This page explains our policy towards cheating. If you feel anything is unclear, please ask Geoffrey Egnal (gegnal@gradient.cis.upenn.edu) for clarification. NOTE: we do not check for cheating until the end of the semester; understanding our cheating policy is your responsibility. Our detection rates are better than most students suspect. We double-check automatic software to determine who cheated. So, please be vigilant against cheating.

Since both parties involved in cheating will be penalized, we suggest that you guard your work against other students for your own protection. You would be surprised at how many students might copy your homework without your knowledge, if given the opportunity to do so. Do not leave your terminal unattended. Do not leave your homework printouts lying around in the print bay, or on any desk. Protect yourself against accusations of cheating.

In the past, we have had many problems with students’ cheating. Just last semester, 40 students cheated. Many (about half) were doing very well in the course until their cheating was discovered. The punishment can be severe, including suspension from the school. Our general rule for homeworks is that we give a zero for the whole homework if we find a student cheated on any part of the homework. If we find you cheating on a test, we will turn you over to the Penn Disciplinary Committee.

The homeworks are not group projects. Although it is okay for you to verbally discuss the homeworks with others for general ideas, writing code with another student (in any form) is considered cheating. We consider working from the same terminal screen illegal. Handwriting your code together is illegal. Emailing or sending your code in any way to other students is cheating. Both people involved in the copying are considered cheating.

Again, even if you don’t cheat, PROTECT YOURSELF against other students who cheat.