A plagiarism workshop, “The Value of Academic Honesty,” hosted by the Writing Help Center and the IUS Library, warned students against the perils of plagiarism and the benefits of academic honesty.
The workshop was on Oct. 15.
“We want to help students understand what plagiarism is and how not to do it,” Leigh Ann Meyer, director of the Writing Help Center and a speaker for the workshop, said.
Meyer said many students plagiarize without realizing they are doing it.
“With the electronic advances, students are more tempted to plagiarize and not realize what they are doing is definitely considered plagiarism,” Meyer said.
The workshop has been available to students since the spring semester and during the summer. This is the first workshop for the fall semester. Another will be on Dec. 1 at 6 p.m.
“We are trying to teach students to avoid plagiarism,” Maria Accardi, librarian and another speaker for the workshop, said. “If students plagiarize, then they cheat themselves out of a chance to learn something.”
Accardi said the workshop should be treated like an open forum.
“We are definitely here to have fun and not just lecture,” Accardi said. “Students are here to get a degree but also learn along the way.”
One focus of the workshop was the familiarity of the phrase “common knowledge.”
“We talk about what common knowledge is and when to still cite something,” Accardi said.
Meyer said she advised everyone to cite everything if they have a doubt whether it is common knowledge or not.
“The Code of Students Rights, Responsibilities and Conduct” was a booklet handed out to students.
“Every student who accepts admission to IU Southeast is expected to know the code,” Accardi said. “Students should go over the process in case they are suspected of plagiarizing.”
Meyer and Accardi referred back to the book when discussing real-life scenarios students have gotten into because of plagiarism.
These booklets are available in the Office of Student Affairs.
The workshop showed a video on how other schools are informing students about plagiarizing and ended with a game, “The Cite is Right,” to test student’s knowledge about what is plagiarizing and what is not.
Six students attended the workshop. This was the lowest turnout since they started in the spring.
Meyer said she was surprised by the low attendance.
“Usually we get about 10 to 12 people,” Meyer said. “They come out for different reasons. Students who have been sanctioned for plagiarizing are required to come to these.”
Meyer said her Writing in the Arts and Sciences class is required to attend one workshop this semester, and many First-Year Seminar students come to fulfill their event requirement.
Samantha Harris, chemistry freshman, came to complete her English FYS requirement.
“It seemed like it would be a fun and a little more meaningful than other events I could have attended,” Harris said. “It seemed like it will actually help in the future.”
Harris said knowing what plagiarizing is and how to avoid is vital.
Joey Colvin, general studies senior, attended the workshop. He is a consultant for the Writing Help Desk located in the IUS Library.
“The different scenarios we went through pretty much covered everything that can happen,” Colvin said.
By MORIAH
WHITTAKER
Staff
whittakm@umail.iu.edu
