It’s important to talk to your students about plagiarism. I know it sounds strange, but, because they haven’t been taught how to quote correctly, many students don’t know exactly what plagiarism is or how (or even why) to avoid it. Some students are so afraid they’ll be accused of plagiarism that they’re terrified to write. And the advent of Chat GPT has made things even more complicated!

First of all, we suggest you look at the resources on plagiarism (including this quiz) and Chat GPT on the Composition Skills Site. It’s also worth talking to your class as a whole about why they might plagiarize or use Chat GPT. What do they achieve– or what are they trying to avoid? How are they afraid they might “accidentally” plagiarize?

Sometimes students do accidentally use a sentence or an idea from another work without proper citation. This needs to be discussed and fixed, but it is not academically dishonest.

Catching and Reporting Plagiarism

Sometimes, a student plagiarizes in a way that’s so egregious you know there was no mistake. Please be certain that plagiarism has occurred before you make the allegation. Note that black and Asian students are falsely accused of plagiarism twice as frequently as other students. Also note that GPT detectors are not 100% accurate, though GPTZero appears to be the best of the bunch. You’ll have to do a bit of detection. If a student’s work bears little resemblance to their previous writing AND it is flagged by a plagiarism or GPT detector, you likely have a case of plagiarism on your hands.

When you are certain that academic dishonesty has occurred, you are obligated to report the violation. The steps are as follows:

• STEP 1: Determine what, if any, academic sanction (typically a grade penalty) to impose on the student. Discuss with the student. If the student cannot be reached (e.g., school is no longer in session, or the student is absent from class), email the student informing them that you are obligated to report the violation to the Academic Integrity Officer (AIO).
• STEP 2: Complete a Faculty Action Report (FAR) Form and submit to the Academic Integrity Officer (AIO) Professor Kyle Cuordileone, Social Science Department. Email the FAR form and any relevant documentation to KCuordileone@citytech.cuny.edu
• The student will then receive an official letter from the AIO indicating that a violation has been submitted and recorded, along with a copy of the FAR form and a statement of the student’s right to appeal.
• OUTCOME: If the student does not appeal the charge to the AIO, a record of the violation record will remain in the student’s file until the student graduates. Please note: the vast majority of students do not appeal their violations.
• If the student appeals the violation, the AIO shall consider the merits of the appeal, and forward it to the Academic Integrity Committee (AIC) if it warrants a hearing. The AIC will schedule a hearing to assess whether the student has in fact violated CUNY and City Tech Academic Integrity Policy. By majority vote, the AIC will either uphold or overturn the violation and any sanction attached to it. After the AIC has issued a ruling, the matter is final within the College.
• Note: Whether or not the student appeals the AI violation, and regardless of the outcome of an AIC hearing, no indication of a single (first) academic integrity violation appears on the student’s permanent record or transcripts. However, if the student accrues further academic integrity violations while attending City Tech or any other CUNY college, they may be subject to more serious disciplinary action by the college according the City Tech and CUNY By-laws. Moreover, if the violation is particularly egregious (e.g. a repeat offense, or student steals an exam out of a professor’s bag), the AIO may forward the case to the Faculty/ Student Disciplinary Committee for possible disciplinary action (e.g. suspension).