Final answer:
The statement is true; faculty don't differentiate between intentional and unintentional plagiarism in assessing infractions but may consider intent in disciplinary actions. Students should be diligent to avoid unintentional plagiarism by familiarizing themselves with academic integrity policies. The correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is true: Faculty may not distinguish between intentional and unintentional plagiarism in their assessment of an infraction, but they may consider the student’s lack of intent when determining appropriate disciplinary action.
Unintentional plagiarism includes instances where students are careless with note-taking or accidentally copy notes into their drafts, without proper attribution. This can happen even with well-meaning students, but it is still considered plagiarism and is avoidable with careful research and writing practices.
To avoid unintentional plagiarism, it's vital for students to understand what constitutes plagiarism and to be aware of the resources that can help, such as guidelines from their instructor, the course syllabus, and the college's student handbook.
Academic integrity is fundamental to building trust, understanding, equity, and genuine learning. Whether plagiarism is intentional or not, the consequences can be severe, impacting students’ academic and professional futures.