Tuesday, I spent class time on plagiarism – how bad it is, and how to avoid it. I hate having to do it. But it’s a simple legal thing. When I want to throw the book at some student, I need to satisfy the university I explained it properly to the class. It’s all deeply boring. But it is one legacy of the class of 2012. My ban on laptops in class is another.
The final irony of 2012: one of last year’s students had her original blog post plagiarized by someone else in the ether. I believe she was flattered, and not without reason.
But I will eat for breakfast any students who try to pass off someone else’s work as their own. Why do I even need to say that? But now I have said it. I have said it in my syllabus, in my class, in my emails, and now on my blog. Bases covered guys. Just don’t do it. There is no excuse. It degrades you. You are better than that.
Image from Alamance Community College who apparently borrowed it from etsy.com