Library FAQs

In short, plagiarism is theft. Even when it is unintentional, plagiarism is a misrepresentation of the ownership of ideas. By not using in-text citations or accurate source lists, one is claiming the idea as their own and therefore gaining that reputational credit, even if they do not financially benefit.

Plagiarism is not just an academic issue. You can find instances or accusations of plagiarism in several real-world examples:

• Literature
• Music
• Intellectual Property Theft/Piracy

Protect your reputation and your grades by carefully integrating evidence into your work and giving credit where it is due.

The penalties for plagiarism range in severity from a points deduction on an assignment, to failing a class, to being suspended and/or expelled from the university.  There are several factors that affect the severity of the consequences.

Also, academic integrity violations become part of your permanent academic record. This violation could affect your eligibility for honors classes, inclusion in the honors program, and Strayer University could report the violation to future employers (e.g., government agencies or security firms) who might request an educational background check. For more information, review the Academic Integrity Policy.