Policies

Guiding Principles

CS 163/4: Java Programming (CS 1) is built around the Principles of Community, and we expect students to uphold these principles within our classroom environment, and throughout their careers.

Inclusion

We create and nurture inclusive environments and welcome, value and affirm all members of our community, including their various identities, skills, ideas, talents and contributions.

This manifests in this class in our in class discussions, discussion posts, and our interactions on Teams. You are to be kind to others with various backgrounds and identities, without making assumptions. With that said, this course is considered a ‘Brave Space’. This does not exclude the classroom from being a Safe Space - and know you are welcome - and the classroom is meant to challenge ideals. We will often approach topics that may make you feel uncomfortable and challenge your point of view. We will even ask you to argue the opposite of what you believe. That is the joy of learning.

Learn more about the difference:

Resources - Counseling Services

We encourage students to make use of the University Counseling Services. Just as one takes care of your physical health, you should also take care of your mental health using all tools and means at your disposal. Your student fees provide access to a wide range of mental health support resources at no additional cost. Visit Counseling Services on the 3rd floor of the Health & Medical Center, and they’ll work together with you to find the resources that are best for you.

Resources - Student Disability Center

We highly encourage students to make use of the SDC, whether they choose to use the provided accommodations or not. Often, we will allow accommodations within our environment, but we need the proper documentation in place to be fair to all students. The choice is always yours as a student to use provided accommodations, but having it already setup is much easier than waiting until later in the semester.

Universal Design For Learning/Accommodation of Needs

We are committed to the principle of universal learning. This means that our classroom, our virtual spaces, our practices, and our interactions be as inclusive as possible. Mutual respect, civility, and the ability to listen and observe others carefully are crucial to universal learning.

If you are a student who will need accommodations in this class, please contact me to discuss your individual needs. Any accommodation must be discussed in a timely manner. A verifying memo from The Student Disability Center may be required before any accommodation is provided.

The Student Disability Center (SDC) has the authority to verify and confirm the eligibility of students with disabilities for the majority of accommodations. While some accommodations may be provided by other departments, a student is not automatically eligible for those accommodations unless their disability can be verified and the need for the accommodation confirmed, either through SDC or through acceptable means defined by the particular department. Faculty and staff may consult with the SDC staff whenever there is doubt as to the appropriateness of an accommodative request by a student with a disability.

The goal of SDC is to normalize disability as part of the culture of diversity at Colorado State University. The characteristic of having a disability simply provides the basis of the support that is available to students. The goal is to ensure students with disabilities have the opportunity to be as successful as they have the capability to be.

Support and services are offered to student with functional limitations due to visual, hearing, learning, or mobility disabilities as well as to students who have specific physical or mental health conditions due to epilepsy, diabetes, asthma, AIDS, psychiatric diagnoses, etc. Students who are temporarily disabled are also eligible for support and assistance.

Any student who is enrolled at CSU, and who self-identifies with SDC as having a disability, is eligible for support from SDC. Specific accommodations are determined individually for each student and must be supported by appropriate documentation and/or evaluation of needs consistent with a particular type of disability. SDC reserves the right to ask for any appropriate documentation of disability in order to determine a student’s eligibility for accommodations as well as in support for specific accommodative requests. The accommodative process begins once a student meets with an accommodation’s specialist in the SDC.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Mission, Vision, and Focus webpage of the Vice President for Diversity includes a comprehensive statement of CSU’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Integrity

We are accountable for our actions and will act ethically and honestly in all our interactions.

Within the classroom, that means you do your own work! This is especially true when it comes to programming, as it is easy to copy another’s code. Copying code is cheating and lacks integrity. Such violations of cheating or plagiarism will result in zero to a full negative grade on the assignment and reporting to the appropriate university resources. Further infractions will result in an F given in the course.

CMU provides some nice examples to follow:

For personal assistance, here are some of the things that are appropriate:

Clarifying ambiguities or vague points in class handouts, textbooks, or lectures
Discussing or explaining the general class material
Providing assistance with Java, in using the system facilities, or with editing and debugging tools
Discussing the code that we give out on the assignment
Discussing the assignments to better understand them
Getting help from anyone concerning programming issues which are clearly more general than the specific project (e.g., what does a particular error message mean?)
Suggesting solution strategies
In general, oral collaboration is OK.

Here are some things that are inappropriate:

Copying files or parts of files (such as source code, written text, or unit tests) from another person or source
Copying (or retyping) files or parts of files with minor modifications such as style changes or minor logic modifications
Allowing someone else to copy your code or written assignment, either in draft or final form
Getting help that you do not fully understand, and from someone whom you do not acknowledge on your solution
Writing, using, or submitting a program that attempts to alter or erase grading information or otherwise compromise security
Copying someone else’s files containing draft solutions, even if the file permissions are incorrectly set to allow it
Lying to course staff
Reading the current solution (handed out) if you will be handing in the current assignment late
Copying prose or programs directly
Giving copies of work to others
Coaching others step-by-step

If you do any of these, your should also acknowledge it in what you turn in; but expect to have a conversation with an instructor about it and, at least, suffer some penalty in the grade. If we discover you have done this and not acknowledged it, the penalty will be much more severe. In other words, dishonesty is much worse than stupidity.

Here are some gray areas:

Reading someone’s code for clarity or bugs, after you have completed your own
Helping with debugging
Looking at someone’s prose or program but thinking about them and writing your own
Following someone’s advice or instructions without understanding them
Many others

These, too, should be acknowledged.

A couple resources

Academic Integrity & CSU Honor Pledge

This course will adhere to the CSU Academic Integrity/Misconduct policy as found in the General Catalog and the Student Conduct Code.

Academic integrity lies at the core of our common goal: to create an intellectually honest and rigorous community. Because academic integrity, and the personal and social integrity of which academic integrity is an integral part, is so central to our mission as students, teachers, scholars, and citizens, I will ask that you affirm the CSU Honor Pledge as part of completing your work in this course.

Further information about Academic Integrity is available at CSU’s Academic Integrity - Student Resources.

Respect

We honor the inherent dignity of all people within an environment where we are committed to freedom of expression, critical discourse, and the advancement of knowledge.

Within this classroom, we give everyone the opportunity to talk during discussions. We are honest and open with everyone. We will also treat the labs and computers with respect, and those in the lab. If you are unable to use the lab resources with respect, you can loose the privilege of the lab and computer use.

Please review the core rules of netiquette for some guidelines and expectations on how to behave in an online learning environment, such as canvas.

Religious Observances

CSU does not discriminate on the basis of religion. Reasonable accommodation should be made to allow individuals to observe their established religious holidays. Students seeking an exemption from attending class or completing assigned course work for a religious holiday will need to fill out the Religious Accommodation Request Form and turn it in to the Division of Student Affairs, located on the second level of the Administration building.

Once turned in, the Division of Student Affairs will review the request and contact the student accordingly. If approved, the student will receive a memo from the Dean of Students to give to their professor or course instructor.

Students are asked to turn in the request forms as soon as the conflict is noticed. Similarly, unanticipated conflicts requiring a religious observance, such as a death in the family, can also be reviewed.

Service

We are responsible, individually and collectively, to give of our time, talents, and resources to promote the well-being of each other and the development of our local, regional, and global communities.

Service within the class means giving back to the class. How do you choose to improve the classroom community, and those around you? Computer Science is about using technology to improve the world - and it starts with you.

Additionally, one way you will serve your local community is as a peer grader. Some of our assignments will require peer grading, and all assignments require peer interaction. If you do not follow your peer grading responsibility, you risk receiving a 0 on your assignments.

We have the right to be treated and the responsibility to treat others with fairness and equity, the duty to challenge prejudice, and to uphold the laws, policies and procedures that promote justice in all respects.

There are topics in this class that have to do with social justice and equity for all those who use technology. These topics are meant to cause us to think about inclusive design, and how we develop applications that actively promote social justice by means of the application following inclusive design principles.

Undocumented Student Support

Any CSU student who faces challenges or hardships due to their legal status in the United States and believes that it may impact their academic performance in this course is encouraged to visit Student Support Services for Undocumented, DACA & ASSET for resources and support. Additionally, only if you feel comfortable, please notify your professor so they may pass along any additional resources they may possess.

Title IX/Interpersonal Violence

For the full statement regarding role and responsibilities about reporting harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and the retaliation policy please go to: Title IX – Sexual Assault, Sexual Violence, Sexual Harassment.

If you feel that your rights have been compromised at CSU, several resources are available to assist:

Student Resolution Center, 200 Lory Student Center, (970) 491-7165
Office of Equal Opportunity, 101 Student Services, (970) 491-5836

A note about interpersonal violence: If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, relationship violence and/or stalking, know that you are not alone. As instructors, we are required by law to notify university officials about disclosures related to interpersonal violence. Confidential victim advocates are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide support related to the emotional, physical, physiological and legal aftermath of interpersonal violence. Contact the Victim Assistance Team at: (970) 492-4242.

Additional Standard Policies

Copyrighted Course Materials

Please do not share material from this course in online, print, or other media. Course material is the property of the instructor who developed the course. Materials authored by third parties and used in the course are also subject to copyright protections. Posting course materials on external sites (commercial or not) violates both copyright law and the CSU Student Conduct Code. Students who share course content without the instructor’s express permission, including with online sites that post materials to sell to other students, could face appropriate disciplinary or legal action.

Third-Party Tools/Privacy

Please note that this course may require you to use third-party tools (tools outside of the Canvas learning management system), such as Skype and others. Some of these tools may collect and share information about their users. Because your privacy is important, you are encouraged to consult the privacy policies for any third-party tools in this course so that you are aware of how your personal information is collected, used and shared.