Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles and interviews dealing with the issues and concerns of plagiarism at ETSU.Along with a syllabus, Dr. Thomas A. Holmes, assistant chair of undergraduate English at ETSU, supplied his students with a four-page informational guide on plagiarism when this semester began.
In his guide “Just What Constitutes Plagiarism?” Holmes said, “Usually, students commit plagiarism not because they desire to be dishonest, but because they don’t quote correctly.”
Holmes then “demonstrates how plagiarism can occur.”
He has also listed “10 Reasons Why the Internet is No Substitute for a Library,” which was written by Mark Y. Herring, Winthrop University.
The Internet provides the majority of the material that is stolen.
There are a number of web sites that provide essays for students to purchase. Sometimes plagiarism is as easy as cutting and pasting information from a web site.
Another way plagiarists get material is when someone hires a typist to do their papers for them. The typist could then sell the papers to other people or distribute them through online file sharing programs.
Dr. Mary Hurd, professor of film studies, department of English, ETSU, said, “One student actually lifted a critique by Roger Ebert, from IMDb, and left the links, in red, in the paper, and claimed they wrote it.
“I returned the paper to the student with the lifted parts high-lighted in yellow,” Hurd said, “And the paper was e-mailed back to me with the notation, Happy Holidays, included.”
Hurd said, “I told the student that blatant plagiarism results in an F in this course.”
This is not the first time the university has addressed the issue of plagiarism. Last October Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Dr. Bert C. Bach and Professor Jerry Shuttle made the case for a new system to help prevent plagiarism – Turnitin.com.
As reported then, Bach said that addressing plagiarism is a serious problem, and Turnitin.com is one possible answer.
Bach, addressing the SGA last October, said, “One worry is that students would think that there is a presumption that they are guilty. Non-guilty students had nothing to fear.”
Bach said, “I don’t worry about radar on the highway unless I’m going over the speed limit.”
Two main reasons why people plagiarize are not investing time or care into a class and desperation.
“They feel overwhelmed and crushed for time,” Holmes said. “They feel they have to resort to plagarism, however, they should talk to their professors and explain the situation. I know that here in the English department our professors are accessible and ready to help.”
Holmes would like students to know that plagiarism can “affect their whole college career.” Plagiarizing in an English class results in failure of the assignment and failure of the class.
A report is also sent to the dean of students, where a record is kept of plagiarism reports from all departments. Once a student has two reports of plagiarism against them they are suspended from ETSU.
“It’s amazing how many people would risk their future like that,” Holmes said.

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