Plagiarism Resources - Swarthmore College

Questions about CJC (Colleg Judicial Committee) Procedures

1. I'm busy -- can't I just ignore plagiarism?
Donald McCabe (Rutgers University), the leading researcher on plagiarism in the world, estimates that 1/3 of faculty choose to ignore plagiarism when they find it. For entertaining details on which types of faculty are more inclined to ignore plagiarism, see Jendrik1989.pdf and Pincus2003.pdf. Ignoring plagiarism seems to encourage more plagiarism, so please, please, please: report students to the CJC.

2. Can't I just deal with the plagiarizer myself?
No. In 2001, the Faculty formallly agreed that ALL instances of plagiarism must be reported to the CJC. Here are the reasons:

(a) Students may not always get a "fair trial" by their professor, so airing views and opinions to an impartial group (2 students, 2 faculty, plus Dean Jim Larrimore and Assistant Dean of Student Life) is much better.

(b) When faculty systematically deal with plagiarism themselves, serial plagiarizers never receive the needed "ramping up" of sanctions, such as suspension and expulsion.

(c) Sanctions (suspensions, failure, etc.) should be consistently applied across the campus for similar types of dishonesty. Having different sanctions for different departments sends a confusing message to students, and probably encourages serial plagiarism.

(d) Academic integrity is a "socialized" behavior, and only when students see (from published CJC verdicts) a uniform policy will the campus become less condoning of dishonest behavior.

Despite the rules, some faculty still prefer to "protect" certain students, fearing that a CJC conviction would permanently damage the student's self-worth and potential for academic success. If you are concerned about the student's development and success, a trip to the CJC might be the better route than simply failing him/her "in private." Speak to a Dean and your Chair if you need guidance.

3. Can't I just keep their names on file in case they plagiarize again?
The student probably won't plagiarize in your courses again, but you have done little to shape their actions in other courses. Unless the deans have your list of "double secret probation" students the strategy is completely ineffective and misguided.

4. What if the student has only plagiarized a single phrase?
It's still plagiarism. The CJC always takes into consideration the amount of plagiarism as well as perceived intent.

5. What if the student claims the plagiarism is "unintentional"?
Almost all plagiarizers will claim this, with varying degrees of sincerity. Davidson College got so sick of this excuse that they changed their verbiage to, "As a Davidson student, you are expected to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it in your writing. Claiming ignorance or lack of intention is not an acceptable excuse." It's like speeding. For a good discussion of "inadvertent" plagiarism, see Slate's discussion. Swarthmore policy: all plagiarism should be considered a violation of academic honesty"whether these violations are intentional or unintentional."

6. What is the CJC process?
Roughly, it is as follows:

(a) Meet with your department Chair and tell him/her that you have found a possible case of plagiarism and that your are forward the case to the Dean's office for initial screening.

(b) Meet with the student to discuss your concerns, and inform them of the process (below). Be forwarned: they will most likely deny your accusation and also ask whether they can rewrite the assignment.

(c) Ask Myrt Westphal what types of documentation should be prepared (e.g., syllabi from course, essay instructions, student's paper, rough drafts, e-mails, timelines of major events, etc.). Providing Myrt Westphal with carefully "marked up" documents is very useful to indicate exactly which phrases or sentences are plagiarized. Include the source material, too, with corresponding markings. Your packet must be able to convince the faculty members of the CJC that there are sufficient grounds for the case to be formally heard by the CJC.

(d) At the hearing, the "rules of operation" of the CJC will be explained by Deans Jim Larrimore and Myrt Westphal. The accuser will have an opportunity to explain the case: how the plagiarism was detected, what the assignment guidelines were, etc. And the accused will have an opportunity to provide additional details or comments about intent. After the presentations are made, the committee is free to ask questions of both the faculty member and the student. The accuser and accused are then excused, and the committee deliberates the guilt and any sanctions that would accompany the guilt.

(e) The CJC will communicate a recommended sanction to the faculty accuser. The exception to this is for the sanction of suspension (for egregious dishonesty or for repeated plagiarism).

(f) Appeals can be brought to the attention of both the president and the provost of the College. If an appeal is granted, a new CJC is appointed.

Sanctions for plagiarizers (Swarthmore College)
"It is the opinion of the faculty that for an intentional first offense, failure in the course normally is appropriate. Suspension for a semester or deprivation of the degree in that year may also be appropriate when warranted by the seriousness of the offense . . . For a second offense, the penalty normally should be expulsion." From the Student Handbook.

Can a CJC sanction affect a student's career options?
Sure! Dean's are required, in some instances, to answer the common question (from medical and law schools), "Has the student ever been convicted of violating conduct rules?"

What are the current guidelines on student conduct?
See PDF (pages 50-51 from the Swarthmore College Bulletin 2003-2004) or web site. Do not assume that your students have read this verbiage or even know where to find it. Note to faculty: unlike other institutions, Swarthmore students are not required to sign a "I understand and accept these responsibilities . . ." form, and thus most students will have not read this verbiage.

Where can I view recent rulings of the CJC?
In the hallway of Parrish. Sometimes they are published in the Phoenix, but editors lately haven't seen this information as especially newsworthy. Here are some of the past Parrish postings, to give you a flavor for how they are worded:

30March04.pdf
CJC_March2004.pdf
Jan2003CJC.pdf
Nov2003CJC.pdf
Sept2003CJC.pdf

Note that these rulings never mention the name of the student.

How many plagiarism cases does the CJC hear?
Surprisingly few: CJCcases.pdf



Home Types of Plagiarism Why It's a Problem Avoidance Tips Deterrence Tips Detection Tips Syllabus Verbiage CJC Procedures Articles and Links News Campus Initiatives Contact Information	Questions about CJC (Colleg Judicial Committee) Procedures 1. I'm busy -- can't I just ignore plagiarism? Donald McCabe (Rutgers University), the leading researcher on plagiarism in the world, estimates that 1/3 of faculty choose to ignore plagiarism when they find it. For entertaining details on which types of faculty are more inclined to ignore plagiarism, see Jendrik1989.pdf and Pincus2003.pdf. Ignoring plagiarism seems to encourage more plagiarism, so please, please, please: report students to the CJC. 2. Can't I just deal with the plagiarizer myself? No. In 2001, the Faculty formallly agreed that ALL instances of plagiarism must be reported to the CJC. Here are the reasons: (a) Students may not always get a "fair trial" by their professor, so airing views and opinions to an impartial group (2 students, 2 faculty, plus Dean Jim Larrimore and Assistant Dean of Student Life) is much better. (b) When faculty systematically deal with plagiarism themselves, serial plagiarizers never receive the needed "ramping up" of sanctions, such as suspension and expulsion. (c) Sanctions (suspensions, failure, etc.) should be consistently applied across the campus for similar types of dishonesty. Having different sanctions for different departments sends a confusing message to students, and probably encourages serial plagiarism. (d) Academic integrity is a "socialized" behavior, and only when students see (from published CJC verdicts) a uniform policy will the campus become less condoning of dishonest behavior. Despite the rules, some faculty still prefer to "protect" certain students, fearing that a CJC conviction would permanently damage the student's self-worth and potential for academic success. If you are concerned about the student's development and success, a trip to the CJC might be the better route than simply failing him/her "in private." Speak to a Dean and your Chair if you need guidance. 3. Can't I just keep their names on file in case they plagiarize again? The student probably won't plagiarize in your courses again, but you have done little to shape their actions in other courses. Unless the deans have your list of "double secret probation" students the strategy is completely ineffective and misguided. 4. What if the student has only plagiarized a single phrase? It's still plagiarism. The CJC always takes into consideration the amount of plagiarism as well as perceived intent. 5. What if the student claims the plagiarism is "unintentional"? Almost all plagiarizers will claim this, with varying degrees of sincerity. Davidson College got so sick of this excuse that they changed their verbiage to, "As a Davidson student, you are expected to know what plagiarism is and how to avoid it in your writing. Claiming ignorance or lack of intention is not an acceptable excuse." It's like speeding. For a good discussion of "inadvertent" plagiarism, see Slate's discussion. Swarthmore policy: all plagiarism should be considered a violation of academic honesty"whether these violations are intentional or unintentional." 6. What is the CJC process? Roughly, it is as follows: (a) Meet with your department Chair and tell him/her that you have found a possible case of plagiarism and that your are forward the case to the Dean's office for initial screening. (b) Meet with the student to discuss your concerns, and inform them of the process (below). Be forwarned: they will most likely deny your accusation and also ask whether they can rewrite the assignment. (c) Ask Myrt Westphal what types of documentation should be prepared (e.g., syllabi from course, essay instructions, student's paper, rough drafts, e-mails, timelines of major events, etc.). Providing Myrt Westphal with carefully "marked up" documents is very useful to indicate exactly which phrases or sentences are plagiarized. Include the source material, too, with corresponding markings. Your packet must be able to convince the faculty members of the CJC that there are sufficient grounds for the case to be formally heard by the CJC. (d) At the hearing, the "rules of operation" of the CJC will be explained by Deans Jim Larrimore and Myrt Westphal. The accuser will have an opportunity to explain the case: how the plagiarism was detected, what the assignment guidelines were, etc. And the accused will have an opportunity to provide additional details or comments about intent. After the presentations are made, the committee is free to ask questions of both the faculty member and the student. The accuser and accused are then excused, and the committee deliberates the guilt and any sanctions that would accompany the guilt. (e) The CJC will communicate a recommended sanction to the faculty accuser. The exception to this is for the sanction of suspension (for egregious dishonesty or for repeated plagiarism). (f) Appeals can be brought to the attention of both the president and the provost of the College. If an appeal is granted, a new CJC is appointed. Sanctions for plagiarizers (Swarthmore College) "It is the opinion of the faculty that for an intentional first offense, failure in the course normally is appropriate. Suspension for a semester or deprivation of the degree in that year may also be appropriate when warranted by the seriousness of the offense . . . For a second offense, the penalty normally should be expulsion." From the Student Handbook. Can a CJC sanction affect a student's career options? Sure! Dean's are required, in some instances, to answer the common question (from medical and law schools), "Has the student ever been convicted of violating conduct rules?" What are the current guidelines on student conduct? See PDF (pages 50-51 from the Swarthmore College Bulletin 2003-2004) or web site. Do not assume that your students have read this verbiage or even know where to find it. Note to faculty: unlike other institutions, Swarthmore students are not required to sign a "I understand and accept these responsibilities . . ." form, and thus most students will have not read this verbiage. Where can I view recent rulings of the CJC? In the hallway of Parrish. Sometimes they are published in the Phoenix, but editors lately haven't seen this information as especially newsworthy. Here are some of the past Parrish postings, to give you a flavor for how they are worded: 30March04.pdf CJC_March2004.pdf Jan2003CJC.pdf Nov2003CJC.pdf Sept2003CJC.pdf Note that these rulings never mention the name of the student. How many plagiarism cases does the CJC hear? Surprisingly few: CJCcases.pdf Copyright © 2004 Swarthmore College. All rights reserved.