Buffalo State received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to continue work started in 2006 by the Violence against Women on Campus (VAWOC)initiative. The three-year project aims to raise awareness, increase reporting, and decrease incidents of sexual assault, rape, intimate partner violence, and stalking on campus and in the community.

The college received notice of funding earlier this month but has already begun to accomplish its objectives. Liz McGough was hired as program coordinator and victim services case manager and will work under the direction of Charles Kenyon, dean of students and principal investigator on the grant. The Weigel Health Center’s Health Promotion unit has also organized activities this week in conjunction with the grant to build campuswide support for Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

The first VAWOC grant focused on seven objectives: conducting a comprehensive needs-assessment survey, creating a coordinated response team, developing and implementing mandatory Web-based training for students, expanding coordination between campus and community police, enhancing the role of University Police, training campus judicial/disciplinary boards, and establishing a 24-hour student helpline. Kenyon said all seven objectives were addressed.

Under the new grant, the Campus Safety Forum will serve in an advisory role for eight new but similar objectives: expand and strengthen the coordinated community response, provide updated information for responders to better address VAWOC issues, improve response time to victims, create a tracking and monitoring system through University Police, increase awareness of and decrease cultural acceptance of VAWOC through Buffalo State, enhance and improve mandatory prevention-education programs, create and train a separate College Judicial Board, and develop a multidisciplinary stalking-crimes program in conjunction with off-campus law enforcement personnel.

Kenyon said the grant’s activities will serve as a critical factor in campuswide efforts to promote Buffalo State as a “civil and caring community.”

“Our work to reduce violence against women raises awareness of the problem of violence in general, and its roots in disrespect, incivility, and the absence of caring for the well-being of others,” he said. “By raising consciousness on these issues we hope to involve more and more students in saying no to violence and in promoting among their peers the civil and caring values we want for our campus community.”

McGough, who began her role last week, believes the grant can help strengthen the campus culture to further unite against “power-based interpersonal violence.” She has worked with the Counseling Center for the past three years in various roles and said she is excited to establish an office for violence victim support next to the Health Promotions unit in the basement of Porter Hall.

“The collaboration with so many other partners on campus is a big part of what makes this grant worthwhile,” McGough said. “As we build momentum, it will be very important for faculty and staff to get involved and include [related] topics in the classroom.”

Faculty and staff are asked to show support for domestic violence awareness by wearing purple tomorrow. The Weigel Health Center’s Health Promotion unit has supported student activities with a purple theme throughout the week, including tying purple ribbons to trees, writing inspirational messages on sidewalks, and displaying posters in the Campbell Student Union.

The most noticeable sign of support this week has been the purple-lighted bell tower of Rockwell Hall. Tammy Kresge, coordinator for health promotions with the Weigel Health Center, said Campus Services made the lighting possible with support from the administration.

“Rockwell Hall is iconic to Buffalo State,” she said. “The purple lighting helps get the message out and legitimizes it. More people are affected by domestic violence than we think—it touches everyone’s life at some level.”

Key partners of the VAWOC initiatives include the Dean of Students Office, the Counseling Center, University Police, the School of Natural and Social Sciences, Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service Inc., Child and Family Services (Haven House), the Buffalo Police Department, and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

Six faculty members from the Earth Sciences and Science Education Department took 18 majors on a departmental field trip in early October. Many earth science courses involve field trips, but this outing was unique because it was department-wide, and majors had a chance to get to know their professors and each other better.

“One field trip gives students a chance to learn more than weeks in a classroom,” said Gary Solar, geologist, associate professor, and department chair. “And they come back to the classroom with a much better understanding of the material.”

The field trip was organized by Bettina Martinez-Hackert, geologist and director of earth science field studies, who has led study trips to the American Southwest, the Swiss and French Alps, and El Salvador.

By visiting the Niagara Gorge, Taughannock Falls, and Chimney Bluffs, students learned the geological history that shaped—and is shaping—New York State. Starting in Lewiston, the original site of Niagara Falls, on Friday, October 2, students explored the layers of sedimentary rocks exposed in the Niagara Gorge under the guidance of Richard Batt, associate professor and a leading expert on the gorge. That evening, the group traveled to Taughannock Falls State Park, where they camped Friday and Saturday nights.

On Saturday, students traveled to Ithaca to visit the Museum of the Earth, run by the Paleontological Research Institution. The visit included a behind-the-scenes tour of the world’s largest paleontological collection, and an exhibit depicting the geological history of the earth back 500 million years—one-eighth of the planet’s lifespan.

Afterwards at Chimney Bluffs on Lake Ontario, students touched 10,000 years of Great Lakes history as they explored glacial formations along the shore. Kevin Williams, assistant professor, is an expert on glacial geology. With Professor Jill Singer, whose specialties include the process of sedimentation, students clambered over layers of sediment deposited by glacial action and carved by the erosion of Lake Ontario and its climate in the millennia since then.

Back at camp that evening, the Geology Club prepared dinner—“fantastic chili,” according to Solar. Jude Sabato, assistant professor who uses mathematical modeling to study the climates on different planets, brought along a telescope. Students were able to see Saturn’s rings and Titan, its largest moon.

On Sunday, the group explored Taughannock Falls State Park’s “hanging valley,” from which the falls spills into the lower valley. “All in all,” said Solar, “students learned something about glacial geology and the evidence for New York State’s glacial history. Most of all, they learned the importance of seeing things in the field.”

Health services at Buffalo State College began in 1917, when Ruth Houston was put in charge of first-aid assistance. The system of care has since evolved into Weigel Health Center, a fully staffed medical facility that provides a full range of health-care services for thousands of students each year.

The Weigel Health Center opened in 1972 and is named for Paul J. Weigel, M.D., director of health services at Buffalo State from 1966 to 1969. The center provides therapeutic and preventive medical services, health promotion, and state-mandated immunizations for all registered students.

While staff members’ foremost purpose is to provide high-quality health care, education is also a key component of the center’s medical services.

“Prevention and education are woven into everything we do,” said Theresa Stephan Hains, M.D., director of Weigel Health Center. “Health education—such as violence prevention, nutrition information, and counseling—is documented with every treatment.”

The staff’s level of care for students and attention to detail earned the center accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care in 2004 and renewal in 2007. Organizations seeking accreditation by AAAHC undergo an extensive on-site, peer-based survey of their facilities and services. Weigel Health Center is the only Buffalo-area college health center that has received this accreditation.

“The credentials for our staff have to be top-notch as part of our accreditation,” said Angeline Price, who currently serves as acting director of the center. “Our team members undergo comprehensive annual reviews and are actively engaged in continuing education.”

Weigel Health Center employs a team of fully trained and licensed health-care professionals, including medical doctors, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses, as well as a large support staff. The clinic offers a range of primary care services, including diagnosis and treatment of illness and injuries, general and sports physicals, immunizations, prescribing services, and specialized care for women and men. Students are encouraged to make appointments but may also receive services on a walk-in basis. The center strives to have at least three people on staff at all times.

Weigel is currently making extensive efforts to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus on campus. This week, staff administered hundreds of doses of the H1N1 vaccine to high-risk students. The Weigel Web site also includes information for faculty, staff, and students aboutprotection against the virus and emergency response planning.

While Weigel does not provide emergency services such as x-rays or stitches, the staff makes an extra effort to refer students who need immediate help.

“We work closely with the University Police Department, who work with emergency responders to provide ambulance service when needed,” Price said. “During late evening hours and weekends, when Weigel is closed, students can reach an after-hours triage service by calling our number and getting directed to a nurse who will give medical instructions. We also post signs on our doors with emergency contact information.”

Weigel Health Center also provides professional development opportunities through internships and training for students who may wish to enter the health-care field. The center’s Health Promotion unit also coordinates a peer-education program through which students assist other students with issues such as relationship problems and alcohol- and drug-abuse prevention.

All full-time undergraduate and graduate students are required to have health insurance, which is provided through Weigel if students do not have outside coverage. In addition, all students pay a mandatory health fee, which maintains Weigel’s operating costs.

Although Weigel Health Center primarily serves students, some services are available to faculty and staff. The dental clinic housed at the center through United Students Government offers preventive dental care, and Weigel works with an outside pharmacy to fillprescriptions for students, faculty, and staff. Weigel staff members also may provide immediate first aid at the center for faculty and staff in the event of a sudden injury on campus. All medical emergencies should be reported to University Police at 878-6333.

Weigel staff members also are part of Buffalo State’semergency response teams, coordinate CPR/AED (automated external defibrillator) training, and provide health presentations in classrooms. “We would love to train more faculty and staff,” said Stephan Hains. “We’re also available to talk to classes anytime.”

Price said faculty and staff may refer students to Weigel (878-6711) when they appear ill, have repeated absences to class, or show a marked change in performance. Weigel staff members are able to provide students with medical leaves when provided with supporting medical documentation. In addition, the facility houses the Counseling Center on the second floor; faculty and staff may refer students there as well (878-4436).

Buffalo State will hold its fifth annual Armed Services Reunion on Saturday, November 14, at the American Legion Niagara Frontier Post 1041. The event, which begins at noon, will honor Buffalo State alumni, students, emeriti, faculty, and staff who have served or are serving in any branch of the United States or Allied military services.

The program includes lunch, a performance by the Silas L. Boyd Memorial A Cappella Alumni Choir, an update on services for veterans at Buffalo State today, and a remembrance ceremony for those who have passed away. Anyone, attending or not, may submit names of classmates and loved ones to be read during the ceremony.

Reservations are $20 and include lunch, a memento, and a $5 donation to the Military Service Scholarship Award. To register, call the Alumni Office at 878-6001 to charge by phone; visit the Alumni Affairs Office, Cleveland Hall 305, to pay in person; or visitwww.alumni.buffalostate.edu to register online. R.S.V.P. by Friday, November 6. American Legion Post 1041 is located at 533 Amherst Street in Buffalo.

The Chemistry/Physics Lecture Series has scheduled its fall speakers, and three very different topics will be presented: chemical synthesis; physics in art conservation; and the scientist as entrepreneur. All lectures start at 12:30 p.m.

Timothy Gregg, assistant professor of chemistry at Canisius College, will present “The Enantioselective Cyclopropanation of Allenes: Turning an Old Reaction into a Modern Tool for Synthesis” on Thursday, November 5, in Science Building 420.

Seyffie Maleki, professor of physics at Union College, will present “Lasers in Art Conservation” on Thursday, November 12, in Science Building 205. Maleki will discuss the use of lasers in art conservation to record, analyze, and restore works of art, and how the multidisciplinary nature of art conservation research has provided him with opportunities to explore his personal interests in physics and the arts.

Physics alumnus Keith Kowalsky, ’86, will speak on Thursday, December 3. Kowalsky is president of Flame-Spray Industries Inc. In July, he received the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation’s National Inventor of the Year Award at a ceremony held at the Smithsonian National Museum in Washington, D.C. Kowalsky contributed to the development of a unique process that can be used in the automotive industry. In accepting the award, Kowalsky said, “Our invention protects, enhances, and provides the ability to use and develop materials that allow more environmentally friendly products to be manufactured while overcoming many of the mechanical and material barriers.” (The location of Kowalsky’s talk is undetermined; please check the Events Calendar at a later date).

The lecture series, formerly known as the Chemistry Lecture Series, has been running for more than 20 years. Presenters have included alumni and speakers from around the world. “It has provided both students and faculty members with the chance to hear ideas from a variety of researchers,” said Michael De Marco, professor and chair of the Physics Department. This semester, the series is sponsored by the Auxiliary Services Grant Allocation Committee and the Academic and Student Affairs Office.

A sabbatical and a little patience was what Andrew Nicholls needed to get his forthcoming book off the ground. The associate professor of history and social studies education took the fall 2007 sabbatical semester to write Strange Nations and Their Countrey’s Spolyes: Canada, Early Stuart Britain, and the War That Wasn’t. And he recently learned that McGill-Queen’s University Press will publish the book next year.

For Nicholls, news of the acceptance was especially gratifying. He has researched the book’s topic since his graduate school days.

Central to the book is an event that Nicholls said has received “little analysis” from academe: the seizure of Quebec by the Kirke brothers in 1629 and its occupation by the English until 1632. Nicholls explains in his book that as the Kirke-led English “proxy force” had captured the land from French settlers, King Charles I reached a peace agreement with France over a war fought since 1627. This coincided with related efforts to plant a Scottish colony in what became Nova Scotia. Were it not for the agreement, the future of North America might have unfolded very differently.

“The new book takes a holistic approach to looking at British and North American history, examining topics such as national security, colonization, shipping policies, court politics, and domestic wartime issues,” Nicholls said. “At its heart is the assertion that we should not allow modern-day political boundaries to obscure the interconnected nature of Early Modern European ventures in North America.”

The sabbatical not only allowed Nicholls time to write the book but also helped him discover new avenues for research.

“The Internet has changed what research used to be for many historians,” he said. “Our library has access to a great database of historic literature. Finding information has become a more democratized process—I no longer have to travel for some of the information I need. It’s eye-opening to see how available information is, and that changes what I’m able to assign to students.”

Nicholls became particularly busy toward the end of his sabbatical when he picked up two additional projects. He worked with Bruce Fox, photography and graphics coordinator for Instructional Resources, to digitize World War I–era postcards from a variety of countries. Nicholls is working with Marc Bayer, information systems librarian at E. H. Butler Library, to create a virtual museum of the postcards, which, he said, would provide a “great study of twentieth-century literacy.” Nicholls also began work with David Carson, chair and professor of history and social studies education, on a study about slavery and abolitionism that was presented in February at the Burchfield Penney Art Center at Buffalo State.

Besides the additional projects, Nicholls also had an “engagement” that kept him busy during the sabbatical: he got married in October 2007. The timing overlap, he said, was not planned.

Nicholls already looks forward to a future sabbatical and hopes the new book—his third—is a charm. “I hope the book will find its own audience,” he said. “It would be great if journals and popular history magazines reviewed it, and if it strikes a chord with a variety of readers.”

------------------------------------------------------------------

Read previous Focus on Sabbatical stories:

Felix Armfield
Betty Cappella
Ann Colley
Michael De Marco
Rob Delprino
Musa Abdul Hakim
Katherine Hartman
David Henry
Wendy Paterson
M. Stephen Pendleton
Stephen Phelps
John Song
Carol Townsend
Jonathan Thornton
Mark Warford

Buffalo State students seeking self-discovery, academic rigor, and cultural awareness away from campus may consider spending a month in Salamanca, Spain, during the summer. Now in its 40th year, the study-abroad program offers Spanish-language study and mucha cultura.

Established in 1969, the Programa de Estudios Hispánicos is jointly sponsored by Buffalo State College and the University at Buffalo with the University of Salamanca, Spain’s oldest university. The monthlong experience offers 6 credit hours to study Spanish language and culture.

Salamanca was dubbed the 2002 “European Capital of Culture” by the European Union. Lee Ann Grace, assistant dean of international and exchange programs, has experienced the city’s cultural offerings on several occasions.

“It’s a wonderful, historic city,” she said. “The center is closed to vehicular traffic, and all around are buildings where famous authors wrote and taught. The pace of life feels so different, too. Meals, for example, involve a modest breakfast, 11:00 a.m. snack, 2:00 p.m. break for a big meal, 6:00 p.m. tea time, and 9:30 p.m. supper. It’s a completely different environment for students and teachers.”

The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students who have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.67 and have taken two semesters of college-level Spanish or an equivalent offering elsewhere. About 25 students, one instructor, and an assistant attend each year.

At present, the program costs about $5,200, which covers tuition, fees, housing, meals, insurance, books, and airfare. Each student stays with a casero, or host family. Financial aid and scholarships are available to help defray the cost.

Grace said that students do not have to be Spanish majors or know Spanish extremely well. “Most students who go are actually non-Spanish majors,” she said.

Raul Neira, associate professor of modern and classical languages, agrees. “The program is a real help for those with other degrees, such as business,” he said. “Students become exposed to a different culture and learn the Spanish language in a remarkable setting.” Neira has participated in the program six times since 1991, teaching alongside faculty from the University of Salamanca.

To raise awareness of the program, Grace organizes “Salamanca Night” each spring on campus. The event brings together past participants and instructors to answer questions, and features images of Spain and Spanish food. Grace said the discussion of the opening weekend study-tour of Spanish cities is one of many topics that piques student interest.

“I encourage students to stay engaged with the program,” she said. “They can really blossom by getting involved in all there is to do [in Spain].”

To celebrate the program’s 40th anniversary, the program sponsors have invited representatives from the University of Salamanca to a luncheon at the University at Buffalo and a dinner at the President’s House on Friday, October 23. Invited guests include longtime collaborator Carmen Mota and Jesús Rodríguez Romo, the new executive director of the University of Salamanca’s Cursos Internacionales.

“I believe our program is the longest-standing program of its kind at the University of Salamanca,” Grace said. “It’s an excellent partnership, and their faculty are pros when it comes to teaching Spanish—they write the textbooks.”

Grace believes the Salamanca trip is also valuable for Buffalo State faculty. “The exposure to current language, artwork, books, and thought leads to richer teaching in the classroom,” she said.

Neira is convinced that the program provides enlightened study and is a life-changing experience. “You don’t come back the same person,” he said. “The journey is an opportunity for students to make memories they can share with their children later in life.”

Starting this spring, the recently passed Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) will have a significant and positive impact on the college’s faculty, staff, and students.

The legislation of the HEOA is extensive, affecting mostly the operations and reporting provisions of offices such as Financial Aid, Registrar, University Police, and Institutional Research. However, Section 133 of the HEOA will have a much broader impact on the college—requiring institutions to disclose certain information relating to textbooks on all Internet course schedules at the time they are published.

“The main purpose of the new federal guidelines is to offer students as much information as possible as soon as possible in order that they may make informed decisions about purchasing their books,” said Kevin Railey, interim provost. “The spirit of this law is really information sharing.”

Effective July 1, 2010, institutions that maintain Internet course schedules will have to post International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN) and retail price information for required and recommended textbooks and supplemental materials for each listed course. The college plans to comply with this legislation by including links to the textbook information for summer 2010 and fall 2010—the schedules that will be produced in spring 2010—in both the online course listings and within Internet course schedules in Banner via the Barnes and Noble at Buffalo State Bookstore Web site.

Consequently, textbook information must be provided to the bookstore earlier than usual, so that students can view the information along with their course listings.

For this reason, starting next semester, the faculty textbook requisition deadlines have been moved up by two weeks for summer and five weeks for fall. Those deadlines for summer and fall will now systematically occur on the last Friday in February (beginning February 26, 2010). Specific dates for future semesters are reflected in the college’s academic calendar.

“The bookstore Web site is the ideal vehicle for this use because it will be a central electronic location for our students to get book information,” said Railey. “Both the administration and the bookstore seek to offer information to students so they can make their own decisions about where and how to buy books.”

Lynn Puma, bookstore manager, echoes those sentiments: “Like the college administration, we want to assist students in getting the best possible prices in the easiest way possible.”

For more information about the HEOA, visit the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site. Questions about this legislation may be directed to the Finance and Management Office.

Now a tradition at Buffalo State, the annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum has grown every year since it began in 1999. To celebrate a decade of success, organizers have added a global learning component, featuring added forums and a lecture, to the traditional poster presentations next Thursday.

As always, the fall forum takes place in the Houston Gym at 11:00 a.m. and includes remarks from the interim president at 12:30 p.m. One hundred thirty-three faculty and staff will feature 106 presentations. Exhibits include “Chasing Chinese Folk Art,” “How to Slow Down the Aging Process for Longevity,” and “Controversial Therapies in the Treatment of Autism.”

This year, after the poster presentations conclude at 2:00 p.m., the fall forum will move to E. H. Butler Library for “Global Learning Research and Creativity Conversations,” beginning at 3:00 p.m. Four panels of faculty and staff will lead discussions on the following topics:

• International Students/Study Abroad: How Faculty/Staff Benefit
• Making Local Connections to Enhance Global Understandings: Global Service Learning Opportunities
• Using Advanced Technology to Support Global/International Research and Creativity
• Finding the Money: Funding Opportunities and Challenges to Support Global/International Research and Creativity Projects

At 4:00 p.m., H. Stephen Straight, professor of anthropology and linguistics and senior adviser for international initiatives at Binghamton University, will present “Internationalism, Multiculturalism, and Global Collaboration in Twenty-First-Century Higher Education.” A reception will take place afterward in Butler Library 210.

The global research component was made possible by a $10,000 grant from the New York State/United University Professions Campus Grants Committee in partnership with the Research Foundation of SUNY at Buffalo State College, the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Academic and Student Affairs Office, and the International Graduate Programs for Educators. The grant will also help organize similar events in association with the Student Research and Creativity Forum in the spring.

Dolores E. Battle, senior advisor to the president for equity and campus diversity, said the events and the speaker are tied to ongoing campuswide efforts to enhance cultural diversity and globalization efforts as stated in the 2009–2013 Strategic Plan. Battle, Lee Ann Grace, assistant dean of international and exchange programs, and Rosalyn Lindner, associate vice president for curriculum and assessment, have been working with the American Council on Education (ACE) to bridge the gap between global initiatives and cultural diversity. The team hopes the fall forum’s emphasis on local connections and global commitments will generate greater student interest in international issues and study-abroad programs.

“We met Dr. Straight at the last ACE conference,” Battle said. “He and the faculty and staff at Binghamton University are doing award-winning work for international programs, and we thought he would be able to share helpful knowledge with us. The conversations before his talk will be very intriguing, too. Faculty and staff can learn how to organize international conferences, communicate internationally with Skype, work with Buffalo’s local international community to enhance the curriculum, and much more.”

Thirty-eight of this year’s poster presentations are specially designated as “Global Research and Creativity” models, said Mary Kren, training development and communications coordinator for the Research Foundation and part of the fall forum planning committee. The designees include presentations from six visiting Chinese scholars with the Beijing Teacher Training Center of Higher Education.

Kren also said this year’s forum incorporates suggestions from attendees of last year’s event. The Houston Gym setup will be easier to navigate, and an improved sound system will help attendees hear remarks more clearly.

In addition, forum attendees will receive a bookmark with information about research resources on campus, and attendees of the global learning component in Butler Library will receive a flash drive loaded with the afternoon’s presentations and globalization resources.

“I think one of the best things about the fall forum is that it encourages multiple collaborators and cross-field studies,” Kren said.

Rita Zientek, associate dean of the School of the Professions and chair of the fall forum planning committee, said the forum also is helpful for students. “The fall forum helps them think about their own event in the spring,” she said. “It gives them confidence that they can do it.”

When the fall forum began in 1999, it featured 57 participants and 27 presentations. Zientek said its longevity and growth reflects Buffalo State’s ongoing strong support for research. “When you attend, it’s easy to see that sharing research with others and creating posters is something that everyone can accomplish,” she said. “And you never know what you’re going to see each year.”

The 10th annual Faculty and Staff Research and Creativity Fall Forum is free and open to the public. This year’s sponsors include the Research Foundation of SUNY at Buffalo State College, the Academic and Student Affairs Office, the New York State/United University Professions Campus Grants Committee, and the Equity and Campus Diversity Office. A program booklet of presentation abstracts will be available shortly on the Research Foundation Web site.

Fifteen faculty members engaged in a spirited discussion about plagiarism on Friday during an event hosted by theFaculty Development Center.

Sue McMillen, associate professor of mathematics and director of faculty development, moderated a panel discussion featuring Jennifer Hunt, associate professor of psychology, Barish Ali, visiting assistant professor of English, and Michael Cretacci, assistant professor of criminal justice. All offered advice on how to prevent and identify plagiarism among students.

McMillen said she organized the event because she has observed plagiarism to be a frequently discussed topic among faculty. She also said that new faculty often ask how to incorporate plagiarism policy in their syllabi.

“I don’t think the level of plagiarism is different here from any other college campus,” Hunt said. “Nevertheless, it’s a problem I encounter every semester, and there are many steps I take to prevent it.”

E. H. Butler Library defines plagiarism as “the submission or presentation of work, in any form, that is not one’s own, without acknowledgment of the sources.” Buffalo State enforces penalties for plagiarism under its academic misconduct policy.

“It takes effort to instill a good plagiarism policy and to check work, but it’s worthwhile,” McMillen said. “You can’t assume that students understand what plagiarism is, regardless of their level in college. Today’s technology also makes plagiarism education more difficult for faculty—students grew up in a cut-and-paste world.”

Hunt said she tries to engage students in preventing plagiarism during the first classes of each semester. She has students take a graded quiz through ANGEL.

“I emphasize to students that they’re learning a skill,” Hunt said. “I teach them how to properly cite sources and how paraphrasing requires rewriting material in their own language and voice.”

To prevent plagiarism, Ali said, he assigns essays in stages by asking for research questions, annotated bibliographies, and drafts. He then schedules a student-teacher conference before collecting final papers. Ali said he also assigns very specific shorter assignments in order to make it difficult or impossible to lift material from the Internet, with the goal of spurring more original thought and writing.

“Plagiarism detection can be time-consuming, so in addition to using TurnItIn, I enter phrases in quotes on Google, Google Books, and the ‘Search Inside This Book’ feature on Amazon.com,” Ali said. “I also show students early on how the TurnItIn system works from a professor’s standpoint. I’ve found that to be an effective deterrent, as some students don’t realize how effective the technology is.”

Cretacci said he can often spot plagiarism simply by reading a paper and realizing it doesn’t have the same “voice” that a student uses in class.

Hunt believes that most students don’t try to cheat and that, if they do commit plagiarism, it’s often because they didn’t realize how to properly cite sources.

“I try to instill in students that proper citation is part of their education and that plagiarism can affect them down the line,” she said. “Good writing is one of the most important skills to gain, and plagiarism later in life can cost them their jobs.”

For sample plagiarism quizzes and tips on how to teach APA citation, McMillen recommends visiting the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL).