Plagiarism is nothing new to college campuses, but as more and more Web sites offer pre-written term papers and book reports, some ISU professors worry that cheating may become even more tempting for students. To combat possible problems, many professors make it clear from the start of their classes that plagiarism will not be tolerated, said Susan Yager, associate professor of English. “I personally have a warning written in my syllabus and talk about it on the first day,” she said. “I do also make sure to define plagiarism for students and tell them to please ask questions if they’re not sure about it.” The ISU Student Handbook defines plagiarism as “unacknowledged use of information, ideas, or phrasing of other writers” and that it is “comparable with theft and fraud.” Students who hand in plagiarized material face harsh consequences, said Grace Weigel, program coordinator for the Dean of Students office. “We follow the university’s academic-dishonesty policy to the letter,” Weigel said. “The university takes that violation very seriously. If a student is found to have plagiarized, action taken can range from judiciary reprimand to conduct probation, suspension or expulsion.” Tom Emmerson, professor of journalism and mass communication, said he sees plagiarism as a prevalent issue. “I can see the problem staring us in the face, and we need to figure out ways to combat it,” he said. “We need to guarantee a level playing field for everyone.” Emmerson said he has not had a problem with plagiarism in his classes, but Yager said she has dealt with it at times. “I have seen it at all levels – freshmen, sophomores, seniors and even grad students,” she said. Web sites that sell pre-written papers have disclaimers warning that the site “does not condone plagiarism” and that “plagiarism is a serious offense,” but threats may not stop some students from trying to pass off those papers as their own. Yager said besides giving a verbal warning about plagiarism, she uses a few other tactics to ensure students do their own work. “I . try to help students not be tempted by requiring them to hand in an outline and thesis statement with their paper,” she said. “I also use a lot of current events, because you can’t find a ready-made paper about something that just happened.” Faculty members can access other Web sites that inform teachers about the plagiarism Web sites such as www.plagiarism.org or www.findsame.com Web sites that sell research papers include:

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