At the University of Virginia, there’s a saying that students soon commit to memory: “On my honor as a student, I
have neither given nor received aid on this assignment/exam.”
Students write this on every test in every class during their college career, pledging as their predecessors have
since 1842 never to lie, cheat or steal. It’s a tradition that’s made Thomas Jefferson’s school a richer academic
environment, students say, as well as an easier place to find lost wallets.
But even here, where honor is so well defined and policed by an elite student committee, plagiarism has become a
problem.
Since last spring, 157 students have been investigated by their peers in the largest cheating scandal in memory.
Thirty-nine of those accused of violating the school’s honor code have either dropped out or been expelled—the
only penalty available for such a crime.
Some students who had already graduated lost their diplomas.
“It’s not like we’re saying we hate you, it’s just that we have standards here,” said 22-year-old Cara Coolbaugh, one
of the students on U.Va.’s Honor Committee who has spent countless hours this year determining the fate of her
peers.
The scandal began in a popular introductory physics class designed for non-majors. The course, which explores
pragmatic topics such as why the sky is blue and how light bulbs work, usually attracts 300 to 500 students per
semester—too many to watch closely. Instructor Lou Bloomfield said he started to worry about plagiarism after a
student confided that some of her friends had copied papers from a file at their sorority. To find out for sure,
Bloomfield spent an afternoon programming a computer to spot repeated phrases.
He fed in computer files of 1,500 term papers from four semesters of classes, and matches started popping up.
“I was disappointed,” Bloomfield said. “But I wasn’t so surprised—I have a large class.”
A few of his students had simply copied from earlier work. Others had lifted at least a third of their papers from
someone else.
The Honor Committee, whose 21 members were elected just before the plagiarism scandal hit, was overwhelmed.
Most professors usually have a few people they’d like to investigate. Bloomfield handed over a list of more
than 100.
Philip Altbach, a higher education scholar at Boston College, said he isn’t surprised. “Plagiarism is more common
now,” he said. “It’s just easier to do.”
The Internet provides an inexhaustible source of information, and it’s tempting to simply insert phrases directly into
reports, Altbach said.
Currency
1. When was the information created?
2. How old is too old?
3. Does the currency of the information matter?
Relevance
1. Is the information related to the prompt?
2. Does the information support your stance?
3. Who is this written for?
Currency:
1. The information in the given text was created sometime before the current time. The exact date is not mentioned in the text.
2. The age of information depends on the context and subject matter. In general, information that is outdated or no longer accurate may be considered too old.
3. The currency of information matters because newer information is more likely to be accurate and relevant, especially in rapidly evolving fields or when discussing current events.
Relevance:
1. The information in the text is related to the prompt as it discusses a cheating scandal involving plagiarism at the University of Virginia.
2. The information provided does not take a stance but rather presents facts about the cheating scandal at the university.
3. The text is written for a general audience, providing information about the plagiarism scandal and its impact on students at the University of Virginia.
Currency:
1. When was the information created?
The information provided in the passage does not explicitly state when it was created. However, it does refer to events that occurred in the spring and current academic year, indicating that the information is relatively current.
2. How old is too old?
The passage does not provide a specific timeframe for when information is considered "too old." However, in general, the relevance of information can decrease over time, especially in fast-changing fields or when discussing current events. It is important to consider the context in which the information is being used and whether more recent sources might provide more up-to-date and accurate information.
3. Does the currency of the information matter?
Yes, the currency of the information can matter depending on the topic being discussed. For instance, when discussing current events or recent developments, it is important to have the most up-to-date information. On the other hand, for historical or timeless topics, the currency of the information may be less crucial.
Relevance:
1. Is the information related to the prompt?
Yes, the information provided in the passage is related to the prompt, as it discusses students' commitment to an honor code at the University of Virginia and the problem of plagiarism.
2. Does the information support your stance?
The information provided in the passage does not align with any specific stance or argument. It simply describes the occurrence of a plagiarism scandal at the University of Virginia.
3. Who is this written for?
The passage seems to be written for a general audience, including students, faculty, and anyone interested in understanding the issue of plagiarism at the University of Virginia.