Plagiarism at Egyptian Universities Promo

Plagiarism is a hotly debated topic in the Middle East. Because 'plagiarizing' is not taught or even acknowledged  in the local culture, many new, incoming students to the American University in Cairo (AUC) find it outlandish to be penalized for 'copying-and pasting.' Something that is expected and accepted when doing research papers in public universities in Egypt.

But some professors are finally taking a stand in the fight against plagiarism- AUC being at the front lines.

Want to learn more? Attend the Listening Session, at AUC's New Cairo campus on Sunday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 12 at 10 a.m. each day in the BEC building, room 1060.

Music Credits:

Pursuit of Freedom- performed and edited by dorian151music on YouTube.

Interview Credits:
Kathleen O'Neill, Coordinator of the Academic Integrity Committee at AUC.

Interview: Academic Integrity Comittee Coordinator Kathleen O'Neill

Kathleen O'Neill is the coordinator for the AUC's Academic Integrity Committee (AIC) which is responsible for dealing with plagiarism cases. Professors submit the names of students who are accused of plagiarizing to the committee and through intense investigation and questioning, the AIC issues a verdict, either proclaiming the student innocent or, if found guilty of plagiarism, charged with several consequences (the AIC's website has the full list of consequences as well as what constitutes plagiarism). Here is a part of the interview with Ms. O'Neill and be sure to listen to the promo for 'Plagiarism in Egyptian Universities in Egypt.' and to attend the Listening Session, at AUC's New Cairo campus on Sunday, December 9 and Wednesday, December 12 at 10 a.m. each day in the BEC building, room 1060.

                                                                              Kathleen O'Neill. Photo Courtesy of AUC's website

Transcript:
(Note: The text in bold is O'Neill speaking. The italicized text is the interviewer):

O'Neill: Before we start, just so we- there’s a lot I’m  not going to necessarily be able to tell you about…*hand gestures in the air*

Interviewer: That’s fine. As much, as much as you can tell me.

Okay, do you want to sort of know what areas… I mean, we can’t necessarily talk about specific cases.

Specific cases?

 I can’t talk about specific cases. I can’t necessarily give anything that’s going to give away *pause* any student or anything. A lot of this is confidential. I can talk about general…*hand gestures* 

Okay.

Okay.

I expected that to be honest with you   (0:00 - 0:30)                  

 *fade out*

So, how many cases, roughly, does the AIC get roughly in a semester or in a year? If, if you can tell me. Just rough number in the year...In the year that you’ve been…

Um….We had over sixty cases last year. (0:30 - 0:42)

 *fade out*

I mean there are, every case is an individual case…Um…and there are certainly…um…you know, the ramifications that don’t get heard...uh..because discussing it also means admitting something, so I’m not surprised that when... *pause* ...the more serious penalties get …uh… handed down that they’re not necessarily heard about. Um...because nobody really wants to admit that either.  (0:42- 1:20)


Um… but... *pause*... I think it’s all it’s all  relevant to... to…you know, the sanctions are relevant to the case, to the... to the violation. Umm... and, well, I don’t vote [on the AIC]. You know, I can’t necessarily answer in terms why certain punishments get handed down and others don’t. (1:20- 1:45)

You sit in in meetings correct?

Mmhmm

Um…*pause*..From your information, has anyone like ever reached that full consequence? Like…you can choose not answer that question.

Very severe consequences have been…*pause*

  

Administered for plagiarism?

Yes. For violations.  I’m not going to..I mean, we do more than plagiarism so I’m going to say for violations. For… In the past, degrees have been...um... withdrawn. Uh …not since I’ve been here, but for plagiarism, yes. So, to say…um..so there’s... there definitely is a history of very severe consequences. (1:45- 2:39)

*fade out*

The…There’s no such thing as big or small plagiarism is is one of the things we are trying to… convey. Um..But I think th-the real battle right now is trying to to dispel some of these misconceptions...um...which are...um...rather rampant on campus.   (2:39- 3:01)

*fade out*

Professor learning turnitin.com  Photo Courtesy of AUC's Center for Learning and Teaching

There’s definitely effort to spread the word via the website and via...um...you know, reminding students that most of them should have signed the pledge when they entered campus and I think most of them sign it without actually reading it. (3:01- 3:18)


 Um...looking at… you know a syllabi as a contract between you and your professor and that there’s a lot of information in the syllabus that may not be explicitly addressed...um...when discussing the syllabus but is written there that often goes overlooked sometimes related to ramifications for cheating or for plagiarism. (3:18 - 3:43)

Um… so, I think trying to make students aware that you are responsible for the information that is given to you in the syllabus and that it can have…um...*stutter*... that not because you haven’t read it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist and doesn’t mean that you’re not held to it. You may have signed the pledge and the code of ethics without reading it but you’re still bound to it. (3:43- 4:27)

*fade out and end clip*

School of Sciences and Engineering at AUC - Home to Future Engineers

Hear that? That’s the sound of a future engineer setting up a tripod for a mock survey of the area around him. 

Before being able to graduate from AUC, engineering students must complete a rigorous five year study plan that include a number of science labs, math classes and practical on-hands classes where students are expected to do things similar to what they would be doing out in the work force. Examples include construct mock ups of building, use a simulator to drill for fake oil wells and build a hard drive of a computer from scratch.

The Sciences and Engineering building, the SSE for short, holds not only the engineering department, under which students can graduate with degrees in a wide array of engineering but also holds the sciences department which include biology, chemistry and physics departments.

So next time you see students in the SSE rushing around with drawing pads or busily building a model skyscraper, just remember that one day, these fresh faced students  building models out of matchsticks could very well, be in charge of building your dream home.

A Walking Tour through SSE

1 
As you walk towards the large arch that comprises of the entrance to the Sciences and Engineering Buildind (SSE) at AUC, you can hear future scientists and engineers talking, laughing and hanging outside of their gorgeous building. (00:01-00:05)

 Inside the hallways, toward the classrooms, you can hear the footsteps of people running to class and custodians relaxing and talking about their work. (00:05-00:11)

  
Some SSE professors are flexible, allowing students to eat food (in specific, chips) during class while they lecture.(00:11-00:17)

 As you leave class and walk towards the courtyard, you have hear the calming sounds of the central water fountain. (00:17-00:21)

Future engineers are hard at work as an upperclassmen uses a blowtorch and is welding some sort of metal mock up of something he intends to build.(00:21-00:27)

The sounds of another student setting up a tripod as his class is doing a mock survey of the area ends our tour through the SSE. (00:27-00:33)

The nat sounds were taken with the help of Nouran Khalil (she also has a blog! Check it out.)