Plagiarism after graduation: Consequences not adequate

Plagiarism is one of the hottest issues facing the academic community. Almost every syllabus and every university’s code of conduct contain stipulations regarding plagiarism and the punishment for plagiarizing.

The consequences can range from failing a paper or exam to expulsion from school. However, it seems only students receive harsh punishment for this dubious deed. After leaving a university, a writer faces few consequences for passing off another's work as his own.

Recently, accomplished historian Stephen Ambrose's writing has come under the scrutiny of the plagiarism police.

In his most recent work, “The Wild Blue,” Ambrose has been accused of copying sentences and passages almost verbatim from another work on World War II aviators by historian Thomas Childers. The irony of the situation is that Childers himself discovered the error while reading “The Wild Blue.”

After the first accusation, passages in at least four other Ambrose books were found to have been lifted from previous works by other authors. So, obviously this wasn’t just a one-time mistake for Ambrose.

Ambrose asserts that he footnoted all of his sources but in the heat of the moment he may have forgotten to use quotation marks. Unfortunately for him, this excuse tends to wear thin after several instances of the same error.

Strangely, the passages that Ambrose plagiarized aren’t mere statements of fact, but elegantly written bits of prose that describe small events and feelings.

It seems they were lifted more for their stylistic merit than for their fact-based foundation.

The biggest problem with this whole affair is the total lack of punishment that Ambrose is facing. Aside from losing face and a promise to fix the passages in new additions, Ambrose will see very little consequence for his actions.

Plagiarism of this magnitude at most universities could result in outcomes of varying degrees.

An instructor could give an oral reprimand, fail the student for the assignment or class or, in the worst case, the instructor could refer the student to an Office of Judicial Affairs for review.

Judicial Affairs could then clear the student or punish him with probation, suspension or expulsion.

A student accused of plagiarism is afforded the right to have his or her case reviewed by the Academic Integrity Council who will determine the degree of the infraction and help decide what sort of action is necessary.

The idea is that plagiarism at the university level is viewed as a much more serious affair then it is in the real world.

Ambrose may have lost some face but he is so well respected that his career will hardly be tarnished. In fact, few people will even pay notice to his mistakes. Someone who plagiarizes at an earlier stage may have his or her academic career ruined.

Plagiarism should be taken much more seriously outside of academics. If plagiarism on Ambrose’s level could be taken so lightly then it may help tarnish the academic freedom that is held dear by all.

Greg Smith is an editorialist for the Daily Forty-Niner at California State University-Long Beach. This column was distributed by U-Wire.

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