These guidelines are from Dr. Jacobson, UCSB Computer Science Lecturer. They are routinely adopted by other Computer Science instructors too.

READ THIS BEFORE BEGINNING EACH PROGRAMMING PROJECT

The following is a description of explicit forms of plagiarism/collusion/cheating that will result in an "F" in this course and may result in suspension from UCSB for two quarters (this list is not inclusive):

  • Seeing any portion (no matter how small) of another student's code.
  • Allowing another student to see any portion of your code (no matter how small).
  • Working together (that is, actually writing the computer code) with another student.
  • Modifying another student's work to make it "your own."
  • Asking a fellow student to help you find a bug in your program, or to help you write any portion of your program, no matter how small.
  • Copying any portion, no matter how small, of another student's code for use in your program.
  • Using the Internet or Library to seek explicit solutions to programming projects.
  • Knowingly allowing any of the above to take place.

The following is a description of allowed forms of seeking help (this list is not inclusive):

  • Discussing your project with your TA, professor, or a designated tutor.
  • Receiving help from your TA, professor, or a designated tutor via email.
  • Discussing the general ideas of solving the project with a friend or fellow student.
  • Getting explicit help from a fellow student about a concept in the course, unrelated to an assignment.
  • Using the Internet or Library to read about the general principles that apply in the project.
The penalty for the first offense of academic misconduct in this class will be to be receive an "F" in the course and to be referred to academic judiciary at the Office of Student Life, SAASB, 2201. The standard penalty the Office of Student Life issues for plagiarism is a 2-quarter suspension from UCSB.