Plagiarism: Students Are Not To Blame Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

Is plagiarism really occurring on college campuses? Should it be considered a serious offense? Do the students who plagiarize know that what they are doing is wrong? These are some of the questions that Edward M. White discusses in his essay â€Å"Student Plagiarism as an Institutional and Social Issue.† Being a professor himself, White sees firsthand the occurrence of cheating on college campuses. He claims that blatant plagiarism â€Å"subverts the very nature of education and reflects some aspects of what is worst in American society† because it is morally wrong (202). The backing for his claim is the fact that plagiarizing is stealing someone else’s words. Thus he warrants that anything morally wrong undermines education and shows the worst side of our society. There are many instances in which it is completely clear that the student is knowingly plagiarizing. There are also instances in which the student may be confused about plagiarism. This essay discusses the fact that student plagiarism is rampant on college campuses, but the blame may not lie entirely with the students. In his essay, White claims that the amount of student plagiarism is shocking, but the teachers need to make sure that students have been taught about citing sources. Many professors automatically assume that students have been taught everything they need to know for the class beforehand. If the students were supposed to learn something in a previous class they may have a good reason not to know it. The teacher may not have gotten through all the material or may have missed something. The student may have been sick and missed a day. Another reason teachers need to be held accountable for a small part in student plagiarism is because many ... ...not wholly be the students’ fault. This may make the readers who think the students are out of control reconsider their beliefs. Some people may not have thought about students who have not been taught any better. They might automatically think the worst of the students. White has valid claims and reasons in his essay. He uses logos, ethos, and pathos well. This essay appeals to colleges and universities all over the United States. Most, if not all, colleges have problems with plagiarism on campus. One thing to be learned from White’s essay is that â€Å"plagiarism is outrageous because it reverses education itself† (207). Colleges and universities need to â€Å"make academic honesty not only the best but the only possible policy† (White 206). Both faculty and students need to work together to rid these institutions of such immoral behavior as plagiarism.