Support is building for new Faculty Senate measures to curtail student plagiarism as of its last meeting.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Anti-Plagiarism Software and Services recommended the software TurnItIn and iThenticate to “allow students to learn how to correctly paraphrase and correctly cite where information comes from,” said committee member Jeff Nunn.

Committee member Meredith Veldman said the software would help faculty to do their jobs “so much better.”

“It’s not just about catching plagiarism and not just about teaching students what’s plagiarism and what’s not,” Veldman said. “It will enable people like me who are trying desperately in a class of 300 to still require writing … and yet have a life.”

Committee chair Gundela Hachmann said the software would be used as an educational tool.

“It highlights where there is plagiarism, tells you where it came from and tells you how much of it is considered plagiarism,” she said.

Director of Academic Affairs for Student Government Thomas Rodgers said SG supports the resolution.

“We think it’s a great thing for the University,” he said. “It’s a great tool for students to better understand plagiarism.”

Hachmann said 165 cases involving plagiarism went to Student Advocacy & Accountability last year, but the actual number of plagiarists is “much, much higher.” She said a many instructors do not want to turn students in because it requires significant work.

“When you have to go through a judicial process, you have to make sure you’re fair,” Nunn said. “You have to make sure the person was given the tools to know how to correctly paraphrase and use sources.”

Funding for the software would come from the Student Tech Fee, Hachmann said. The cost for a three-year subscription would be $276,613, which is about $92,000 a year. Rodgers said money for the software would have to come from the 2013-14 fee.

“It allows students to learn how to correctly paraphrase and correctly cite where information comes from.”