Academic integrity and the honor pledge
The honor pledge.
The University of Maryland has a student-based honor system,
administered by the Student Honor Council.
The Student Honor Council proposed and
the University Senate approved the institution of an honor pledge.
As of Spring 2002, students are asked to
write by hand and sign on all exams
and assignments (excepting those exempted by the instructor)
the following pledge:
-
I pledge on my honor that I have not given or received any unauthorized assistance on this
assignment/examination.
(The intended meaning of "Unauthorized assistance" is to cover all
forms of cheating. No Clintonesque interpretations allowed!)
Students who do not write and sign the pledge will
be asked to confer with the instructor.
In this course, writing the pledge
will be asked for only for exams.
Nevertheless, honorable and noncheating behavior is expected
in all respects (in particular, on quizzes).
Working together or cheating?
Absolutely, I encourage you to collaborate on homework. You can learn more
(especially if you try the problems alone first)
and you can build friendships.
Where is the line drawn on cheating?
In this course,
you are cheating on written
homework if you copy the solution. You are not cheating
if your friend explains the solution to you, or
if you learn the solution by studying your friend's paper.
But, you must write the solution from your own understanding
and memory.