Academic Integrity Policy
Approved: Fall, 2003

The Department of Computer Science expects and enforces the highest standards of academic integrity and ethics. The Department takes severe action against academic dishonesty, which may include failing grades on an assignment or in a course, up to a recommendation for dismissal from the University.

Academic dishonesty is defined as any action or practice that provides the potential for an unfair advantage to one individual or one group. Academic dishonesty includes misrepresenting facts, fabricating or doctoring data or results, representing another's work or knowledge as one's own, disrupting or destroying the work of others, or abetting anyone who engages in such practices.

Academic dishonesty is not absolute because the expectations for collaboration vary. In some courses, for example, students are assigned to work on team projects. In others, students are given permission to collaborate on homework projects or to have written materials present during an examination. Unless otherwise specified, however, the CS Department requires all work to be the result of individual effort, performed without the help of other individuals or outside sources. If a question arises about the type of external materials that may be used or the amount of collaboration that is permitted for a given task, each individual involved is responsible for verifying the rules with the appropriate authority before engaging in collaborative activities, using external materials, or accepting help from others.

A student accused of academic dishonesty must be afforded due process as defined by Purdue University procedures. The Dean of Students Office may be notified concerning an academic dishonesty incident as provided by Purdue University procedures.

The Dean of Students Office has an Academic Integrity Guide for Students at http://www.purdue.edu/ODOS/osrr/integrity.htm that defines academic dishonesty, tells how to avoid allegations of academic dishonesty, and outlines the consequences of academic dishonesty from the University's perspective.

Academic Integrity Policy Implementation
Approved: Fall, 2003

1. The Academic Integrity Policy appears on the Computer Science department Website and is also available on request via email or hardcopy. The first time a student registers in a CS class, the student must sign that he or she has read and understands both the policy and its consequences. This signature is required of all students who take Computer Science courses, including non-majors.
2. The CS Department recommends that the syllabus or website of each CS course reference the Academic Integrity Policy and remind students of their obligations.
3. The Academic Integrity Policy states that all work must be performed individually. A Professor or other course administrator who chooses to allow or encourage collaboration on any aspect of coursework must explictly state and explain the exact nature of collaboration that is allowed.
4. Independent of any handout, posting, or discussion, it is the student's responsibility to determine what constitutes academic dishonesty in a particular course. If a question arises, the student must contact the appropriate person (e.g., Professor or course administrator) before proceeding.
5. The CS Department designates an individual to serve as Academic Integrity Officer (AIO). The roles of the AIO include ensuring that the Academic Integrity Policy is publicized on the department Website, serving as liaison to the Dean of Students office concerning cases of academic dishonesty, helping professors (when requested) to assess cases of potential academic dishonesty and assign penalties, being available to students to discuss academic dishonesty issues, and helping enforce high standards for integrity.
6. The Department recognizes that the intellectual substance of an assignment or an answer on an examination can be contained in very few words, mathematical symbols, or lines of code. Therefore, academic dishonesty is assessed on the basis of substance, not on the basis of quantity of material copied.
7. A student accused of academic dishonesty is shown evidence by the faculty member and given a chance to respond. If the faculty member determines that academic dishonesty has occurred, the faculty member will determine the penalty. If a student does not agree with the faculty decision, he or she may use the standard university appeals process to seek another opportunity for the case to be reconsidered.
8. Penalties for academic dishonesty can include (but are not limited to) any of the following -- a warning with no reduction in grade, a reduction in grade or grade of F for the coursework in question, a reduction in course grade at the end of the semester, or a grade of F for the entire course. Penalties are entirely at the discretion of the faculty member. The faculty member may seek advice on penalties from the Academic Integrity Officer.
9. The CS Department strongly encourages faculty to send a Report of Academic Dishonesty, including those incidents for which no penalty is assessed, to both the Academic Integrity Officer in the CS Department and the Dean of Students Office.
10. We note that the Dean of Students Office may choose to act independently of the CS Department to issue a warning, place the student on probation, declare a student to be on probated suspension, suspend the student for a fixed amount of time, or expel the student from the university. The action depends upon the severity of the offense and the history of previous offenses.
11. A Report of Academic Dishonesty will be placed in the student's file and, thus, will be available to the student's academic advisor, the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies, and Director of Advising. A history of academic dishonesty may be used in judging eligibility for such items as scholarships, awards, and other privileges, including determining whether a student will be granted approval to re-take a course.