Plagiarism affects college students in a number of tangible and intangible ways. Lack of awareness without proper citation requirements and a simple desire to cut corners on school work are common motives of plagiarism. If students considered the impact and consequences of this form of cheating, they likely wouldn't copy another writer's work and use it as their own.
Creativity is the ability to develop or generate something original and unique. Plagiarism is, by definition, imitation, which is the opposite of creativity. In an October 2010 "Psychology Today" article, Dr. Shelley Carlson indicated that instructors bear the responsibility of enforcing requirements that students do original work. In fact, failure of instructors to catch and address instances of copying reinforces this problematic student behavior. Plagiarism limits the thought, research and critical thinking involved in developing an original paper or report. This negatively impacts the overall educational experience and growth of a college student.
Plagiarism has a negative affect on the college community as well. Students who copy the work of other students can easily become outcasts in social and peer groups. They also develop less genuine relationships with instructors. Once an instructor finds a student has copied work without citation, he becomes more critical going forward. Similar to personal relationships, when you violate the trust of peers or teachers, it takes lots of time and effort to overcome the negative effects.
While a single student's plagiarism may not alone damage a school's reputation, rampant systemic issues can. Carlson noted in her article that everyone involved in the college community needs to take ownership of cheating problems. If students routinely plagiarize and get by with it, it devalues the quality of the school's degrees. This affects all students seeking careers after graduating from the school. Additionally, when students routinely plagiarize and don't develop the critical thinking and creativity intended, their work skills and job performance suffer.
The most tangible impact of plagiarism for students are the consequences that come with violating school polices. These can range from simply failing an assignment or paper to failing a class or getting suspended or expelled. Some colleges even put a notation on your transcript, such as "Convicted of Plagiarism," that remains in place for a specific time, such as 7 to 10 years after the incident. Additionally, in extreme cases, students may face criminal and civil penalties for plagiarism if they copy major portions of a public work. This gets into the legal realm of copyright infringement. Fines and even imprisonment are possible in these cases.
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