An outside expert called in to help the Russ College of Engineering and Technology with its plagiarism investigation said that officials should seriously look at creating an honor code model and putting it into place in 2007 and stressed a focus on fairness remain throughout the remainder of the investigation.
Gary Pavela, director of judicial programs at the University of Maryland-College Park, has consulted many other schools, such as Stanford University, University of Michigan and University of North CarolinaG
according to the College Administration Publications' Web site, Pavela spoke to university officials, students and faculty members in a June 6 presentation in Stocker Hall.
In his speech, Pavela said it was important the actions the university took in light of the plagiarism investigation affirmed academic integrity and promoted fairness and due process. Openness is also important during the investigation, and Pavela noted that when the students who have been accused of plagiarism are notified, their hearings should be open to the public, including the media.
We need to think about what we will say five 10 15 years from now. We should say 'we didn't sweep this under the rug
' he said. We addressed this head on.
Ohio University and the College of Engineering also need to clarify their definition of plagiarism and punishments that go with it. Citing statistics from a recent study done by two OU doctoral students, which found that 84 percent of OU undergraduates and 55 percent of graduate students admitted to behavior most people would consider cheating, Pavela said student-driven honor codes would reduce these numbers.
Pavela did note that the situation here is unique in regard to the number of cases being examined.
You are in the Guinness Book of World Records
Pavela said of OU's plagiarism scandal.
Most recently, 55 masters theses were examined by two independent reviewers, faculty member Hugh Bloemer and administrator Gary Meyer. In their report released earlier this month they called for the dismissal of the Department of Mechanical Engineering chair G
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Gary Pavela, director of judicial programs at the University of Maryland-College Park, spoke at a June 6 forum in Stocker Hall. "We need to think about what we will say five, 10, 15 years from now. We should say 'we didn't sweep this under the rug,
