According to plagiarism.org, “A national survey published in Education Week found that 54% of students admitted to plagiarism from the Internet; 74% of students admitted to cheating “seriously” at least once during the past school year; and 47% of students believe their teachers sometimes choose to ignore students who cheat. About two years ago, one of my classmates was caught plagiarizing. The classmate was always known to be a great writer as he received amazing grades on his assignments. However, when this particular assignment was handed in, they were guilty of plagiarism. As a result, they received a zero on the assignment, which ultimately led to them failing the course. This incident affected them so much that they immediately transferred schools. Knowing their classmate personally, when asked why they did this, they answered because they honestly thought they wouldn't get caught. Even though all of my professors stressed to everyone about plagiarism, I never understood how exactly they would know the truth or even think that a student would be brave enough to engage in plagiarism and get away with it. Judging by the statistics, there is a major problem with academic dishonesty at American institutions. Furthermore, if plagiarism is considered unethical, why do students continue to engage in such activities? Maybe they don't fully understand the proper way to cite, or they don't know the definition, so they associate plagiarism with other things or they don't understand the consequences not only on academically but as an employee. The purpose of this essay is to understand why plagiarism is unethical and how students' attitudes toward plagiarism might impact the work environment...... middle of article ......al Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/cyber/ipr/iprPlagiarism: Why it Matters (nd) Retrieved February 5, 2012 from http://www.hope.edu/lib/plagiarism/ why.htmlSachdev, A (January 13, 2012). Motorola Mobility's legal bills weigh in on fourth-quarter forecasts. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-13/business/ct-biz-0113-chicago-law-moto-20120113_1_patent-lawsuits-legal-costs-patent-infringement-suitsWhat is plagiarism? (nd) Retrieved February 5, 2012 from http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html Yu, MA, Lehrer, R. and Roland, W. (2008). Crimes related to intellectual property. The American Criminal Law Review, 45(2), 665-715. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.brenau.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/230332272?accountid=9708