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What happens at Vassar if a student is accused of plagiarism

In suspected cases of plagiarism, the instructor prepares a written statement of complaint to the Academic Panel. The Panel is chaired by the Dean of Studies and includes elected faculty members and student representatives from the VSA Judicial Board. Defendants are informed of the charges and must attend a hearing and answer questions from Panel members. Penalties may include invalidation of the work, a grade of F for the course, loss of credit for the course, or a recommendation to the President for suspension or expulsion. Many cases of inadvertent plagiarism come before the Panel. If you borrow without acknowledging the source you are responsible for your action, whether or not you intended to plagiarize.²²