New policies and resources dedicated to academic honesty and preventing plagiarism are available for Kent State University faculty and students at the academic resources page on the university’s website.

“A dedicated committee worked hard to revise our policy and to develop the cheating and plagiarism information on the website,” says Todd Diacon, Ph.D., senior vice president for academic affairs and provost.

The website contains other informational tips and tools for both students and faculty on what to do if they are facing plagiarism questions. Other tools on the website include plagiarism policies for teachers to follow.

All students are also encouraged to sign the Honors Pledge, a symbolic gesture showing that he or she will not commit academic dishonesty.

There is also a new Plagiarism School, designed to help students who plagiarize by mistake, rather than with intent. If an instructor determines an act of plagiarism was more than the results of poor preparation for college or inadequate writing skills – and not the result of out-right academic dishonesty – he or she can ask a student accused of plagiarism to attend Plagiarism School, which includes a one-on-one session that lasts about 45 minutes.

“Faculty members have the responsibility to report all cases of student plagiarism,” Diacon says. “The Office of Student Conduct will maintain a database that includes students who have been found in violation of the policy and will facilitate Academic Hearing Panels, when necessary.”

If students feel they have been wrongly sanctioned, they have the option of going to the Academic Hearing Panel. Here, students can appeal the sanction and try to get it dropped.

The new policy requirement for reporting acts of plagiarism, and the option of Plagiarism School for first-time offenders, is effective immediately.

Visit www.kent.edu/academics/resources/plagiarism for more academic resource and information on the new plagiarism tools.