Collaboration and Academic Misconduct

Collaboration Policy

You are strongly 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 or group-optional problems that you may complete alone or with one or two other students.

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 or group-optional problems:

• You may not work with more than two partners 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 for every problem that you complete as a pair/group. While you are working, the screen should be visible to each of you (e.g. via screen sharing). One person should type, while the other person observes, critiques, and plans what to do next. You must switch roles periodically, and your solution should be a true collaborative effort.

• The VS Code “Live Share Extension Pack” or Zoom Screen sharing are good ways to collaborate with your pair/group remotely.

• You must all submit the same solution to each problem that you did as a pair/group, 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 Integrity Policy.

Prohibited behaviors include:

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

• viewing part or all 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)

• consulting solutions online, or from past semesters, or in books.

• posting your work where others can view it (e.g., online).

• discussing or collaborating on a quiz, or using unauthorized resources during a quiz.

Incidents of academic misconduct will be reported to the College Board. The College Board 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).

Retraction Provision - “Regret Clause”

CS120 is offering a Retraction Provision, also known as a Regret Clause that will allow you to take back or “un-submit” work that you submitted that violates our collaboration policies.

Examples of problematic academic integrity issues:

• Collaboration or accessing partial code or solutions on a problem set (except with a single partner on Pair-optional assignments).
• Reviewing other code just to “get an idea” from other students (even past semesters) or on the web.
• Collaborating or accessing unauthorized resources on a quiz or final exam.

You may retract an assignment, quiz, or exam in CS120 within 72 hours of when you submit it.

If you retract an assignment or exam:

• You will receive a zero for that assignment It will be treated as though you never submitted it otherwise. There will be no furtherpenalty and this will not be reported to the university.

If you don’t retract an assignment/exam with integrity issues:

• Assignments or exams with academic integrity issues that are not retracted will be reported to the university. There will be a permanent record of the violation and recommended sanctions could include grading penalties or an automatic failing grade in the course.

How to retract an assignment/exam:

Send a direct email to your instructor following this template:

“Dear Prof. X: I hereby retract the following assignment/exam: [insert assignment or exam to retract] due to the following issues [insert unauthorized activity, collaboration, accessed solutions, etc.]

Sincerely,

[Your name]“

The deadline to issue a retraction is 72 hours after the item in question is submitted.