UTEP ENGLISH DEPARTMENT PLAGIARISM POLICY

UTEP maintains high standards of academic honesty for all of its students; cheating in any form is not acceptable. One major component of the UTEP policy of academic integrity regards plagiarism.

Plagiarism Defined

Plagiarism is defined as the use of another person's ideas or words without giving proper credit. Plagiarism occurs whenever a student quotes, paraphrases or summarizes another person's work without providing correct citation. Plagiarism occurs whether the work quoted is a book, article, website, reader's guide like Cliffs Notes or SparkNotes, another student's paper, or any other source. An entire essay is considered fraudulent even if only a single sentence is plagiarized.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

There are two ways to avoid plagiarism:

1. Develop your own opinions and ideas whenever you write papers or exams. Unless you are specifically required to do research, most teachers would prefer to see you express your own individual thoughts.

2. Whenever you refer to another person's ideas or words, use proper citation to give them credit. Most English classes will require you to use MLA Citation Form. For information about MLA Form, consult your instructor or any writing handbook, particularly the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers .

Consequences for Plagiarism

If you are suspected of committing plagiarism, you will be reported to the Dean of Students. The Dean will conduct an investigation of your paper or exam and determine the appropriate sanctions. Sanctions for plagiarism can include a failing grade for the assignment, failure for the class, disciplinary probation and expulsion. In addition, committing plagiarism results in you losing the respect and trust of your teacher.

UTEP's Dean of Students' Guidelines: http://www.utep.edu/dos/acadintg.htm

Department of Philosophy

Academic Dishonesty at UTEP

It is the official policy of the university that all suspected cases or acts of alleged scholastic dishonesty must be referred to the Dean of Students for investigation and appropriate disposition. Any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.

A. “Cheating” includes:

  1. Copying from the test paper of another student, engaging in written, oral, or any other means of communication with another student during a test, or giving aid to or seeking aid from another student during a test;
  2. possession and/or use during a test of materials which are not authorized by the person giving the test, such as class notes, books, or specifically designed “crib notes”;
  3. using, obtaining, or attempting to obtain by any means the whole or any part of non-administered test, test key, homework solution, or computer program; using a test that has been administered in prior classes or semesters but which will be used again either in whole or in part without permission of the instructor; or accessing a test bank without instructor permission;
  4. collaborating with or seeking aid from another student for an assignment without authority;
  5. substituting for another person, or permitting another person to substitute for one's self, to take a test; and
  6. falsifying research data, laboratory reports, and/or other records or academic work offered for credit;

B. “plagiarism” means the appropriation, buying, receiving as a gift, or obtaining by any means another's work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of it in one's own academic work offered for credit, or using work in a paper or assignment for which the student had received credit in another course without direct permission of all involved instructors;

C. “collusion” means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing academic assignments offered for credit or collaboration with another person to commit a violation of any provision of the rules on scholastic dishonesty.

Taking Precautions
What can you do to avoid being charged with academic dishonesty?

  • Avoid procrastination
  • Get to know your professors as well as their expectations regarding collaboration and citation
  • Find a tutor to help with difficult classes
  • Physically distance yourself from others when taking exams
  • Do not loan completed assignments to other students
  • Refuse to help students who cheat
  • Use a handbook as a reference for how to appropriately cite sources
  • Become familiar with the UTEP policies and procedures related to academic dishonesty

From College of Education Syllabus

Academic Dishonesty:

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. If you have any questions about what constitutes academic dishonesty, speak to me or refer to your Handbook of Operating Procedures.The University of Texas at El Paso prides itself on its standards of academic excellence. In all matters of intellectual pursuit, UTEP faculty and students must strive to achieve excellence based on the quality of work produced by the individual. In the classroom and in all other academic activities, students are expected to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. Any form of scholastic dishonesty is an affront to the pursuit of knowledge and jeopardizes the quality of the degree awarded to all graduates of UTEP. It is imperative, therefore, that the members of this academic community understand the regulations pertaining to academic integrity and that all faculty insist on adherence to these standards.

Any student who commits an act of scholastic dishonesty is subject to discipline. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts. Proven violations of the detailed regulations, as printed in the Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP), and available in the Office of the Dean of Students, and the homepage of The Dean of Students (DOS) at http://studentaffairs.utep.edu/dos, may result in sanctions ranging from disciplinary probation, to failing grade on the work in question, to a failing grade in the course, to suspension or dismissal, among others.