Dishonesty and Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty in writing. When a student uses another writer's words and/or ideas and presents it as his/her own, he/she is plagiarizing. The faculty and staff at Berkshire Community College consider plagiarism a serious offense and encourage students to produce their best work, using their own ideas and language. When a student does use another writer's ideas and wording to support his/her own writing, he/she must give that writer credit.

If a situation arises in which an instructor suspects a student of plagiarizing and the problem cannot be resolved between the instructor and the student, then the instructor may refer the case to the Vice President for Academic Affairs who would then follow Due Process Guidelines to resolve the problem. If the student feels unjustly charged with plagiarism, he/she could use the grievance process in this policy guide as a means of resolving the problem.