Collaboration and Academic Misconduct

Collaboration Policy

You are encouraged to collaborate with one another in studying the lecture materials and preparing for quizzes and exams.

Problem sets will include two types of problems:

• individual-only problems that you must complete on your own

• pair-optional problems that you may complete alone or with one other student.

For both types of problems, you may discuss ideas and approaches with others (provided that you acknowledge this in your solution), but such discussions should be kept at a high level, and should not involve actual details of the code or of other types of answers. You must complete the actual solution on your own (or, in the case of a pair-optional problem, with your partner if you choose to use one).

Rules for working with a partner on pair-optional problems:

• You may not work with more than one partner on a given assignment. (However, you are welcome to switch partners between assignments.)

• You may not split up the work and complete it separately.

• You must work together (at the same computer or via a Zoom meeting) for every problem that you complete as a pair.

• You and your partner must both submit the same solution to each problem that you worked on as a pair, and you must clearly indicate that you worked on the problem as a pair by putting your partner’s name at the top of the file.

Academic Misconduct

We will assume that you understand the University’s Academic Conduct Code.

You should also carefully review the CS department’s page on academic integrity.

Prohibited behaviors include:

• copying all or part of someone else’s work, even if you subsequently modify it; this includes cases in which someone tells you what to write for your solution

• viewing all or part of someone else’s work (with the exception of work that you and your partner do together on a pair-optional problem)

• showing all or part of your work to another student (with the exception of work that you and your partner do together on a pair-optional problem)

• giving another student access to your laptop unless you monitor their usage

• consulting solutions from past semesters, or those found online or in books

• using tools that automate and/or assist with the writing of code or the completion of other types of solutions

• posting your work where others can view it (e.g., online), even after you complete the course

• receiving assistance from others or collaborating with others during an exam, or consulting materials except those that are explicitly allowed.

Incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the Academic Conduct Committee (ACC). The ACC may suspend or expel students found guilty of misconduct. At a minimum, students who engage in misconduct will have their final grade reduced by one letter grade (e.g., from a B to a C).