Plagiarism  Violation of DBU’s Honor Code Honor CodeHonor Code  Definition: using someone else’s ideas or work and passing it off as your own  Plagiarism is theft of another person’s writings or ideas

What’s wrong with it?  Subverts the grading process – grades reflect what students have learned and accomplished on their own  Breaks the bond of trust between student and professor  Morally wrong – it’s a form of lying

Pre-emptive strike: Syllabus  “Students should retain a digital copy of their work, either on a hard drive or floppy disk, to provide an accessible back-up in case of loss. Any student work may be submitted, at the professor’s discretion, to Turnitin.com for plagiarism detection.”

Scriptural basis for Honor Code  “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” (Col 3:23 NASB)  This scripture forms a foundation of ethical academic behavior

Christian leadership  As Christian educators, we can help our students to  Assimilate faith into all aspects of their lives  Avoid dualism and embrace an integrated, holistic approach to Christian living  Teaching students to choose the right way, rather than the expedient way, will help develop their spiritual maturity.

In plain English…  “Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn't cover up bad work.” (Col 3:22-25, The Message)

Why use The Message?  Helps students to bring scripture into authentic interaction with their daily decisions  Possible exercise: Have students read Col. 3:22-25 from The Message, substituting “students” for “servants,” and “teacher” for “master” – it’s not a perfect fit, but it helps to personalize the concept

Beyond the classroom  Jesus invites us to join him in his work. He is molding and crafting future kingdom-workers from the students on this campus. By helping our students to learn how to live with integrity in all aspects of life, we assist our Lord in this vital task.