Why Filing a Charge Is the Right Thing To Do
Deciding to report a student's plagiarism can be very difficult for faculty. We all care deeply about our students, and the last thing we want to do is to place obstacles in their way for the future. Nonetheless, we must remember that it is the student's act of plagiarism, and not our decision to report it, that will cause trouble for the student down the road. Students have the responsibility to understand and abide by the policy on academic honesty. Faculty have the responsibility to maintain high academic standards, which includes holding students accountable for their actions. Reporting plagiarism, for the reasons listed below, is part of our obligation to the institution, our colleagues, and even other students.
- Filing a charge upholds the value of a UMass diploma.
- You have no way of knowing if it has happened before.
- Graduate schools have the right to know about plagiarism.
- Rampant unreported plagiarism prevents effective responses by university administration.
- Your colleagues need you to take a stand.
- Failure to report plagiarism may undermine a student's rights.
