1. First-Year Experience (Destination Kent)
Plagiarism Workshop
Rob Kairis
Library Director
Kent State Stark

2. Observations …
In a population the size of the Stark Campus, approximately how many students do you think commit acts of plagiarism?
Most Students
Many Students
Only a few Students

3. Observations …
50.4% of students believe that their peers cut and paste from internet and hand in as their own work While … Only 8% admit to doing it themselves*
* Scanlon, P.M., and D.R. Neumann. “Internet Plagiarism among college students.” Journal of College Student Development 43:3 (2002):

4. Observations …
62.2% of students believe that their peers purchase papers from online paper mills While … Only 8.3% admit to doing it themselves*
* Scanlon, P.M., and D.R. Neumann. “Internet Plagiarism among college students.” Journal of College Student Development 43:3 (2002):

5. Observations …
In terms of severity in a college or university environment, how bad would you say plagiarism is?
The worst thing a student could do
It's bad and students should not do it, but it is not the worst thing a student could do
It's only bad if you get caught

6. Do you download music from the internet?
Ethics …
Do you download music from the internet?
Yes No

7. If you do download music from the internet, do you pay?
Ethics …
If you do download music from the internet, do you pay?
Yes No

8. Ethics … Makes downloading music illegal
“400 letters per month are being sent to universities across the United States copyright infringements thus far have been sent to Kent State …
… letters allow for students to settle with the RIAA within a period of 20 days. That is, the student can pay the $3,000 flat rate for downloading …
… After the 20 days, the student will be given the chance to settle again, but this time it's for $4,000”*
* Hook, Christopher. “Kent State offers legal alternative to downloading music.“ kentnewsnet.com 21 Aug Aug <

9. Ethics … It's only bad if you get caught
“A Boston University graduate student was ordered yesterday to pay four record labels a total of $675,000 in damages for illegally downloading 30 songs and sharing them online in only the second such lawsuit to go to trial.”*
“In the only other downloading lawsuit to go to trial, a federal jury in Minnesota in June ordered a woman in that state to pay record labels $1.92 million for infringing on the copyrights of 24 songs.”*
It's only bad if you get caught
* Saltzman, Jonathan. “Student must pay $675k for songs; Jury votes damages for illegal downloadsLawyer calls verdict unfair; vows appeal.“ The Boston Globe 8/1/09, Metro, p. 1.

10. Kent State’s policy on Cheating and Plagiarism:
Definition …
“To take and present as one's own a material portion of the ideas or words of another or to present as one's own an idea or work derived from an existing source without full and proper credit to the source of the ideas, words, or works.”
Kent State’s policy on Cheating and Plagiarism:

11. If You’re Accused …
Your instructor informs you verbally or in writing that he/she suspects you of plagiarizing
Your instructor provides you with an opportunity to explain orally or in writing why you believe you did not plagiarize
If your instructor still believes you plagiarized he/she may impose sanctions:
Refuse the work submitted for credit
Student gets an F or zero on the assignment
Student fails the class
Incident forwarded to Conduct Officer
“Plagiarism School”

12. Plagiarism School … Modeled after Traffic School …
Instructor agrees to mitigate sanction if student completes plagiarism school:
review “plagiarized” assignment
university policy
case studies
homework (“spot the plagiarism”)

13. If You’re Sanctioned … The Instructor must …
Report the act of plagiarism and the sanction applied to Campus administration
Inform you in writing that you have the right to appeal the sanction to the Campus Dean within 15 days of the receipt of the written notice

14. Appeals … If you appeal …
A hearing will be scheduled where the instructor must prove you plagiarized
You and the instructor can call witnesses and cross exam each other (neither side can be represented by legal counsel)
The Campus Dean makes a final decision in the matter and provides it to you in writing within 15 working days of the hearing

15. Avoiding Plagiarism … Always do your own work
Be organized (failure to properly attribute someone’s work by mistake is still plagiarism)
When using facts or figures always cite a source (only widely known or accepted facts can be presented without citation—there is no need to cite a source for suggesting that the world is round, for example)
It is okay to seek help or advice, but thoughts, ideas, words, phrases, interpretations etc., should be your own or the source of origin should be properly cited
“Double-dipping” (using a substantial portion of a piece of work for two or more classes without notifying the instructor) is a form of cheating similar to plagiarism
If in doubt, ask for help from your instructor (the Library or the Writing Center)

16. Case Studies … George Bono's paper on AIDS
Rosie Pinetar's essay on The Natural
Stuart Lavaman's term paper in Geology
Gilbert Trout's book report on Slaughterhouse-Five
Lonnie Shakespeare trades papers for a Psychology class
Jill St. Blonde writes two papers on the same topic

17. First-Year Experience (Destination Kent)
Plagiarism Workshop
Rob Kairis
Library Director
Kent State Stark