Final answer:
Yes, a student can receive a zero for minor plagiarism on a first offense, as academic integrity is taken seriously and policies often carry strict penalties. The correct option is a.
Step-by-step explanation:
A student can indeed receive a zero on an assignment for a first-time offense of minor plagiarism. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, plagiarism is a serious violation of academic integrity and can carry severe consequences.
While the punishment varies by institution, many schools have zero-tolerance policies for any form of plagiarism.
This means even a minor instance, such as copying a passage from the Internet without proper quotation marks or attribution, could result in a grade of zero for that assignment.
Students should always ensure they understand their instructor's and college's policies on plagiarism, as outlined in the course syllabus or college student handbook.
Moreover, part of being a responsible and ethical student involves avoiding actions that could be seen as cheating or misrepresentation of facts. Students are encouraged to learn proper research and writing practices to prevent plagiarism.
Tools like www.plagiarism.org provide resources to better understand what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it. The correct option is a.