My semester was going well until just a few weeks ago when my professor turned into an evil menace. I handed in a 10 page research paper on reform of western based ESL curriculums and materials to be used in the Middle East and other Muslim contexts.
His comment was that it was "An Excellent paper, but some sloppy academic writing" and gave me a B. Then he crossed out the B and gave me a C. My paper went from an A to a C! I was a bit concerned about the change since that paper was 30% of my grade, and C is as good as failing in grad school.

So I looked at the paper and he was right. I had forgotten one of my citations. I forgot one citation! I went to him and explained that I had simply forgotten it. It was a list and I had wondered if the citation needed to go at the beginning or the end or if it needed to be interspersed through out the list, then I suppose I got distracted and forgot. I made a mistake!

(Dear Jesus,
I made a mistake. I forgot a citation. Can I still come to heaven when I'm done here? Do you have enough blood to cover this one?)

I told my prof I thought two letter grades for a mistake was a bit harsh. He said, "oh that wasn't the only place." It wasn't huh? No, he pointed out a cited paraphrase he didn't like. He also pointed out a few other phrases and words he thought were questionable.

He pointed out my use of the phrases global culture, public property, Islamic Revolution and Islamic clergy.

If I understand the rules of plagerism correctly one needs only put quotes around words and phrases within a summerized text setting, (ie, I summerized and cited a section of an article) if the word or phrase in question is particular to the author. If for example this author coined the pharse global culture I would write it as "global culture" not just global culture.

As far as I'm concerned, however, the phrase global culture is public property! Anyone who reads or speakes about the world in a general context uses and is intimatly aquainted with the phrase global culture! It's not new!
And Islamic Revolution! That is the name of a historical event! How can I use other words for it? My sentance: "In 1978-1979 Ayatollah Knomeini led the Islamic Revolution in Iran, which toppled the Pahlavi dynasty and replaced it with Islamic rule."

Perhaps I should have written "In 1978-1979 "Ayatollah" Knomeini supposedly led the so called "Islamic Revolution." I don't believe it really happened, because after all, Iran isn't a real country and Islam isn't a real religion."

How would this sentance be interpreted: In 1775 Paul Revere rode to warn colonists of the begining of the "American Revolution." The quotation marks indicate to readers that either a. it wasn't a real event or b. this is just the title that some people call it, while others do not accept this title. Everyone calls it the American Revolution, just as everyone calls what happened in Iran in 1979 the Islamic Revolution.

I can't really protest the grade because I did forget the one citation, and it is up to the teacher's disgression as to how to deal with issues of "academic dishonesty."

However, I did tell him I disagreed with his assessment, that I wasn't a cheater. On his final he was nervy enough to ask "Why do you think your proffessor has such strong feelings regarding the issue of plagerism concerning the writings of graduate students and TESOL professionals?" for extra credit.

I wrote something along the lines of the importance of academic honesty so that one may be an example of excellence for fellow students, future students and for future-fellow professionals. Then I put "And so your professor doesn't take two letter grades off a paper worth 30% of your grade which could potentially cause you to have to take the class again as a result of a MISTAKE." I thought about adding something about the Islamic Revolution, but I didn't since I'd already written him another nasty little note in one of the "short answer" blanks of the test concerning the appropriateness of the question in light of the focus of the class and his comments on what and how to study for his final.

I'll probably have to take that class again. This degree is getting longer and longer.