Computer Science Department Academic Integrity Information

The CS Department takes academic integrity seriously. We expect all students to abide by the rules and regulations specified in the class syllabi and defined by the University of Maryland. Below we provide some information on how the CS Department views and handle academic integrity matters.

What Constitute Academic Integrity Violations

For every CS course make sure you read the syllabus and understand what is permissible and what represents an academic integrity violation. The following are examples of academic integrity violations that apply to all our courses.

Hardcoding of results in a project assignment. Hardcoding refers to attempting to make a program appear as if it works correctly (e.g., printing expected results for a test).
Using any code available on the internet/web or any source without the approval of the course instructor. This is one of the most common violations we see, where students use code posted by another students in systems like github, pastebin, etc.
Hiring any online service to complete an assignment for you or using online forums not approved by the course instructor in order to ask for assistance.
Sharing your code with classmates (sharing code includes sharing tests).
Use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Bing AI, etc.) for the completion of class work.

Why Academic Integrity Violations Take Place

The following are situations that lead to academic integrity violations.

Students have not read the class syllabus and are not aware of what constitute an academic integrity violation. Notice that it is your responsibility to read the syllabus. Claiming you were not aware of what was allowed for a course does not represent a valid excuse.
Students procastinate and in desperation decide to find code online or from other students.
Students feel pressured by friends, roommates, or classmates to share their code. Any friend that pressures you to share your code is not your friend.
Students think that due to the large number of students in a course, it is not possible for them to be caught.
Notice that once you provide your code to another student, you are a facilitator, even if you indicate to the student "not to copy-paste" any of it. Actually we had a case in which a student CS degree was revoked for this reason.

CS Department Takes Academic Integrity Seriously

The CS Department takes academic integrity serioulsy. By using software tools we compare a student's programming assignment submission against all other submissions in the course and across several semesters. Examination material (e.g., quizzes, tests) is photocopied in case modification of graded material takes place.

Some students believe we do not perform integrity checks on submitted projects, but this is not correct. Also some students think that by slightly modifying their code (e.g., changing variable names or indentation) two submissions will be considered different. This is not correct as software tools can look beyond those trivial differences.

Notice there are several tools/resources the CS Department relies on (beyond the ones described above) in order to guarantee academic integrity violations have not taken place.

Consequences

The Office of Student Conduct is responsible for handling academic integrity matters. After a report is submitted by an instructor, the case is evaluated by the office and it could result in an XF grade, degree revocation, or dismissal from the university.

Probably one of the most negative consequences of academic integrity violations is the emotional burden an academic integrity case has on a student. We have seen students extremely distraught and in pain as a result of a bad decision regarding a class assignment. In many cases students chances for recommendations, TA positions or other opportunities, are negatively affected.

Resources

If you have any questions or concerns regarding integrity matters, contact your instructor or the CS Undergraduate Office. The University provides several resources regarding academic integrity matters. Some of those resources are:

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