Students at colleges and universities are required to maintain academic standards and integrity. If students violate the honor code disciplinary actions may be imposed. Violations may include cheating, plagiarism and submitting false data. Sometimes news headlines report on accusations of plagiarism against someone in the mass media or politics. Schools inform their students that plagiarism is not tolerated and will have negative consequences.

What is Plagiarism?

The meaning is often considered as when someone commits an act of “literary theft”. This occurs by using someone else's ideas or materials as if they were your own work. These acts are viewed as forms of fraud or theft conducted for one's own personal gain. Plagiarism may lead to legal actions similar to those of patent infringement. Students are typically accused of plagiarizing after submitting an assignment containing published material without properly giving credit to the author.

Why Plagiarizing is Serious

Those who plagiarize typically have their credibility questioned. Employees acting in a professional capacity can expect to have their employment terminated. Schools take this seriously because it is contrary to the principles of honesty and credibility.

Examples of Plagiarism

Students seeking an easy way to complete an essay, report or term paper may submit one that was purchased from an online seller. Students may submit an assignment that was previously used by another student. Text contained within may have been copied word-for-word from some published source.

The Effects of Plagiarizing

These examples of dishonesty are considered reckless and inconsistent with academic ideals and performance. An incident will likely harm the teacher-student relationship. Students also miss out on obtaining knowledge and plagiarism reflects badly on the credibility of educational institutions.

How Prevalent is the Issue of Plagiarizing?

The following data is from a Rutgers University study that surveyed over 60,000 undergraduate and 9,000 graduate students:

What is the Perceived Scope of Plagiarizing?

Claire Guthrie compiled some revealing data while at the University of Waikato. She found that 97% of students agreed the leading form of dishonest student activity was “unpermitted collaboration”. Roughly 96% of respondents felt students plagiarized; nearly 25% felt it occurred consistently.

Could an Attorney Assist Students Accused of Plagiarism?

University systems of evaluating and ruling on academic misconduct are not criminal or civil legal processes. But, the outcomes of these proceedings may have devastating consequences. An attorney that is familiar with student disciplinary defense may be of tremendous assistance to the accused.

Attorney for Student Disciplinary Defense

The Lento Law Firm has advised students across the U.S. facing sanctions or penalties at colleges and universities. Joseph D. Lento is an attorney with the experience to ensure that accused students are treated fairly in these matters. Contact the office today at (888) 535-3686 for a consultation.

[1] https://www.plagiarism.org/article/plagiarism-facts-and-stats