Statement on plagiarism:

• "Plagiarism is the representation of the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise. To avoid plagiarism, every direct quotation must be identified by quotation marks or by appropriate indentation and must be promptly cited in the text or in a footnote. Acknowledgment is required when material from another source is stored in print, electronic, or other medium and is paraphrased or summarized in whole or in part in one's own words. To acknowledge a paraphrase properly, one might state: 'To paraphrase Plato's comment...' and conclude with a footnote identifying the exact reference. A footnote acknowledging only a directly quoted statement does not suffice to notify the reader of any preceding or succeeding paraphrased material. Information which is common knowledge, such as names of leaders of prominent nations, basic scientific laws, etc., need not be footnoted; however, all facts or information obtained in reading or research that are not common knowledge among students in the course must be acknowledged. In addition to materials specifically cited in the text, only materials that contribute to one's general understanding of the subject may be acknowledged in the bibliography. Plagiarism can, in some cases, be a subtle issue. Any questions about what constitutes plagiarism should be discussed with the faculty member." (Taken from University Policy on Academic Integrity)
• The University has a well defined procedure for dealing with cases of suspected academic dishonesty (e.g. cheating on tests, plagiarism of papers). Individual faculty members or departments have no authority to judge such cases on an ad hoc basis. Specifically, we are not authorized as individuals to give a student a failing grade on a paper or an exam or in a course as punishment, but rather must report the episode for proper review. (The accused student has a right to due process). For further information, you may consult the current catalog for a statement of university policy.