Plagiarism
The University Writing Center abides by the Department of English and Philosophy's Plagiarism Policy:
Plagiarism & Academic Dishonesty
The Department of English and Philosophy defines plagiarism as taking personal credit for the words and ideas of others as they are presented in electronic, print, and verbal sources. The Department expects that students will accurately credit sources in all assignments. An equally dishonest practice is fabricating sources or facts; it is another form of misrepresenting the truth. Plagiarism is grounds for failing the course. See also, excessive collaboration.
The University policies for handling Academic Dishonesty are found in the following documents:
- The Faculty Handbook, sections 207 and 208.0401
- Student Handbook: "Rights and Responsibilities"; page 81 (will open a pdf document).
Excessive Collaboration
By the end of the term, students should demonstrate the ability to produce independent writing (writing without collaborative assistance of peers, writing tutors, or professionals in the field) that shows a level of competency in both ENGL 1101 and 1102. Although classroom activities and out-of-class assignments may highlight collaborative learning and collaborative research, excessive collaboration (collaboration that results in the loss of a student's voice/style and original claims to course- related work) is considered another form of academic dishonesty and therefore will not be permitted.
Role of the Writing Center
The role of the Writing Center is to offer consultation in which tutors question, respond to, offer choices, and encourage revision in student essays. Tutors do not evaluate or prescribe solutions to problematic areas in student essays, and tutors are specifically trained to avoid appropriating the student's work. For more information, visit the Writing Center FAQs here or email Maren Henry at mhenry@westga.edu.