When a student delivers a speech or turns in a paper, the student is claiming the speech or paper is an original and independent work, expressing one's ideas in one's own language, except where otherwise indicated by quotation marks and references. A student using the words or ideas of someone else in a paper or speech is expected to provide appropriate references. A student who fails to give credit in the form of footnotes or references is falsely representing someone else's words or ideas as their own.
False representation is plagiarism.
Plagiarism is avoided by acknowledging the source by quotation marks if a word-for word citation, and an appropriate references in all occasions. The Department of Speech Communication does not tolerate plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is one of the most serious infractions a student may commit in a Speech Communication class. Course instructors have the responsibility of judging whether a student has committed an act of plagiarism and what punitive action should be taken. Instructors are encouraged to ask the student for an explanation of how the paper or speech was prepared and to provide such materials as sources and notes which form the basis for the paper or speech.