Plagiarism involves the usage of a ``paraphrase or direct quotations of the published or unpublished work of another person'' without their knowledge. In addition to this, plagiarism occurs when an ``unacknowledged use of materials'' put together by someone else is used, and when ``another person or agency'' sells and passes out papers or other such ``academic materials.''

Plagarism in particular is becoming a large issue, due partially to the advent of the internet. According to History Professor James Bratt, professors are becoming more aware of students improperly using internet sources.

``We're very conscious in the History department of term-paper sources on the web, and have learned about `policing' web sites that will scan suspect phrases for us to locate possible web sources that students might have used,'' he said, showing that professors, contrary to what some students may think, are not clueless when it comes to academic dishonesty.

Professors know what is going on, and they have developed ways to combat and guard against it.

Philosophy Professor Lambert Zuidervaart consults students individually for papers to aid them in determining a topic, and to suggest possible sources, thus giving students direction.

Holberg also stresses the importance of ``writ[ing] assignments that necessitate a particular, rather than a generic, approach from students as well as ones that are personalized to the specific class.''

According to junior Emily Greenen, there is awareness among Calvin students of cheating and plagiarism problems on campus. In her experience, there ``is very little blatant cheating.''

Similarly, other Calvin students indicated that writing answers on easily consultable body parts prior to tests or stealing exams out of professors' offices rarely happens.

However, according to Greenen, students do hear about answers on tests by word of mouth, which is cheating according to Calvin's policy.

``A lot of times people who take a test later in the day...will ask people from a different section what some of the questions [on the test] are,'' she said.

Hotz offered a practical solution to this problem by suggesting that Calvin develop and enact an honor code designed to hold students accountable to one another. One possibility for this honor code would be to provide a covenant at the commencement of the school year for each student to read and affirm by signing.

If a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing at Calvin, it is usually dealt with according to the current policy. The faculty has the right to ``mediate matters of academic dishonesty if are extenuating circumstances which the faculty member chooses to address with the student and if there is mutual consent to such resolution.''

Professors are required to submit a written record of cheating cases to Shirley Hoogstra, Vice President of Student Life, within five school days.

The consequences of cheating can be a docked grade for the assignment, failure of the assignment, no credit for the assignment, or, in extreme cases, failure of the class.

According to Hotz, professors realize that Calvin students are good people under a lot of pressure and although there must be consequences for academic dishonesty, students and faculty need to look to repentance and forgiveness as well.

There are some things in the handbook that may come as a surprise to Calvin students. For example, those who believe that merely ``aiding and abetting'' cheaters keeps their own hands clean may be interested to know that Calvin's policy says something a little different. Even helping a cheater, by virtue of that assistance alone, makes the ``helper'' a cheater too.

On the other hand, it is important for students to know what rights they have in the case of, for example, a false accusation of academic dishonesty.