Course Policies and Expectations

• Your Responsibilities
  
  • Refrain from the use of any technology (e.g. cell phones, iPods, tablets, laptops, etc.) while in the classroom unless it is specifically permitted.
  • Check your e-mail at least once a day and preferably several times a day. "I didn't read my e-mail" is never a valid excuse for not knowing something that I mentioned in an e-mail.
  • Look at the Schedule before every class to ensure you are doing everything you are supposed to do.
    • Complete assignments listed in the Events column.
    • Read the section from the textbook listed in the Resources column before class.
    • Other handouts listed in the Resources column do not have to be read before class unless specifically mentioned.
    • Write and submit an SRQ if required (see below).
  • Take all tests and quizzes when assigned.
  • Submit all assignments by the specified deadlines.
  • Arrive to class on time.
  • Pay attention during class.
• Getting Help
  
  • Me (in order of preference)
    • Come to my office hours. There is no appointment necessary—just show up.
    • Schedule an appointment using Google Calendar (24 hours in advance if possible)
    • Stop by my office and hope I am in and not busy.
    • Send me an e-mail
    • Call me on the phone
  • Course web page
  • Textbook(s)
  • Links listed on the course web page
  • The Computer Science Help Center (for lower-level courses)
  • Reference books (A Java or C++ book, for instance)
  • A tutor through the ASC
• Grading
  
  • See the Grading page for a chart that gives the percentage breakdown for the course.
  • All assignments in a given category are equally weighted regardless of how many points they are out of. Thus, a homework assignment worth 10 points is weighted the same as one with 100 points. I use the percentage score on each assignment, not the total number of points.
  • Final grades will be based on the scale in the table below—round your final percentage down at .49 and up at .50 (e.g. 83.49 rounds to 83 and is a B-).

    Percent	94-100	90-93	87-89	84-86	80-83	77-79	74-76	70-73	67-69	64-66	60-63	0-59
    Grade	A	A-	B+	B	B-	C+	C	C-	D+	D	D-	F

• Attendance
  
  • You must attend every class.
  • If you miss a class, you are responsible to talk to a classmate to find out any details you missed.
  • You should inform me ahead of time (when possible) if you are going to miss class.
  • In class activities (e.g. worksheets, quizzes, exams, etc.) cannot be made up regardless of the reason for your absence. There are two exceptions:
    • If a worksheet is available ahead of time, you may complete and submit it before the missed class.
    • Major exams can be made up if you miss class due to a serious illness and you inform me as soon as you are able.
  • Assignments handed in before the missed class will be accepted, but assignments will not be accepted if you attempt to hand them in after the missed class (e.g. if you sleep in and miss class).
• Late Assignment policy
  
  • Unless otherwise specified, all of my courses have the Free Late policy in effect.
  • According to this policy, I will accept one (and only one) assignment up to 1 class period late.
  • Since you only get one, only use it if you absolutely must! However, your goal should be to never use the Free Late policy.
  • In order to use the Free Late, you must
    1. attend class on the due date, and
    2. hand in a piece of paper with
       • your name,
       • the phrase "I want to use my Free Late", and
       • a one to two sentence reason/excuse. Any reason/excuse is valid, but I would like to know what it is.
  • This only applies to homework assignments, programming assignments, and lab reports. It does not apply to term papers, quizzes, tests, etc.
  • Other than the one Free Late assignment, I will not accept late homework.
  • Note that assignments cannot be turned in after the last day of class, so you cannot use the Free Late for assignments due on the last day of class.
• Homework
  
  • Unless otherwise specified, assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date.
  • Homework assignments should be clear, concise, and organized.
  • You must show all of your work for each problem on a homework assignment, even if a problem does not specifically say so. In other words, do not just write down your final answer. Include all of the steps you performed to get the answer.
  • Problems should be in the order they appeared on the assignment, and your assignment must be stapled together, preferably with your name appearing on each page of the assignment.
  • You should use full English sentences where appropriate.
  • Charts/diagrams/drawings should be neatly drawn and clearly labeled.
  • Algorithms should be clearly written, documented and labeled.
  • Mathematical proofs should be properly and neatly written.
  • Algebra ≠ Proof. Algebra+context=Proof.
  • I will deduct points from any papers which are disorganized, illegible, or contain extraneous material.
  • You should always review your homework assignments after they are handed back.
    • Read all of the comments to determine what you did right and what you did wrong.
    • Clear up any misunderstandings/mistakes by looking at the textbook, resources on the course web page, or asking me.
    • Make sure you are able to do all of the problems correctly.
    • If you have questions about how anything is graded, please ask. Grading questions must be resolved no more than 2 weeks after the assignment is first handed back.
• Homework Assistance
  
  • You must indicate any assistance/collaboration you had on an assignment by writing "(with X)" either after the relevant problem(s) or at the top if it applies to the majority of an assignment. There are two different types of assistance, and you must specify either type whenever you utilize it.
    1. People. This includes
       • The Computer Science Help Center
       • Me
       • Teaching assistant or grader
       • Other students in the class (when allowed—make sure you check that this is O.K. first!)
       • Any other person (as above, make sure this is permitted)
    2. External Sources such as websites or books other than your textbooks.
       • It is O.K. to use other sources to learn the material from courses.
       • Unless otherwise specified, it is not O.K. to look for solutions from external sources. In other words, it is not O.K. to do a search based on the details of a homework problem unless the Grading page for your course specifically mentions this.
  • Significant outside assistance: If a course allows you to do more specific sharing with each other and/or getting specific details from the Internet, books, or other external sources, the following rules apply:
    1. You must
       1. Put the solution in your own words.
       2. Provide enough explanation to demonstrate that you fully understand the solution.
       3. Provide the URL (for websites), title/author (for books/papers, etc.), and/or name(s) of those you collaborated with.
    2. You will only receive up to 50% credit for the problem.
    Be warned! For courses in which I allow this, I can usually tell when you get help from external sources. Therefore, make sure you indicate that you got assistance. Failing to do so may be considered a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy (see below). This is not a license to violate the Academic Integrity Policy (see below). Instead it is a way for both you and me to have a better understanding of your learning process by documenting the appropriate use of assistance.