Department Plagiarism Policy

All students in computer science courses will be held responsible for the contents of this statement. Failure to read this statement will not excuse failure to observe it.

In computer science classes, students are encouraged to work with one another to better understand the course material. This includes discussing course topics, lecture notes, and assignment directions. This does not include sharing code or algorithmic solutions, unless authorized to do so by the instructor. Students must learn to develop their own algorithmic solutions and the code to implement those solutions. When a student copies even a small part of someone else's code or algorithmic solution, the opportunity to learn the material on his or her own is jeopardized. This policy is in place to distinguish between seeking appropriate help and committing an act of plagiarism.

Students commit plagiarism when, upon being required to do original work, they submit someone else's work as their own. The plagiarized work may be a solution to an algorithmic problem or a piece of program code; its scope may be an entire assignment, or just a part of it. The plagiarized material may be from another student in the class, from a person outside the class, or found online. A student who provides work to other students contributes to the resulting act of plagiarism and will also be held accountable.

If an act of plagiarism occurs, it will be documented in writing to the Associate Academic Dean and a penalty will be determined by the instructor of the course in consultation with the Chairperson of the Computer Science Department. Generally, the minimum penalty will consist of all parties involved receiving zero credit for the assignment. However, depending on the severity of the act and whether previous offenses have occurred (within or outside this course), receiving a grade of 'F' for the course or even dismissal from the College may be warranted.