Information and Computer Science 121: Software Methods and Tools

Cheating Policy*

The general policies on academic misconduct as outlined in the UCI Academic Senate Policies on Academic Honesty apply within the Department. The specific text of UCI's policies may be found in both the Appendix of the UCI General Catalogue, Principles of Community, and the quarterly Schedule of Classes. Students may also pick up a copy of the brochure entitled "Academic Dishonesty: Responsibilities, Definitions and Procedures" in the office of the UCI Dean of Undergraduate Students. These policies suffice for much of our work, including examinations and written assignments. However, they do not deal explicitly with course work involving computers; thus the policies must be extended to cover those cases.

Definition of Cheating

1. Program plagiarism will be suspected if an assignment that calls for independent development and implementation of a program results in two or more solutions so similar that one can be converted to another by a mechanical transformation.
2. Cheating will be suspected if a student who was to complete an assignment independently cannot explain both the intricacies of his or her solution and the techniques used to generate that solution.

Cheating

• Turning in someone else's work as your own (with or without his or her knowledge). Turning in a completely duplicated assignment is a flagrant offense, but even copying only a portion of the assignment and turning it in as your own is considered cheating.
• Allowing someone else to turn in your work as his or her own.
• Several people writing one program and turning in multiple copies, all represented (implicitly or explicitly) as individual work.
• Using any part of someone else's work without the proper acknowledgment.
• Stealing an examination or a solution from the instructor. This is an extremely flagrant offense.

• Turning in work done alone with the help of the course's staff.
• Submission of one assignment for a group of students if group work is explicitly permitted (or required).
• Getting or giving help on how to operate the computer or terminal.
• Getting or giving help on how to eliminate minor syntax errors.
• High-level discussion of course material for better understanding.
• Discussion of assignments to understand what is being asked for.

The procedures that are followed and the sanctions that may be imposed for an incident of academic dishonesty are outlined in the UCI Academic Senate Policies on Academic Honesty.

Non-ICS majors should be aware that an incident of academic dishonesty may be sufficient to cause denial of a petition to change major into ICS or register for the ICS minor.

ICS majors should be aware that an incident of academic dishonesty may be sufficient to cause denial of admission into the ICS Honors Program.

All students should be aware that a recorded incident of academic dishonesty will disqualify them for consideration for honors at graduation.

All students should also be aware that a first incident of academic dishonesty (if egregious) may be sufficient to cause suspension or dismissal from the University and that a second incident likely will result in such a penalty.

In the event that an instructor writes a letter accusing a student of academic dishonesty, the student may prepare a statement giving his/her side of the case for inclusion in the student's file.
 

* This policy has been adopted by the Department of Information and Computer Science; itmo is a slightly revised version of CMU's printed in SIGCSE Bulletin, Vol. 12, No. 2, July 1980.