Leadership

Question #1
Did Phil commit plagiarism? If so, what did he do wrong, and how could he have prevented this problem?

Yes, Phil did commit plagiarism even though it was unintentional. Taking credit for another’s work whether it was unintentional or not is still defined as plagiarism. Phil was under a lot of stress- something that is familiar to one who pursues an advanced degree while working a full-time job and also has family; however one should still uphold the most integrity when turning in their work. In his research, Phil used direct quotes and paraphrased ideas from previous written articles without properly giving the author his/her credit by citing them, showcasing their ideas as if it were his. Phil used information from seven different Internet sites; however in his reference page he only included four. Phil could have prevented this problem by citing his sources giving credit to the authors who ideas he used.

Question #4
What are Professor’ Wemmick’s responsibilities? To whom is she responsible? What rules and guidelines should she follow?

Professor’ Wemmick responsibilities are to not only uphold the standards of the University of Maryland, University College, but to uphold the standards of its prestigious MBA program. By allowing Phil’s plagiarized paper slip through the cracks without being reported to the Dean could create a snowball effect that would have other students turning in plagiarized papers. Having other students turn in plagiarized papers could tarnish the schools MBA program and the accreditation that the University of Maryland, University College holds. Professor Wemmick’s is responsible for upholding and disciplining the rules and guidelines for plagiarized papers. The University of Maryland, like many other great institutions enforces the “no tolerance” for academic dishonesty policy that reports all paper to proper officials.

Question #7
What should Professor Wemmick do? What would you do if you were in her shoes?

Professor Wemmick should follow the schools policy on plagiarism and report Phil’s paper to the Dean. If I were in Professor Wemmick shoes I would turn Phil’s paper into the dean as well. However I would also advise him that he should submit another paper that is properly cited and contains his own work. I would also advise Phil to review the schools policy on plagiarism to.

Question #10
If you find any interesting plagiarism story please discuss it here.
On June 3, 2010 in the Hamilton Southeastern school district, two -dozen seniors were caught cheating by turning in plagiarized papers prior to graduating. The website turn-it-in.com exposed many of the seniors who were caught cheating by deciphering their paper. However, a school administrator offered the cheating students an accelerated online version of the course to be taken by the cheating students that would serve as credit that was lost due to them cheating allowing them to graduate.
The link below provides you with a detailed description on the case:
http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/local/hamilton_county/plagiarism-case-threatens-graduation