Students must do the plagiarism exercise and fill out the plagiarism form in
their SC 118 or 120 class, and must fill out the form in each BI class. After
this, they are expected to know how to properly use information from sources.
This includes paraphrasing in their own words, giving sources for all material
including pictures used in presentations, and properly indicating quotes.
In introductory courses, we are teaching the proper conventions of attribution.
Failures to properly format attributions (e.g. quoting with a citation but
without using quotation marks, failing to cite sources of figures in presentations)
may be corrected by revision. In more advanced courses we assume that students
know and understand the importance of proper attribution. Failure to use it
will result in a U on the paper or presentation involved and a note in the
student’s biology file.
In both introductory and advanced courses repeated or multiple failures in
attribution, whether in the same or subsequent courses, will be treated as
intentional plagiarism, will result in a U in the course, and will be reported
to the student’s advisor.
If a student does not know whether what she intends to do is plagiarism or
not, it is her responsibility to ask the instructor. This is especially important
where the assigned work at risk may be required to pass the course.
A lot of Alverno work is collaborative, but most assessments and some key assignments are not. Cheating includes copying work from other students or sharing data on assignments which have been assigned as individual work, seeking help from others on takehome assessments, using unauthorized notes during assessments or quizzes, and using any other unauthorized sources of information on assessments or quizzes. Allowing work to be copied or providing help on individual assignments is as much cheating as copying another’s work. Students are responsible for asking the instructor if they are in any doubt about what resources have been authorized for use on takehome assignments, homework, or assessments. To avoid accusations of cheating, students should be aware of and avoid suspicious behavior during assessments and quizzes.
Accusations of cheating will be reviewed by the Biology Department. Confirmed cases of cheating may result in a U for the course or a U on the assignment with no opportunity for retake, and will be reported to the student’s advisor and noted in her biology file. A second instance of cheating, whether in the same or a subsequent course, will result in a U for the course, and most likely in expulsion.
In upper-level courses, students are expected to understand what constitutes
plagiarism and cheating, and the first instance of these behaviors will be
treated as intentional dishonesty. The penalty will be determined by the instructor/instructors
teaching the course, with or without consultation with the student’s
major advisor or the Biology Department.