Home
DEPARTMENTAL POLICIES: POLICY ON COLLABORATION ON PROGRAMMING ASSIGNMENTS
1. Definition of Collaboration on Programming Assignments
As detailed in the University Policy on Academic Dishonesty (UPAD) of the University Code of Conduct (UCC), academic dishonesty and inappropriate collaboration are in violation of the UCC. In this section we define collaboration in the context of a programming assignment.
Unless otherwise specified by the instructor, the default policy in courses in the Department of Computer and Information Science is that students are allowed and encouraged to discuss programming assignments with each other. However, the submitted programs must be their own work--each student must write the program independently. Sharing of code is not allowed.
In addition to the actual sharing of code, if students develop an outline together of an approach to a problem that yields code that is substantially identical between the students, the students will be considered to have improperly collaborated, even if no actual transfer of code took place.
It is of course understood that large parts of different student programs may be similar because each student used code samples from the course textbook or code pieces supplied by the instructor. Similarity due to such reasons is clearly not inappropriate collaboration if attributed appropriately. More precisely, any time that you include code in your program that you did not write yourself, you should include a comment that indicates from where it came.
In some courses, for example courses in which students work on projects in groups, the faculty member may choose to give different definitions of collaboration that are more appropriate for the nature of that course. Such differences in policy will be specified in the course syllabus.
2. Departmental Policy on Penalties for Collaboration in Undergraduate Courses
The UCC (UPAD, Section 2) specifies the process by which students suspected of academic dishonesty or collaboration are to be charged and sanctioned, and in any incident the Department of Computer and Information Science will follow these policies. In this section we specify the sanctions to be applied, in accordance with the guidelines of Section 4 of the University Policy on Academic Dishonesty, if a student is determined (as specified in Section 1) to have committed an act of academic dishonesty or collaboration.
When two or more students are determined to have improperly collaborated,
a) The first occurrence will be punished by a zero on the assignment; resulting in a reduction of the final grade. Note that as a result, collaboration on an assignment that is a substantial part of the final grade will likely lead to failure in the course.
b) The next occurrence will be punished by an F in the course.
c) Whenever an incident occurs, a record of the incident will be included in the student’s file both in the Department of Computer Science and the Office of Student Development. If a student is involved in multiple incidents across more than one course, the Department of Computer Science will refer the matter to the appropriate University Hearing Body (see UPAD for details) for consideration of more severe sanctions, including suspension and expulsion. In addition the department will consider the disqualification of the student from the department due to demonstrated low integrity.
d) These penalties are to be applied to all students involved in the incident.
e) Students may appeal any penalty by promptly contacting the Director of Student Development. Currently, in Brooklyn this is Cheryl McNear and in Farmingdale this is Jennifer Northrup.
For further clarification of this policy, please consult with the Head of the Department of Computer and Information Science.
|
Policy on Collaboration on Programming Assignments 
