Policies and Procedures: Plagiarism | LSU University Writing Program

 

Policies and Procedures: Plagiarism

LSU's Procedure for Suspected Plagiarism

 

If a student turns in an essay or other assignment that you determine may have been plagiarized, the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability (SAA) requests that you follow this procedure:

 

 

  • Make a copy of the essay or assignment that was turned in by the student. If you are scheduled to return papers, you should give the student an incomplete, and indicate to the student that the work has been turned over to SAA for further review

 

  • Go to the SAA website at: http://saa.lsu.edu/ and under the Faculty tab go to Report an Incident (you will have to login with your PAWS ID)

 

  • Fill out the online form, and include all requested documentation.

 

    • It may be easier to scan the student’s paper and email it to yourself as a pdf which you can then attach to the online report form, otherwise you need to make a copy and send it over to the SAA office in room 340 of the Student Un

 

    • The online form requires the following information:

 

      •  A written summary or explanation of the alleged violation.  Please include your desired grade impact.  For example, no credit for the assignment or no credit for the class.

 

      •  A copy of the course syllabus

 

      • A copy of the assignment directions

 

      • A copy of the assignment in question.  If the assignment is a paper, please mark the areas of concern and provide a copy of the suspected source.

 

 

For undergraduate students, the outcome will range from failing the assignment to failing the class. The outcome is determined by SAA, therefore, you should not discuss the incident with the student beyond indicating that you have turned the work in question over to SAA.

 

 

As the reporting party, you can have a role in the hearing proceeding.  An SAA official will make a preliminary decision during the Administrative Hearing.  Students have the option to accept this decision or take the issue before the University Hearing Panel.  If a panel is convened, you will be called to serve as a material observer.  The panel members and the charged student would then have the opportunity to ask you questions about the alleged misconduct.  This occurs during the hearing itself.

 

 

A reporting faculty member will be informed of the case outcome via e-mail.  This will be issued following a University Hearing Panel or after a student accepts an Administrative Hearing Outcome, issued by an SAA official.

 

 

If you have questions/concerns about this policy, don’t hesitate to ask Christy Foreman.

 

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