A Model Academic Ethics and Integrity Policy for Computer Science Departments

1. A Model Academic Ethics and Integrity Policy for Computer Science Departments Charles Riedesel Eric Manley Susan Poser Jitender Deogun

2. Something Different about CS • Universities and colleges have academic integrity policies and codes of conduct • Computing sciences are developing their own • But still fail to address or directly conflict with standard practice

3. What’s to be accomplished with this paper? • Identify what is peculiar about CS • Overview of existing policies • Propose a new model

4. CS Practice vs. Ethics Standards • Multiple Submission - but we want to encourage code reuse • Copying others’ work - we want extensive use of code bases and libraries • Group work - it’s the only way • Nature of electronic media - security of work, methods of fraud

5. Policies Today • Professional policies not education oriented • ACM Code of Ethics • Contribute to society, Avoid harm, Fairness, Honesty (Note - just one aspect of ethics!), Property rights, Credit for Intel. Property, Respect privacy, Honor confidentiality

6. Accreditation and Ethics • ABET - “There must be sufficient coverage of social and ethical implications of computing to give students an understanding of a broad range of issues in this area.”

7. Overview of Policies • UNL (adapted from George Wash. U) • Quite Long, with intro and overview • Definitions • Reasons to act with integrity • Examples of good and bad behavior • Reasons to suspect dishonesty • Consequences

8. Overview of Policies (UNL) • Inadequacies • Some terms still not well defined • Implementation not well covered • Not revisited since creation 8 years ago

9. Overview of Policies • U of Texas at Austin - “Rules to Live By” • Very strict, may limit collaboration • Justified as needed to meet “artificial requirement of having individual grades”

10. Overview of Policies • George Washington U • Question & Answer format with motivations • Careful guidance what is/is not allowed • Purdue U • Mostly not CS specific, quite generic • Very specific implementation and processes, eg. Signing statements

11. Insights and Innovations • Who should be subject to the policy? • Everyone even remotely connected • Faculty, Researchers, Teaching Assistants, Student Resource Centers, Administration, Office Staff, Custodians

12. Insights and Innovations • Integrity is a part of ethics - we need “academic ethics” policies • The key to integrity is transparency, the avoidance of deception • Change the focus from trying to determine what is allowed and not allowed to instead documenting and citing all external involvement - Many implications!!!

13. Insights and Innovations • Policies should not impinge on educating students in the legitimate practices and procedures of industry, nor impede the development of promising new educational pedagogies

14. Proposed Model • Who is subject to the policy (everyone) • Definitions of Ethics and Integrity (as it applies to everyone!) • Examples of Ethical and Honest Behavior • Examples of Unethical and Dishonest Behavior

15. Proposed Model • Causes for Suspicion • Maintaining Ethical and Honest Behavior • Consequences of Violations • Appeals for Violations • Supplements, Appendices, and Additional Materials

16. Implementation of a Policy • Clear set of procedures • Forms for reporting and filing • Tracking repeat offences • Publicity guidelines • Schedule for revisions • Assessment process

17. Student Comments on Current Policy (assigned essay) • “I had never thought to credit a classmate who had helped me” • “knowing that every student had to write an essay … assures me … every student knows … what is acceptable” • “I will always be extremely wary of the possibility that I might unintentionally overstep the straight and narrow”

18. More Comments • “it binds the faculty as well as the students. It’s a good thing to have everyone held by the same standards” • “After I read … I am very impressed by the fact that everyone contributes to the environment of fairness” • “Paper shredders should be made available [in the labs]”

19. More Comments • “After reading the … policy, I am still unsure if I can get help from another student” • “… surprised me. … if I were to accidentally leave files in an insecure place such as the recycle bin, I could be an accomplice …”

20. Student Cheats on Integrity Policy Essay! • New graduate student • Carefully researched, multiple sources • The only original content was “I think that”, “I believe that” • Body of “essay” was plagiarized from the Internet

21. My Collaboration Policy • Syllabus statement is strict, but promises guidelines • Statement in Homework calls for documenting all sharing, minimal penalty • Student responses thus far are encouraging

22. Questions? • ACM Policy • http://www.acm.org/about/code-of-ethics • IEEE Policy • http://www.ieee.org/portal/pages/iportals/aboutus/ethics/code.html • ABET Statement • http://abet.org/forms.shtml#For_Computing_Programs_Only • UNL Policy • http://cse.unl.edu/ugrad/academic_integrity.php