More sophistry from Derek Reeve

     Today, the Capistrano Insider’s Jonathan Volzke (SJC Councilman Reeve's Response to Plagiarism Allegations....) explains that CI received a “column” by SJC City Councilman and Saddleback College adjunct Derek Reeve. Reeve asked CI to publish it, which they did. (See.)
     The column includes yet another defense against the charge that Reeve repeatedly plagiarized others' writings:

...On balance, I may be partly responsible—along with most of the human race that uses the Internet. In the atmosphere of today’s massive electronic echo chamber, in which we are assaulted with dozens of concepts and ideas each minute, I doubt if any of us have had a totally original idea in the past 50 years. Certainly that is the way it is in the legal profession in which I work. Yes, in formal documentation, one is more precise in adding footnotes to identify the origin of our ideas, which makes it extremely complicated when wading through such writing. However, in normal everyday communication, not to mention blogging, it is impossible for us to precisely identify each antecedent and besides, the atmosphere is much more relaxed and informal (or so I thought). [My emphasis.]

     Just to be clear: based on information presented by the SJC Patch (see), Reeve repeatedly submitted the works of other writers, under his own name, modifying wording slightly. These instances are classic plagiarism. (For a concrete instance, see this.)
     Reeve's guff about "precisely" identifying antecedents is a red herring (or utter nonsense). One is not obliged to identify the "precise" antecedents of one's ideas, whatever that is supposed to mean. One is, however, obliged to identify the sources of writings by others that one quotes or repeats. Reeve repeatedly failed to do so, posing as the actual author. That's dishonest.
     Obviously, that he presented others’ writings as his own on a blog—as opposed to, say, a journal or newspaper—is immaterial to whether he was plagiarizing. That he presented others’ writing as his own means that he was plagiarizing, and plagiarism is a serious sin, especially among writers, journalists, and academics.
     One would naturally suppose that it is a serious sin among Christians, too, but Reeve evidently feels otherwise. He's a special kind of Christian, I guess.
     Oddly, Reeve told the Capistrano Insider that he can’t now comment on whether his employment at Concordia U of Irvine has come to an end. But he implied that he will comment on that matter in future.
     We look forward to it.

Summer sessions to be "limited"

     Almost a week ago, we noted the rumor—or common knowledge?—“that the two colleges have messed up bigtime and, as a result, summer sessions will likely have to be cancelled…”
     Almost immediately, readers wrote us to suggest that there would be a summer session, but a very small one.
     About an hour ago, denizens of Irvine Valley College got confirmation in the form of the following memo from VP Craig Justice:

SUBJECT: SUMMER SESSION 2012 AT IRVINE VALLEY COLLEGE
     At the September 30, 2011, meeting of the Irvine Valley College Instructional Council…, the following consensus points were reached about the summer 2012 term: 

• There will be one 8-week summer session. It will commence on Monday, June 18, 2012. (Saddleback College will have the same summer calendar.)
. . .
• Due to the cap on the number of full-time equivalent students (FTES) now in place, and due to the large number of sections and students that the college is not being compensated for, summer 2012 will be significantly smaller that [sic] summer 2011.... 

     The Instructional Council strongly supports not cutting the fall and spring primary terms. To create a larger summer session in 2012 would mean that we would have to cut fall 2012 and spring 2013 classes and enrollments. Thus, summer 2012 offerings must be limited….
     The deans and academic chairs will commence work later this semester on developing a specific list of sections that will be funded for summer 2012….
     Thank you for your cooperation.

ALSO IN THE NEWS:

Seniors who ate pot brownies at funeral hospitalized (OC Reg)

Police said the three seniors from Huntington Beach and Newport Beach were served brownies but were unaware they contained “medical marijuana.”

Huell Howser donates life’s work to Chapman (OC Reg)

...He says he’s intentionally focused on the positive in his various television series, among them “California’s Gold,” “California’s Golden Parks” and “Road Trip” — whether the show is about “hot peppers, Muscle Beach, or kelp,” he said....

Combating the Police Code of Silence (Voice of OC)

…The National Institute of Ethics in 2000 surveyed police officers in 42 states. It found that 79 percent surveyed conceded that not only did a law enforcement code of silence exist, it was "fairly common throughout the nation." Forty-six percent admitted they had witnessed misconduct by another police employee but concealed what they knew….

Name this classroom!

Cash prizes for identifying the classroom distinguished by this chewed-out hole in the ceiling!

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