Plagiarism – cause for immediate dismissal
Taking online Bible classes is certainly different from the traditional classroom setting. There are many challenges like time management and discipline. For the TBDI Bible student, personal integrity and accountability must be the highest priority.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Most memory verse assignments are graded based solely on your honesty. And some tests do not allow the use of your Bible and/or class notes. You can cheat and possibly get away with it, here, but “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). The Lord sees everything you do, and you will “give account” at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:12).
PLAGIARISM
Several TBDI courses require you to write essays or sermon outlines. You are to be original with your writing. Any quoted or researched material must be documented. Students are forbidden to use ChatGDT or other similar AI tools for research, writing assignments, or sermon outlines.
Forms of plagiarism include paraphrasing or summarizing another person’s words into your own; copying and pasting directly from online sources (like free Bible commentaries) without acknowledging the sources; or rearranging material from different sources without properly identifying the source.
We have ways to discover if you are plagiarizing material as your own; and its unfortunate that we have to stress these rules of integrity with a Bible Institute. If you plagiarize YOU WILL BE DISMISSED.
A BIG DEAL
There are many reasons plagiarism/cheating is such a big deal. First, it is a sin against the Lord Jesus Christ. How you as a Christian, and especially as a preacher, live is a big deal. You are to be “honest” (Romans 12:17; 2 Corinthians 8:21; 1 Peter 1:12, etc.). Next, if you do not value your calling and training enough to follow the rules, you probably will not make it in the ministry. If you can’t learn to get your sermons from the Bible now, you will fail to develop into a Bible preacher. Also, when you cheat you discredit all that have worked hard to follow the rules. Cheating sends a message that discredits the school, the instructors, the students, and the churches that are associated with it. There is no way to have an online school like TBDI without intellectual honesty from the students. Finally, cheating robs you of the joys of learning and growing in your faith. Cheating hurts you and those around you. It undermines the foundation of Bible study and ministry preparation. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God…” (2 Timothy 2:15).
DON’T CHEAT…DON’T USE AI…DON’T PLAGIARIZE – If you do, you will be dismissed as a student.