1. Find an example of a person who lost their job, or were denied a high-profile position, because they plagiarized. Provide a summary of who they are, the job they had (or were seeking), and any reason they gave for the plagiarism. Identify the type of plagiarism they engaged in and why it was wrong? What was the outcome and how may it affect them in the future?

An example of a person who lost a high-profile opportunity due to plagiarism is Claudine Gay the former president of Harvard University. She resigned in early 2024 after multiple allegations surfaced that she had plagiarized portions of her academic work including her doctoral dissertation and other published articles. Dr. Gay had become the first Black president of Harvard and only the second woman to hold the position. The plagiarism was identified by journalists and academic watchdogs who found several instances where she had used others’ language and ideas without proper citation.

Why you shouldn’t plagiarize?

The type of plagiarism involved was primarily verbatim plagiarism where she copied text word for word without quotation marks or proper attribution. This was wrong because it misrepresented the original authors’ work as her own and violated academic integrity standards. Although she acknowledged some citation issues she did not admit to intentional wrongdoing. The outcome was her resignation which tarnished her reputation and could limit her future academic or leadership opportunities. This case also raised broader concerns about academic ethics and the scrutiny of high-profile leaders.

2. It is noted in Chapter 4 that although the public has general agreement about definition of concepts, they do not have agreement about the specific definitions. What are some examples you have noticed?  For example, what about religiosity, patriotism, elite, educated, or poor? How might people disagree about these specific definitions, and why is acknowledging the disagreement important? APA