Plagiarism occurs when an individual uses information from another source without providing credit in order to pass the information off as their own work (Oxford English Dictionary).
In academic writing and the professional sphere, it is expected that if you are referring to information that is not your own original thoughts, you cite the original source in order to give credit to the authors. This is called academic integrity. Not only are you establishing your own credibility by citing, you are also directing the readers to where they can find more information on a given topic.
Plagiarism is still plagiarism regardless of intention - so even if you plagiarize on accident, it is still plagiarism and can still be met with disciplinary action.
The best way to avoid plagiarism is to learn how to cite your sources accurately and effectively.
Plagiarism is addressed by Alvernia University's Honor Code policy, attached below.
If a student is caught plagiarizing for an assignment in class, that student may receive disciplinary action that can include:
Failing the assignment
Failing the course
Students who have plagiarized are also added to the Honor Code Violation list, and if the behavior continues, further disciplinary action outside of the course grade can be implemented.
The video below defines plagiarism, gives examples of how it can be done (intentionally or not!), and ways to avoid plagiarism.