Academic Dishonesty

Cheating/Plagiarism:

Students are expected to be honest and ethical at all times in the pursuit of academic goals. Students who are found to be in violation of the Student Conduct Standards and Procedures will receive a grade of zero on the assignment in question and may be referred for disciplinary action in accordance with Student Disciplinary Procedures. 2020-2021 COD Catalog Links to an external site., pgs. 55-56.

The instructor can use her professional experience/judgment to assess if a student’s work is not original, based on your in-class performance and previous submissions. Directions for assignments may request the student take certain measures to ensure academic integrity.

Copy And Paste Jobs/Mosaic Plagiarism:

Work that shows you can copy blocks of text and attach a parenthetical citation or footnote will receive a low score, if not a ‘0’, since this work is not your own. While you are giving credit to someone else, there is no original thought in a paper that has an inordinate amount of direct quotes. The idea behind academic writing is to produce original work. While you can and will use others’ work as sources of evidence (and will provide proper references), you need to demonstrate that you understand their ideas. Thus, do your best to  take in the material and then write about it using your own words. 

Copying Another Student’s Work (Or Your Own Work):

With regard to copying another student’s writing assignments, all students whose work is in question will receive a ‘0,’ despite whether or not permission was given. All students involved will also be reported to the Office of Student Services for possible disciplinary action. Therefore, if you want to ensure you and your grades are not compromised, protect your intellectual property. If you submit work from earlier in the semester or from another class and try to pass it off as unique to this course, you will receive a ‘0.’

Vericite Scores/File Types:

When uploading assignments to Canvas, you must receive a Vericite score.  A Vericite score measures copied material found on the internet. In short, it measures the amount of material that is a word-for-word copy. Now, if you included any quotes, that should also be measured by a Vericite Score. You can and ought to quite material! Just remember to cite that material (note where you got it, the author, page, etc.). I start to get a little concerned at 30-35%, and anything above 50% is downright problematic. Remember, read material, take it in, and try to use your own words to explain what is going on. 

You are guaranteed to receive one if your file name includes “.doc,” “.docx,” or “.pdf” at the end.  Remember, only PDF or Word files are accepted—other file types cannot be opened and therefore cannot be graded, which will result in a ‘0,’ with no chance to resubmit for full credit.

Note that papers that receive high Vericite scores will receive lower grades, if not a ‘0.’ EVEN IF YOU PROVIDE PROPER CITATIONS, you should not be using others’ words verbatim (see “Copy and Paste/Mosaic Plagiarism” section above).