CS 5/579, Winter 2020
| Participation 30% |
Attendance at all sessions, participation in discussions, presenting papers when it is your turn. |
| Assignments 30% |
As described |
| Final Project 40% |
As described |
Attendance is expected at all class sessions. In addition to attending each class session, I expect all students to actively participate in the discussions. This can be in the form of asking a question, responding to another student’s question (or one from the instructor!), raising an issue, etc. When it is your turn to present and/or lead the discussion, this will count towards your participation.
We expect and require that all submissions be the student’s own, original work. Any and all text, code, etc. that you include from any other source must be properly cited, including quotation and paraphrasing. Here are some resources you may find useful:
If you are unsure about whether something must be cited, the answer is probably “yes”; when in doubt, please ask.
We absolutely encourage students to work together on assignments, but unless specifically directed otherwise, each student is 100% responsible for producing their own, independent version of the solution and its writeup. If you have any questions or concerns about what this should look like in practice, please ask.
There are many places online where one can find code snippets, or even full implementations of algorithms. While you should absolutely feel free to look for inspiration, you must produce your own, independent implementation of all assignments and projects . For example, if an assignment says to implement algorithm “X”, do not do any of the following:
If you do this sort of thing and do not cite what you’re using, that is plagiarism. Note that, even if you do cite it properly, you will still run afoul of this policy, as you are not actually doing your own work.
Generally speaking, all written text that you turn in should be original and written by you. Sometimes, of course, it is necessary to re-use somebody else’s text, in the form of a short and limited quotation. Purdue University’s Online Writing Laboratory has a helpful guide on best practices for quotation, paraphrasing, and summarization.
Note that verbatim re-use of entire paragraphs in your submitted assignments is generally not allowed, even with appropriate citation. When in doubt, ask the instructor.
On a more personal note: in my experience, students who engage in plagiarism typically do so because they feel that they have no other choice. A deadline is looming, they are overwhelmed by some aspect of the assignment, a personal crisis comes up that keeps them from being able to finish, etc., and they feel like using somebody else’s work, or reusing some of their own work from another class, is the best option available. I can 100% guarantee that this is not the case: you have other options, and choosing plagiarism will not result in a good outcome.
When we catch you, the consequences will depend on the precise circumstances, but will at a minimum involve a score of zero points for the assignment in question, and often involve a failing grade on the course.
So: don’t wait for me to catch you: ask for help early and often.
See the syllabus page on Sakai for a full list of university policies, etc.
I would like to make an additional note regarding accessibility and accommodations. The syllabus link above will include the University’s official language about accessibility, and will list the various resources that you have available to you. While comprehensive, the official verbiage is pretty dense; in the past, some have found its “legalese” language to be off-putting or unclear. I am committed to helping each of you succeed to the best of my ability, and I fully support the University’s Office of Student Access.
If you anticipate needing any kind of accommodation, I encourage you to reach out to the Office of Student Access or to myself as early as possible in the term. I will be able to help you more effectively if we begin our discussions around your needs earlier rather than later. If you have a need that is not covered by the OHSU accessibility and accommodation policies, or if you have questions or concerns about anything along these lines, please do not hesitate to ask me for information or help.