Student turns in same paper for two classes - What do you think penalty should be?

[mathmom]

<p>

S was pleased with how his paper turned out, and was happy he “didn’t have to write something on Islamic art”

LOL, I wrote every single one of my papers (there were three) in a Chinese history course I took on Chinese art. Cross pollination is good, but your son didn’t write the same paper for both courses.</p>

[Hunt]

<p>It seems to me that this practice is lazy, maybe, but not intrinsically dishonest. To me, the main purpose of any kind of assignment is to demonstrate mastery of the subject matter of the course, and I think one paper might demonstrate that in two different classes.</p>

<p>I think that any analogy that compares a college paper to any kind of work product done for pay doesn’t work–the paper doesn’t benefit the professor–it’s solely for the benefit of the student. I do find myself persuaded by the arguments that a student who “double dips” isn’t getting the intended benefit of the work, and maybe shouldn’t be given double credit for it. Again, I don’t think it’s intrinsically dishonest, but once it’s forbidden in the honor code, it becomes dishonest to do it.</p>

[MidwestMom2Kids_1]

<p>I was thinking it would be GOOD to revise a paper that you had written in a freshman class for a senior seminar type class; that it would be interesting to see how much more you had learned. </p>

<p>Intersting quotes from ethics codes.</p>

<p>Do any large universities prohibit doing this?</p>

[sybbie719]

<p>I am quite sure that most schools have some sort of policy regarding multiple submissions.
I think it is one of those things that no one thinks about until they/their kid is caught up in this type of situation. I think one of the lessons learned from this thread is that parents and students need to remain cognizant that these policies exist and ignorance of the policy will nto get you off of the hook.</p>

<p>From TAMU:</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>4. Multiple Submissions</p>

<p>Submitting substantial portions of the same work (including oral reports) for credit more than once without authorization from the instructor of the class for which the student submits the work. </p>

<p>Examples: </p>

<p>Submitting the same work for credit in more than one course without the instructor’s permission. </p>

<p>Making revisions in a paper or report (including oral presentations) that has been submitted in one class and submitting it for credit in another class without the instructor’s permission.</p>

<p>Representing group work done in one class as one’s own work for the purpose of using it in another class.</p>

<p>Other similar acts.
[Aggie</a> Honor System Office - Sub Page Template](<a href=“http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu/Student%20Rules/definitions.html]Aggie”>http://aggiehonor.tamu.edu/Student%20Rules/definitions.html)

</p>

<p>WASH U</p>

<p>

Other Forms Of Deceit, Dishonesty, Or Inappropriate Conduct
Under no circumstances is it acceptable for a student to: </p>

<p>Submit the same work, or essentially the same work, for more than one course without explicitly obtaining permission from all instructors. A student must disclose when a paper or project builds on work completed earlier in his/her academic career. </p>

<p>[Compliance</a> & Policies | Washington University in St. Louis](<a href=“http://wustl.edu/policies/undergraduate-academic-integrity.html]Compliance”>Undergraduate Student Academic Integrity Policy - Washington University in St. Louis)

</p>

<p>Mississippi State</p>

<p>

</p>

<ol>
<li>Multiple Submission: The submission of substantial portions of the same work
(including oral reports) for credit more than once without
authorization from the instructor of the class for which the student
submits the work.
<a href=“http://www.honorcode.msstate.edu/pdf/honor-code.pdf[/url]”>http://www.honorcode.msstate.edu/pdf/honor-code.pdf&lt;/a&gt;

</li>
</ol>

<p>Georgia Southwestern State University</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Multiple Submissions</p>

<p>It is a violation of academic honesty to submit substantial portions of the same work for credit more than once without the explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the work is submitted for additional credit. If a work product is to be substantially revised or updated, the student must contact the instructor in advance to discuss necessary revisions. The faculty member may require a copy of the original document for comparison purposes.</p>

<p>[Georgia</a> Southwestern State University](<a href=“http://gsw.edu/academics/bulletin/contents/reg.htm]Georgia”>http://gsw.edu/academics/bulletin/contents/reg.htm)

</p>

[bovertine]

<p>

To use my earlier example, suppose the student is taking American Foreign Policy and The Politics of China. The student chose to write one paper about America’s policy towards China and submit that paper for both classes

</p>

<p>I was thinking about how an instance of this type of thing might come up, and thought a bit more about this example and can sort of see your point.</p>

<p>I think a broader example would be if you were taking a course in Economics, and you were also taking a course in World History. The teacher in Econ asked you to write about any topic you liked from economics, and similarly the teacher from World History asked you to write about any topic from history. So you write a paper on the history of capitalism and submit it to both classes.</p>

<p>I still don’t think it is a major ethical lapse, unless it is proscribed by the ethics code. I think the best idea would be more strictly defined topics.</p>

[alwaysamom]

<p>

Do any large universities prohibit doing this?

</p>

<p>All that I know of. The passage I quoted was from a large university - 50,000+.</p>

[justmytwocents]

<p>I, too, have been fairly surprised by the majority (? plurality?) of responses on this thread about the seeming permissability of this tactic. Thought you all might find some examples of how many (most?) colleges and universities explicitly prohibit this - almost universally unless a student receives explicit approval from the faculty member involved in advance. (note: in cases where the text was particularly long, I truncated it to the relevant section however I did not alter the original material; I also tried to grab a broad selection of schools).</p>

<p>From Harvard ([Harvard</a> Plagiarism Policy Harvard Guide to Using Sources](<a href=“http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page355322]Harvard”>http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k70847&pageid=icb.page355322))

Submission of the Same Work to More Than One Course</p>

<p>It is the expectation of every course that all work submitted for a course or for any other academic purpose will have been done solely for that course or for that purpose. If the same or similar work is to be submitted to any other course or used for any other academic purpose within the College, the prior written permission of the instructor must be obtained. If the same or similar work is to be submitted to more than one course or used for more than one academic purpose within the College during the same term, the prior written permission of all instructors involved must be obtained. A student who submits the same or similar work to more than one course or for more than one academic purpose within the College without such prior permission is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including requirement to withdraw from the College.</p>

<p>Students are urged to consult their Resident Dean or the instructors involved with questions concerning this important matter (see also “Plagiarism and Collaboration” above).

</p>

<p>From Princeton ([Misrepresenting</a> Original Work - Academic Integrity at Princeton University](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/08/misreprestation/]Misrepresenting”>http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/integrity/08/misreprestation/))

Without proper permission, submitting the identical or similar work in more than one course is also a violation of University regulations. Unauthorized multiple submission of academic work is subject to the same penalties as plagiarism. Under certain conditions, a student may receive permission to rewrite earlier work submitted in another course, or to satisfy two requirements by producing a single piece of work (typically more extensive than the work that would have satisfied only one of the assignments). In such cases, the student must secure prior permission, in writing, from each professor if the work is being submitted in two courses during the same semester. If a student is revising or using all or part of an earlier piece of work, the student must receive prior permission, in writing, from the professor and must submit the original assignment along with the new work. In order to avoid any possible misunderstanding, discuss your plans with your professor and get prior permission in writing.

</p>

<p>From MIT ([MIT</a> Academic Integrity - Violations](<a href=“http://web.mit.edu/academicintegrity/violations/examples.html]MIT”>http://web.mit.edu/academicintegrity/violations/examples.html))

Cheating
* using materials not permitted by the instructor during exams, including stored information on electronic devices.
* copying answers from another student on exams or assignments.
* altering graded exams or assignments and submitting them for re-grading.
* submitting the same paper for two classes.

</p>

<p>From Washington University St. Louis ([Compliance</a> & Policies | Washington University in St. Louis](<a href=“http://wustl.edu/policies/undergraduate-academic-integrity.html]Compliance”>Undergraduate Student Academic Integrity Policy - Washington University in St. Louis))

5. Other Forms Of Deceit, Dishonesty, Or Inappropriate Conduct
   Under no circumstances is it acceptable for a student to:
   • Submit the same work, or essentially the same work, for more than one course without explicitly obtaining permission from all instructors. A student must disclose when a paper or project builds on work completed earlier in his/her academic career.

</p>

<p>From Vanderbilt ([The</a> Honor System | Vanderbilt University Student Handbook | Vanderbilt University](<a href=“2023-2024 Student Handbook | Vanderbilt University”>2023-2024 Student Handbook | Vanderbilt University))

Violations of the Honor Code are cause for disciplinary actions imposed by the appropriate honor council.
Possible violations include but are not limited to the following:
*Submission of work prepared for another course without specific prior authorization of the instructors in both courses.

</p>

<p>From the University of Michigan - College of Letters, Sciences, & the Arts ([College</a> of Literature, Science, and the Arts : Students](<a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/bulletin/chapter4/conduct]College”>http://www.lsa.umich.edu/bulletin/chapter4/conduct))

Examples of Academic Misconduct
Academic misconduct includes but is not limited to the following:
Cheating
Cheating is committing fraud and/or deception on a record, report, paper, computer assignment, examination or any other course requirement. Examples of cheating are:
* Submitting substantially the same paper for two or more classes in the same or different terms without the expressed approval of each instructor.

</p>

<p>From Allegheny College ([Allegheny</a> College: Academic Principles](<a href=“http://www.allegheny.edu/academics/principles.php]Allegheny”>http://www.allegheny.edu/academics/principles.php))

4. No work submitted for one course may be submitted also for another course except with the explicit approval of both instructors.

</p>

<p>From Grinnell College ([Honesty</a> in Academic Work - Student Handbook | Grinnell College](<a href=“http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/studentaffairs/shb/academicpolicies/academichonesty]Honesty”>http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/studentaffairs/shb/academicpolicies/academichonesty))

Submitting one paper to satisfy the requirements of two different courses without getting permission from both professors.

</p>

<p>From Pomona College ([Academic</a> Honesty Policy and Procedures - Pomona College](<a href=“http://www.pomona.edu/administration/dean-of-students/student-handbook/disciplinary-policies-procdedures/academic-honesty.aspx]Academic”>http://www.pomona.edu/administration/dean-of-students/student-handbook/disciplinary-policies-procdedures/academic-honesty.aspx))

Students do not represent work completed for one course as original work for another or deliberately disregard course rules and regulations.

</p>

<p>From the University of Oklahoma ([Academic</a> Integrity | Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity](<a href=“Academic Integrity”>Academic Integrity))

SUBMITTING THE SAME ASSIGNMENT FOR DIFFERENT CLASSES. Submitting the same assignment for a second class violates the assumption that every assignment advances a student’s learning and growth. Unless the second instructor expressly allows it, submitting an assignment already submitted for another class is a form of academic misconduct.

</p>

<p>From Appalachian State University ([Academic</a> Integrity - IV. Code Violations - Student Conduct](<a href=“http://studentconduct.appstate.edu/pagesmith/78]Academic”>http://studentconduct.appstate.edu/pagesmith/78))

Academic Integrity - IV. Code Violations
Violations of the Academic Integrity Code will be handled on a case-by-case basis. Faculty should address incidents as possible Academic Integrity Code violations only when, in their professional judgment, such violations were intentional on the part of the student. The following is a list of violations of the Academic Integrity Code. This list is not exhaustive; however, its terms are broad enough to encompass most potential Code violations.
*Multiple Submission without an Instructor’s Consent: Submitting the same work more than once without permission.

</p>

<p>From SUNY - Oneonta (<a href=“Redirect”>http://www.oneonta.edu/development/judicial/code.pdf&lt;/a&gt;)

ARTICLE II: STUDENT CONDUCT CODE
2. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Examples of Academic Dishonesty
The following examples, although not all-inclusive, are intended to help students understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. Other acts should not necessarily be considered as falling outside the scope of this policy because of their absence from this list.
Re-use of Own Work
• Students who wish to submit the same paper or report for two different classes (in the same or different semesters) should consult with their instructors prior to submitting the paper or report as to whether this is acceptable.
• Students repeating a class who wish to submit their own previously written work should first consult with their instructor.

</p>

[MSmom_amp_dad]

<p>I think this is very common at Universities big and small. Rice University policy:

II. Multiple Submission </p>

<p>Multiple submission is the resubmission of any work by a student that has been used in identical or similar form in fulfillment of any academic requirement at this or another institution. Under certain conditions a student may be permitted to rewrite an earlier work or to satisfy two academic requirements by producing a single piece of work, more extensive than that which would satisfy either requirement on its own. In such cases, however, the student must secure prior permission from each instructor involved. If the student has revised an earlier essay, the earlier essay should be submitted with the final version. If a single extended essay has been written for more than one course, the fact must be clearly indicated at the beginning of the essay. Thus, submitting the same work for credit in more than one class, either concurrently or consecutively, without prior permission from the professor shall be considered academic fraud.

University of Florida

“On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.”</p>

<p>(3) VIOLATIONS OF THE STUDENT HONOR CODE.</p>

<p>(a) Plagiarism. A student shall not represent as the student’s own work all or any portion of the work of another. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Quoting oral or written materials including but not limited to those found on the internet, whether published or unpublished, without proper attribution.</p></li>
<li><p>Submitting a document or assignment which in whole or in part is identical or substantially identical to a document or assignment not authored by the student.

</p></li>
</ol>

[bovertine]

<p>^^
Yeah, I think after about 30 examples we get it that universities prohibit this. Whether it is a fatuous policy is another matter, and a matter of opinion.</p>

<p>A lot of those policy statements look incredibly similar in wording. Ironic, isn’t it? (Yeah, I know it’s different)</p>

<p>I stop at a stop sign in the middle of nowhere at 3 AM because it’s the law. I also have an opinion about how much sense it makes.</p>

[swimcatsmom]

<p>

Do any large universities prohibit doing this?

Yes, the quote I posted was from a large public University. I think most universities would have the same policy.</p>

[Iglooo]

<p>Maybe there’s a reason for it to be a law? If you wrote a story for the New Yorker megazine. do you send the same story to the Atlantic and get paid again? Do professors sumit a research paper to another publication for consideration after published somewhere? To submit it again they have to have substantial new findings to add. In this case, I side with students.</p>

[dadx]

<p>Maybe it would be useful to the students on CC if this got put up on the hot topics area at the top of the board. One certainly wonders if you asked the students at most universities whether they would give an answer that reflected knowledge of their school’s policy.</p>

[bovertine]

<p>

If you wrote a story for the New Yorker megazine. do you send the same story to the Atlantic and get paid again?

Uh, yes. Ever heard of syndication? Ever heard of selling the same column or article to multiple newspapers? Ever heard of Reader’s Digest? Ever heard of books which are compilations of articles? It happens all the time in the real world. It’s all just a matter of the policy of the magazine, or journal.</p>

<p>Ever heard of greatest hits albums?</p>

<p>Of course, I understand that in these cases everybody knows these are duplications, and not exclusive original work. Hence, the need for an explicit policy.</p>

[Pizzagirl]

<p>

If you wrote a story for the New Yorker megazine. do you send the same story to the Atlantic and get paid again?

</p>

<p>Uh, yes, you could.
But the bigger point is, the New Yorker and the Atlantic are COMPETITORSwho might decide that they want only exclusive pieces of writing, or explicitly disallow writing that has been published elsewhere first. Since when is Professor A / Class A a “competitor” to Professor B / Class B? That’s the part of the analogy I’m not getting at all.</p>

[intparent]

<p>Hmm, I see my university in the list above. I don’t recall that policy from when I was there (I actually don’t recall reading ANY written policy on this type of thing). But it was thirty years ago now (eek!). So maybe they didn’t have policies for us to even read back then… Hopefully they will not come and take my degree away now :D</p>

[arabrab]

<p>I agree with Bovertine – when so many adults outside academia don’t see it as a particularly pernicious act, it does begin to look like universities having bees in their bonnets. </p>

<p>Interesting that Harvard’s prohibition seems to be only with reuse during the same academic term. </p>

<p>I also find the rule rather ridiculous given the numerous ways many faculty members regurgitate papers with only minor, minor differences to increase their publication listings, and the way senior faculty members often take credit by being listed as authors of papers for which they had little or no involvement in the underlying research or writing.</p>

[mathmom]

<p>

Whether it is a fatuous policy is another matter, and a matter of opinion.

I don’t think it’s a fatuous policy Think of it this way. You get x credits for a course. If you double dip, you are spending less time on the course than others who don’t conveniently have a way to combine paper topics or reuse old ones. You also have an unfair advantage over them. By requiring a longer paper if you are going to submit it to two courses, you ensure that approximately the same amount of effort and learning is going into the course.</p>

[arabrab]

<p>Mathmom – in my experience, course credit rarely matched my level of effort. I got four units for classes I cruised through, and four units for classes that took thirty hours of work a week. Taking a second romance language is hugely easier after taking the first, and ditto with computer programming languages. I don’t think your argument that reusing papers gives some students an unfair advantage holds up. (And don’t most colleges allow students to retake courses they took an AP exam in anyway? Is that fair?)</p>

[annikasorrensen]

<p>So, double-dipping is okay so long as the professor gives permission and you don’t quote too much from your own work. Interesting. I’m sincerely curious what percentage of quotes can be from the first paper before the writer will admit they are, in fact, double dipping with the second paper. 10%? 45%?</p>

<p>This is where talking to both professors keeps everything above board. As I stated in my post, I directly quoted and cited myself - so the borrowed work was in quotations. It was easy for anyone to see the borrowed work was far far far less than even 10%! </p>

<p>Also, recall that many other examples offered in this thread of permissible double-dipping were cases of expanded work. If class A required a 10 page paper and class B required a 10 page paper, and both professors agreed to have the paper thesis overlap, the end result would be a 20 page paper. </p>

<p>I’ve never double dipped but also was never aware there was a rule against it. It strikes me as very much a “only in academia” type of thing. I believe that students are responsible for what they will take from classes. If a working mother wants to submit the same paper to two classes to save time, I think she should be able too as it is all her work. Yes, she’ll miss out on what she would have learned writing two papers but it’s purely her loss. I’m not seeing the harm to anyone else.</p>

<p>Are you saying that “working mothers” are a special case? How about busy students who go to work fulltime? A busy father? A senior citizen student? Someone with a learning disability? Basically if working moms get a free pass, every student should get a free pass. However, with that said, I think the policy against double-dipping is sound. Not every student can go to school full time, and if it takes longer because of life situations, so be it.</p>

<p>If one looks at college as a means to an end – a diploma as a ticket/gateway to get a better job (leg up on the resume), then the attitude of efficiency takes over. For that matter, a college could create a degree program that probably takes 1/2 the time and still boils the essence of a “college” degree into the diploma. Not that I’d be interested in it, just saying. </p>

<p>If one looks at college as a liberal education of a certain level of breadth and depth, then the double-dipping policy makes sense, even if it is extra work for the student in the long run.</p>

<p>I’m of the latter school.</p>

[Hunt]

<p>

But it was thirty years ago now (eek!). So maybe they didn’t have policies for us to even read back then… Hopefully they will not come and take my degree away now

I don’t remember this from thirty years ago, either…maybe I can find the stone tablets the rules were chiseled on.</p>