Policy on Academic Honesty
Department of Computer Science at Rose-Hulman

Adopted - September 1996

The faculty in the Department of Computer Science want to be certain that the following minimal expectations are made clear to all students:

  1. The members of the department expect material submitted for grading to be the work of the student(s) submitting the assignment. In particular we will not accept homework and programs that have been copied.
  2. We expect students to keep work private by using appropriate permissions on computer files.
  3. We expect students to make a significant attempt to solve problems before seeking advice and assistance from another person. Reading someone else's completed or partially completed assignment or program before beginning to work on the assignment is unacceptable unless explicit instructions to the contrary have been given.
  4. It is both courteous and honest to make some public acknowledgement of the source of ideas that are used in work that is submitted for a grade. We expect students to make such acknowledgements whenever they are appropriate.
  5. There may be occasions when a faculty member suspects that an assignment has been copied from another person or has been completed without following stated ground rules. In such circumstances, faculty members reserve the right to give an oral examination on the assignment. If this examination uncovers substantial lack of understanding of the assignment, a penalty will be assigned based on the oral examination.
  6. We expect students to do an appropriate share of the work involved in group projects.
  7. We want all students to help their classmates learn and grow as professionals. At times this may mean letting a classmate figure something out without your help. At other times this may mean asking another student to clarify an explanation that you do not understand.
  8. We expect students to be aware of and to observe all requirements that are announced by the instructor.

A policy cannot adequately deal with every possible area of uncertainty or ambiguity. All students are encouraged to discuss these matters with any faculty member. We believe that such discussions are more valuable if they take place when you first have questions about the nature of acceptable behavior in a learning environment.