Consequences of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is considered a severe offense at the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu. There are several possible consequences depending on the type of plagiarism offense. These include:

• A warning (verbal or written).
• An "F" or 0 on the assignment or exam.
• An "F" for the class.
• Reduced final grade and note on transcript of academic misconduct.
• Suspension or expulsion from the University of Hawai'i-West O'ahu.
• Revocation (taking away) or withholding of degree.

Other outcomes include loss of self-esteem and loss of trust within one's academic department, perhaps affecting one's ability to get a positive recommendation.

To avoid all of the above, students should avoid plagiarism. There are several ways to avoid plagiarism, most of which revolve around giving credit to sources and using appropriate summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting techniques. You'll learn more about these techniques in the next module.