The George Mason University WAC Program Newsletter (Fall 2009)
| Past Issues |
One of the central concerns about teaching with writing that faculty across the disciplines express is how to deal with plagiarism.
The focus of this issue is on helping students avoid plagiarism and steps to take when they plagiarize in spite of our best efforts. ---Terry Zawacki
Writing Center Highlights! Meet new Writing Center director Anna Sophia Habib So far this year, the Writing Center:
The Writing Center is staffed by over 25 graduate and undergraduate peer tutors, who provide tutoring four days a week from 9:30 - 7:30, Fridays from 9:30 - 2:30, and, starting at mid-semester, Sundays from 11:30 - 4:30. In Fall 2009, these students were selected to participate in the experiential course CHSS 390: Peer Tutoring in the Disciplines:
And these former peer tutors were chosen as writing fellows:
Teaching with Writing Across the Curriculum |
Why Students May Be Confused about Plagiarism and How to Help Them Avoid It See the pullout page inside for questions you might ask to decide whether students are deliberately plagiarizing or just don’t quite understand the rules. You’ll also find advice on ways to reduce the opportunities and the temptation for students not to do their own work. (Click on title for full article.) |
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Upholding Academic Integrity: The Writing Center Helps Educate Honor Code Violators “Students who plagiarize will often receive a sanction of working with the Writing Center to better understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to cite appropriately. The goal of the Office of Academic Integrity is to educate students so that they don’t violate a second time,” according to director Donna Fox. (Click on title for full article.) |
And also in this issue... Noted Second-Language (L2) Writing Scholar Paul Matsuda Speaks at Mason |
| Cyber-Plagiarism and the Copyright Connection
by Claudia Holland, Head, Copyright Office Continued, rampant plagiarism of intellectual property via the Web (also called cyber-plagiarism) may result in an array of unintended societal consequences, in addition to the immediate and long-term personal ramifications defined by one’s school, employer, or professional associates. Giving credit where credit is due will diminish the impact of plagiarism and foster a climate of balance between creators and consumers. (Click on title for full article.) |
Peer Tutors and Writing Fellow Alums Report Professional and Personal Benefits Undergraduates who had taken the one-credit experiential CHSS 390: Peer Tutoring in the Disciplines course within the past 10 years were sent a survey asking them about what communication and community skills—academic and interpersonal—they felt they had acquired through the experience and how they were applying these skills in their lives after college. All of the respondents gave glowing reviews, with several saying the experience played a role in their being awarded prestigious graduate fellowships and entry-level jobs requiring strong communication skills. (Click on title for full article.) |
See past issues of Teaching with Writing Across the Curriculum |