Plagiarism Reframe for Faculty

Current Status

We tell students not to plagiarize and that they should cite sources.

We usually tell them at the beginning of the school year

• We have no rapport or relationship with the students

The message becomes:

• Cite because I said so

• Cite your sources so you don't fail the assignment or course

• Don't plagiarize so you don't get kicked out or school

Many institutions spend more money on plagiarism detection than diversity initiatives.

Plagiarism is a problem and we need to address it.

Why Students Plagiarize

According to Mbutho and Hutchings (2021), the following are possible reasons why students plagiarize:

1. Discrepancies in the way plagiarism is taught
2. Poor underlying or supporting skills
3. Lack of institutional guidelines
4. Lack of institutional support
5. Lack of student effort/commitment