Francesca Zagami

Staff Writer

frzagami@valdosta.edu

VSU’s new plagiarism policy has been put in place to help discourage students from giving into the temptations that technology has put at their fingertips.

By using harsher punishments, the new policy aims at deterring “serial” plagiarists and cheaters. Now these offenses become part of students’ permanent records and will appear on background checks.
Once a student has accumulated two reports of academic dishonesty, the student must appear before VSU’s Judicial Committee, which is composed of five faculty members and two SGA representatives, and plead their case. Students should be aware that ignorance is not considered a valid defense for plagiarism.
The hearing, which provides students their due process, may result in a number of penalties including academic probation, suspension, and even expulsion.

In extreme cases, professors may decide that a students’ first offense is serious enough to send them straight to the Judicial Committee for a hearing.
Dr. James LaPlant, Associate Dean of the Arts and Sciences Committee and Political Science Professor, recalled a colleague who had a graduate student turn in a paper which referred to the student’s books published by Harvard University Press. Apparently, the student was not concerned with reading the illegal paper before submitting it.
“Take advantage of the opportunities to learn from your professors and the [Academic Affairs'] web resources,” said La Plant. “Educate yourself, become an informed student so that you don’t ever wind up in this mess. But if you do, now there is a clear process that sends you to the Judicial Committee.”
Under the new policy, professors now have the option of reporting the incident to Richard Lee, Assistant Dean of Student Conduct Office.
Lee will enter the information in a database which will track academic dishonesty across the campus. The new software implemented this year will generate composite statistics about plagiarism at VSU.
Be aware that the same technology, which allows students to search and purchase papers, also enables teachers to track plagiarism down. Turnitin.com is being utilized in more classrooms across campus for term papers; in fact some VSU classes are participating in a test study for the University’s Plagiarism Project.
The policy changes can also be found in Appendix A, Section 1 of the Student Code of Conduct on page 60 in the Student Handbook or follow the plagiarism link on the Academic Affairs website.
“This sounds so simplistic but it really hits it on the head,” said Lee, Assistant Dean of Student Conduct Office. “Do your own work. If you use somebody else’s work, give them credit for it… It’s not rocket science!”