BTW, I did not intend to demean or offend any individual with my "... is guilty of dereliction of duty." comment. If I did, I apologize. The Prof is could be guilty if the service is available and s/he fails to use it. I feel justified in charging that the institution is guilty if the service is not provided.
I realized that the possibility existed when Rick Adams, in this message, wrote: "True--but since JCC doesn't subscribe to TurnItIn anyway ...". TCC does not, either. TurnItIn is a tad pricey for most of us to have to pay out of our pocket. Certainly the school (or the department) should pay for the service. They will surely counter with "Are you nuts? We are in the midst of a budget crunch!!" (When are they not?) I am going to campaign on the argument that: 1. Everyone knows that plagiarism is widespread (30-70%, depending on the source of the figures). 2. We have a student code of conduct that prohibits plagiarism. 3. It is our institutional obligation to enforce the code the institution established. 4. Failure to enforce the prohibition on plagiarism, constitutes condoning it, and results in encouraging the practice. 5. Using the service (or a similar one), and publicizing the fact that we are using it on a regular basis, may by itself go a long way in reducing the incidence of plagiarism and promoting academic integrity. 6. The cost of using such a service should be viewed as a "cost of doing business", just like providing electricity and libraries. 7. We are going to be increasing tuition and fees, in any case, for a host of other reasons -- some of which are less justifiable and less central to our institutional mission than this reason. Adding a dollar or two to the fees is not unreasonable. It is the students as a group who, after all, who created the need for the expense. They, or their parents, ought to be the ones who pay for the solution. I agree with Rick's position that it would be "an option I'll only exercise if I'm certain of cheating and need absolute proof to cover myself before reporting it." I so hate the thought of them walking away thinking they had "pulled the wool over my eyes", that I would be willing to pop for the cost on occasions when I am reasonably suspicious or convinced the offense has occurred. (I wonder if � if the plagiarism is clear � we could find a way to make the offender pay the cost?) -- ----------==========>>>>>>>>>> ��� <<<<<<<<<<==========---------- Sometimes you just have to try something, and see what happens. John W. Nichols, M.A. Assistant Professor of Psychology Tulsa Community College 909 S. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK 74119 (918) 595-7134 Home: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols MegaPsych: http://www.tulsa.oklahoma.net/~jnichols/megapsych.html --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
