Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism

Students at Mendocino College are required to adhere to the college's Academic Honesty Guidelines.  Students are expected to avoid any type of dishonesty including, but not limited to, the following:  

1. Plagiarism (copying someone else's sentences or phrases, using another author's ideas without acknowledgement of the source, re-writing a research paper that incorporates significant material from a paper written by another person, submitting a research paper borrowed from another student or commercial use) 
2. Cheating.
3. Fabrication.
4. Duplication of assignments.
5. Aiding in dishonesty.
6. When an instructor is confronted with evidence of academic dishonesty, s/he will take appropriate action against the student.  This action may include:  reassignment of the paper, exam, or project; assignment of a failing grade; or recommendation to the Superintendent/President for dismissal from the course.  

Students may appeal a faculty member’s decision through the Student Grievance and Due Process procedure. (Board Policy 534 and Administrative Procedure 534.1)

Read the full document by click on the Academic Honesty Guidelines:  

Source:  Mendocino College Academic Honesty Guidelines

According to the Mendocino College Academic Honesty Guidelines, the following can result from plagiarism:

CONSEQUENCES OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

When an instructor is confronted with evidence of academic dishonesty:

1. The instructor will write a “Statement of Academic Dishonesty” to the student(s) which includes the nature of the infraction as well as and the recommended penalty. This statement along with complete documentation will be sent to the student, the Dean of Student Services, and to the appropriate academic administrator.
2. At the discretion of the faculty member, and in consultation with the appropriate academic administrator, any of the following steps may then be taken:

• Reassignment of the research paper, exam, or project.
• Assignment of a failing grade for the paper, exam, or project.

Source: Mendocino College Academic Honesty Guidelines. 

Self-plagiarism is possible and it's just as serious

Self-plagiarism, or "double-dipping," is deception and goes against the core principles of ethical writing. Papers are assigned for you to demonstrate what you have learned in a particular class. If you reuse a paper you wrote for a previous class, you are not demonstrating new learning.

Examples of self-plagiarism:

• Turning in a paper for a current class that you already submitted as an assignment for a previous class
• Using a substantial amount of a paper written for another course as content for a new assignment
• Treating anything you've previously written as if it were new material