg.com wrote:
>
>> Send Teaching_Composition mailing list submissions to
>>         teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
>>
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>> or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
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>>
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>> than "Re: Contents of Teaching_Composition digest..."
>>
>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>    1. Re: Plagiarism Websites (Nick Carbone)
>>
>> --__--__--
>>
>> Message: 1
>> From: "Nick Carbone" <nick_carbone@hotmail.com>
>> To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
>> Subject: Re: [Teaching_Composition] Plagiarism Websites
>> Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:15:32 -0700
>> Reply-To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com
>>
>> Jennifer--
>>
>> Boston U. tried going to court to block online term paper mills. They 
>> had
>> successfully gone to court to block physical paper mills from 
>> advertising
> on
>> campus. You may have seen these flyers on your local campuses, tacked 
>> on
>> bulletin boards, advertising papers.
>>
>> For more on legal issues overall, check out:
>>
>> "Plagiarism in Colleges in the USA," by Ronald B. Standler
>> (http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm). Standler, an attorney in 
>> Massachusetts,
>> provides an overview of case law on plagiarism, and offers opinions on
> legal
>> issues involving plagiarism accusations and procedures.
>>
>> Sandler's argued that you don't need direct proof, aka the original
> source,
>> but Deans and judicial committees and school lawyers tend get skittish
>> without direct proof. If you have the spark notes and some of the 
>> paper,
> you
>> should have enough. Also, check some more on the paper, it might be on
>> another mill site for free.
>>
>> Nick
>>
>> nick_carbone at hotmail.com (to email, replace at with @, and close 
>> the
>> spaces)
>>
>> http://ncarbone.blogspot.com and/or
>> http://ncarbone.blogspot.com/TeachingWriting
>>
>> _________________________________________________________________
>> Great deals on high-speed Internet access as low as $26.95.
>> https://broadband.msn.com (Prices may vary by service area.)
>>
>> --__--__--
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Teaching_Composition maillist  -  
>> Teaching_Composition@mailman.eppg.com
>> http://mailman.eppg.com/mailman/listinfo/teaching_composition
>>
>> End of Teaching_Composition Digest
>
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I agree with you, Britton.  Students <italic>do</italic> need to know
how seriously the academy (and we as individuals) take these issues. 
And when students just can't or won't learn and observe those
expectations, I become what one contributor to this list called "a
traditionalist"--a gatekeeper who's willing to impose sanctions.  I'm
glad to know that you've gotten through to this student;  too many,
I'm afraid, regard this as "just another expectation that teachers
have," like the avoidance of comma errors.  And too many think that
teachers don't notice or won't stir themselves to act.

Becky



On Tuesday, November 18, 2003, at 06:22 PM, Britton Gildersleeve wrote:


<excerpt>Today I had my second discussion this semester w/ a student
who had

irrefutably plagiarised four separate websites on her paper. And did I

mention she'd done this once before?


Today the plagiarism was more comprehensive, and much more problematic
to

me, since it was now a pattern. She had the same story: a teacher who
helped

her 'revise' must have taken out all her quotation marks and
citations. I

have to say I don't believe her...


What I found most disturbing was that despite several discussions of

plagiarism in class, w/ my _strong_ emphasis on intellectual
properties, and

several class conversations about credibility, academic discourse
community

'rules,' etc., my student had no idea of the severe consequences
possible at

our university (and others). When I told her that students in the
country

had been expelled for academic dishonesty, that she would lose her

scholarship if I took her absolutely certain plagiarism to the
university

authorities, and that the accusation would haunt her transcript pretty
much

eternally (precluding many other scholarships), she was horrified. This

obviously had not been quite that big a deal to her.


Perhaps we need to make clearer to our students how seriously the
academic

community takes plagiarism. We do our students a disservice not to
emphasise

how negatively the university and its attendant citizens view
plagiarism. I

think my student intentionally plagiarised, and chose to do so despite
my

discussions in class. However, I'd like to think that if I had spent
more

time on consequences, she might have made a better choice. But then, we

always wonder what _we_ could have done differently, don't we?


Britton Gildersleeve

Oklahoma State University



-----Original Message-----

From: teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com

[mailto:teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com]On Behalf Of Nancy

M. Fisher

Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 4:07 PM

To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com

Subject: [Teaching_Composition] Re: another plagiarism story



I've got to add yet another plagiarism story.  When I confronted one
student

with a copy of his paper which I found on the internet (a la google),
he was

astounded.  "I didn't use the internet," he said.  "I copied it out of a

book."


teaching_composition-request@mailman.eppg.com wrote:


<excerpt>Send Teaching_Composition mailing list submissions to

        teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com


To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit

        http://mailman.eppg.com/mailman/listinfo/teaching_composition

or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to

        teaching_composition-request@mailman.eppg.com


You can reach the person managing the list at

        teaching_composition-admin@mailman.eppg.com


When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific

than "Re: Contents of Teaching_Composition digest..."


Today's Topics:


   1. Re: Plagiarism Websites (Nick Carbone)


--__--__--


Message: 1

From: "Nick Carbone" <<nick_carbone@hotmail.com>

To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com

Subject: Re: [Teaching_Composition] Plagiarism Websites

Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:15:32 -0700

Reply-To: teaching_composition@mailman.eppg.com


Jennifer--


Boston U. tried going to court to block online term paper mills. They
had

successfully gone to court to block physical paper mills from
advertising

</excerpt>on

<excerpt>campus. You may have seen these flyers on your local
campuses, tacked on

bulletin boards, advertising papers.


For more on legal issues overall, check out:


"Plagiarism in Colleges in the USA," by Ronald B. Standler

(http://www.rbs2.com/plag.htm). Standler, an attorney in Massachusetts,

provides an overview of case law on plagiarism, and offers opinions on

</excerpt>legal

<excerpt>issues involving plagiarism accusations and procedures.


Sandler's argued that you don't need direct proof, aka the original

</excerpt>source,

<excerpt>but Deans and judicial committees and school lawyers tend get
skittish

without direct proof. If you have the spark notes and some of the
paper,

</excerpt>you

<excerpt>should have enough. Also, check some more on the paper, it
might be on

another mill site for free.


Nick


nick_carbone at hotmail.com (to email, replace at with @, and close the

spaces)


http://ncarbone.blogspot.com and/or

http://ncarbone.blogspot.com/TeachingWriting


_________________________________________________________________

Great deals on high-speed Internet access as low as $26.95.

https://broadband.msn.com (Prices may vary by service area.)


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</excerpt>

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