Academic
Integrity
The following is Koç University's official policy
on academic honesty:
Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty in the form of cheating, plagiarism, or collusion
are serious offenses and are not tolerated at Koç University. University
Academic Regulations and the Regulations for Student Disciplinary Matters
clearly define the policy and the disciplinary action to be taken in case
of academic dishonesty. Failure in academic integrity may lead to suspension
and expulsion from the University.
Cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying from a classmate
or providing answers or information, either written or oral, to others. Plagiarism
is borrowing or using someone else’s writing or ideas without giving written
acknowledgment to the author. This includes copying from a fellow student’s
paper or from a text (whether printed or electronic) without properly citing
the source. Collusion is getting unauthorized help from another person or
having someone else write a paper or assignment.
http://www1.ku.edu.tr/main/home.php?i=620&m=617&c=206&p=1&s=1
Retrieved 23rd September 2003
Don't Panic
: There is very little danger that you will plagiarise accidently or
that you will be dismissed from university without you, in effect, choosing
it. At the very beginning of your course it will be made very
clear to you what exactly plagiarism and collusion is, and how they can
be avoided.
A Personal Note from your Teacher
From the above you can see that the institution that you are attending
takes academic honesty very seriously. I, as your teacher will also take
it very seriously. Not only will I take it seriously but I will also take
it personally.
Plagiarism works
on many different levels. On the one hand it is an offence against
the person from whom you have stolen language or ideas. Students are not
likely to be confronted by this person and so may feel that the risk is
justified. Unfortunately this is often the only thing that students consider
when they are tempted to plagiarise.
If you plagiarise
at university you are threatening the reputation of the institution you
attend. If students are awarded degrees for work they did not do, then
obviously these degrees mean nothing. You may be happy with a degree you
attained under false pretences but there are lots of students who work really
hard and deserve their degrees. The value of their degree is very much
determined by the reputation of the institution that awarded it. Plagiarists
will not be permitted to destroy the reputation of the university. I, as
a member of the teaching staff, will do everything I can to preserve and
improve the reputation of the university.
A writer living on
the far side of the planet or the reputation of the university may not
be things you are very concerned about. However, any plagiarism on your
part will also be considered an offence against me, as your teacher,
and there will be no escaping me. So, if you are still contemplating
plagiarising then consider very carefully the following:
During the course
we will get to know each other quite well. I will relate to you as a human
being with needs, desires, emotions etc. I expect the same from you.
Some of you will need to discuss personal problems with me and trust me
to deal with them appropriately. I will also need to entrust you with
some responsibilities. We will build a personal relationship based
on trust and honesty. Your biggest responsibility therefore is to
be honest. If we are honest with each other, then all difficulties can be
overcome.
I take any student's
attempt at plagiarism in my class very personally. It is a violation
of trust. If you plagiarise in my class, I will draw the following conclusions:
Plagiarizing is Academic Suicide
- You have demonstrated
yourself to be a dishonest person. You tell lies and anything
else you tell me in any other context should be questioned
- You do not
value honesty nor my respect for you
- You are happy
to waste my time giving feedback on someone else's work or checking sources
for plagiarism
- You do not
appreciate the efforts I am making to inform and guide you
- Your primary
concern in attending university is not to learn and any effort on my
part to help you could be a waste of time
- You have no
respect for me as a person and believe I do not deserve your honesty
- If I were
to publish any work or make it available on the internet, you would be
prepared to steal from me and pass it off as yours
- You think
I'm stupid and won't realise your work is plagiarised
This may not be
the message you intend to send when you plagiarise but it is definitely
the message I receive and most importantly for you, it is the message
I will respond to. After receiving such a message how do you think
I feel about you? Don't expect any mercy!
Why Do Student's
Plagiarise?
We will discuss this issue in class but for the moment the one
thing you need to note is that no matter what difficulties you are experiencing,
plagiarism is not the answer. If you cannot hand in your work
by the specified deadline then come to me and explain why. I would
much rather correct your essay a few days later than waste an hour giving
feedback on an essay that is not yours. Submitting an essay late, submitting
a poor quality piece of work, not submitting any work, are all preferable
to submitting plagiarised work.
If you plagiarise - expect
to get caught and be prepared to accept the consequences.