Course Policies

Academic Integrity

[The following is borrowed from Stuart Kurtz and then adapted]

In coming to the University of Chicago, you have become a part of an academic community. You need to both understand and internalize the values and ethics of our community. The College captures this well, in its policy on Academic Integrity & Student Conduct:

All members of the University of Chicago belong to a tradition dedicated to the pursuit and cultivation of learning. A few simple principles – academic honesty, mutual respect and civility, personal responsibility – lie at the heart of our intellectual community. Each of us – students, faculty and staff – is pledged to live up to these standards and to support each others’ efforts in this regard. We take these values seriously...

The University's formal policy on Academic Honesty and Plagiarism:

It is contrary to justice, academic integrity, and to the spirit of intellectual inquiry to submit another’s statements or ideas of work as one's own. To do so is plagiarism or cheating, offenses punishable under the University's disciplinary system. Because these offenses undercut the distinctive moral and intellectual character of the University, we take them very seriously.

Proper acknowledgment of another's ideas, whether by direct quotation or paraphrase, is expected. In particular, if any written or electronic source is consulted and material is used from that source, directly or indirectly, the source should be identified by author, title, and page number, or by website and date accessed. Any doubts about what constitutes “use” should be addressed to the instructor.

We believe that student interactions are an important and useful means to mastery of the material. We recommend that you discuss the material in this class with other students, and that includes the homework assignments. So what is the boundary between acceptable collaboration and academic misconduct? First, while it is acceptable to discuss homework, it is not acceptable to turn in someone else's work as your own. When the time comes to write down your answer, you should write it down yourself, from your own memory. Moreover, you should cite any material discussions, or written sources, e.g.,

  -- I discussed the algorithm used in this exercise with Jim Smith.
  -- We drew some relevant diagrams together on a Zoom whiteboard.

But let us add a cautionary note. The University's policy says less than it should regarding the culpability of those who facilitate misconduct, or know of misconduct by others but do not report it. An all too common case has been where one student has decided to “help” another student by giving them a copy of their assignment, only to have that other student copy it (perhaps with minimal modifications) and turn it in. In such cases, we view both students as culpable, and pursue disciplinary sanctions against both.

For the student collaborations, it can be a slippery slope that leads from sanctioned collaboration to outright misconduct. But for all the slipperiness, there is a clear line: present only your ideas as yours, and attribute all others. If you have any questions about what is or is not proper academic conduct, please ask us.

Passing homework or lab code files back and forth is almost invariably dangerous, and is likely to result in plagiarism concerns. Don't do it! Spring 2020: Likewise this quarter, even though you are encouraged to discuss course material with your classmates, you should not use screensharing during video conversations to transmit homework solutions. Instead, use video conversations and screen sharing to serve as digital analogs to what you would otherwise be allowed to do in person: work through code that is not directly or closely related to the homework, draw on paper, draw on whiteboards, etc.

Pass/Fail Option

Please let me know by the end of Friday Week 9 if you would like to take the course Pass/Fail. To earn a Pass, you will need to submit all coursework (homeworks, project, and quizzes) with an overall weighted average that would correspond to a quality grade of C- or higher. For reference, here is the Department's AY 21 Pass/Fail policy.

Zoom Code of Conduct

[The following is borrowed from Stuart Kurtz and then adapted]

We will be using Zoom in this class. I expect your interactions via Zoom to be consistent with an in-person class experience. Respect the people you're working with. Enter the Zoom meetings muted if possible (unfortunately, it will not be possible if you're calling in), and unmute to speak. Raise your hand if you'd like to speak. [There's a "Raise Hand" button on the participant page.] If your background is unusually noisy, use the chat channel instead of unmuting. You may show video, but you're not required to, and you may turn off video sharing at any time.

Please log in to your Zoom profile to update your preferred name and also add preferred pronouns after your last name. If you set a name that can't be easily matched to the name on record with the University, please let your instructor know.

Zoom Recording Policy (from Spring Quarter 2020)

[From that University policy]

As the University temporarily transitions to a remote teaching and learning environment, instructors and students have asked for guidance on the recording of course sessions. Instructors have the discretion to record course sessions, except when recording is required to meet the needs of students granted an accommodation by the Office of Student Disability Services. Recordings and transcripts will be made available to students in the relevant course, the instructor, and other necessary University officials. Recordings in which students are personally identifiable will be managed in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

This time-limited policy has been implemented to effectively deliver a remote education while safeguarding privacy and protecting rights in courses and instructional materials. Below is an acknowledgment for students designed to govern the use of any recordings and provide instructors and students with guidance on the use of instructional materials.

By attending course sessions, students acknowledge that:

1. They will not: (i) record, share, or disseminate University of Chicago course sessions, videos, transcripts, audio, or chats; (ii) retain such materials after the end of the course; or (iii) use such materials for any purpose other than in connection with participation in the course.
2. They will not share links to University of Chicago course sessions with any persons not authorized to be in the course session. Sharing course materials with persons authorized to be in the relevant course is permitted. Syllabi, handouts, slides, and other documents may be shared at the discretion of the instructor.
3. Course recordings, content, and materials may be covered by copyrights held by the University, the instructor, or third parties. Any unauthorized use of such recordings or course materials may violate such copyrights.
4. Any violation of this policy will be referred to the Area Dean of Students.

Diversity

[The following is borrowed from Stuart Kurtz and then adapted]

The University of Chicago is committed to diversity and rigorous inquiry that arises from multiple perspectives. We concur with this commitment and also believe that we have the highest quality interactions and can creatively solve more problems when we recognize and share our diversity. We expect to maintain a productive learning environment based on open communication, mutual respect, and non-discrimination. We view the diversity that students bring to this class as a resource, strength and benefit. It is our intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, generational status, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, religious background, and immigration status. Any suggestions for promoting a positive and open environment will be appreciated and given serious consideration. Please update your preferred name and gender pronouns on Zoom, as described above.

Accommodation

If you have a disability accommodation, please provide me with a copy of your accommodation determination letter from Student Disability Services as soon as possible.

Sexual Misconduct

Our school is committed to fostering a safe, productive learning environment. Title IX and our school policy prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. Sexual misconduct — including harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking — is also prohibited at our school.

Our school encourages anyone experiencing sexual misconduct to talk to someone about what happened, so they can get the support they need and our school can respond appropriately.

If you wish to speak confidentially about an incident of sexual misconduct, want more information about filing a report, or have questions about school policies and procedures, please contact our Title IX Coordinator, which can be found on our school's website.

Our school is legally obligated to investigate reports of sexual misconduct, and therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the extent possible.

As a teacher, I am also required by our school to report incidents of sexual misconduct and thus cannot guarantee confidentiality. I must provide our Title IX coordinator with relevant details such as the names of those involved in the incident.