I give paper assignments, when I do, NOT to test mastery of a subject, but because my students desperately need writing practice to become better writers. It is the PROCESS of writing that is really important to me--and submitting a used paper doesn't give them another opportunity to go through that process. But, because I've had the experience of students not understanding that, I put that on my syllabus so there is no misunderstanding. 
Elaine D. Ingulli
Professor of Business Law,
Richard Stockton College of NJ
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From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kunkel, Richard G. [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, April 15, 2010 3:31 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Quick question

Hi All,

Our academic dishonesty policy at St. Thomas has no express prohibition on the practice.  I have had students approach me on this question a few times - whether they can submit a paper from prior class or a paper on the same topic as from another class.  I caution against it, because usually the objectives of my assignment may be quite different from the objectives of the previous course.   I tell them that they can choose to write on the same or similar topic, but they likely will need to adjust the paper significantly to be a strong paper for my assignment, and they might do just as well starting over with a new topic well suited to my assignment.  Sometimes they seek maximum efficiency by submitting the old paper with few adjustments - and they suffer a poor grade as a result.

Rick Kunkel


On 4/15/10 2:17 PM, "Rollie Cole" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I just hope that such permission is given in situations where it makes sense; recycling previous material is an extremely important skill in the real world, especially in cases where one is learning standard material, rather than conducting original research.

Rollie Cole

On Thu, Apr 15, 2010 at 3:10 PM, Sally Gunz <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Thanks for all your advice -- much appreciated and an interesting discussion. I just received the following email from the instructor:"It turns out that the Academic Integrity Workshop that the students must attend includes the following on the list of offences: "Submitting a piece of work which includes major sections from previous work, without the permission of all instructors involved."

Interesting how we provide so much instruction, so many guidelines etc, that most of us haven't a clue ultimately what has and has not been taught. But the scatter shot approach clearly works -- there may well be something there for all situations.


Sally
Virginia G Maurer wrote:
I'd treat it as an uncompleted assignment and ask them to write a paper, not turn in one they've already submitted for credit elsewhere. The point o f writing papers is to learn something, not to satisfy some professor's personal need for papers.

________________________________

From: Academy of Legal Studies in Business (ALSB) Talk on behalf of Sally Gunz
Sent: Thu 4/15/2010 11:32 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Quick question



Quick question for a colleague:

A student is doing a research paper. Turnitin shows a huge overlap with
another paper -- that student's own other paper with no citation to that
paper.

 From your perspectives, what, if any, academic offences have been
committed? Further, is it of any relevance that the students were not
specifically told that they could not submit something that has already
been accepted for academic credit elsewhere? Please note, masters level
student.

Sally