Syllabus for CSE 3341

Changes

As of January 2 (the day I put up the course web page), this syllabus and the rest of the course web page are works in progress. I'll probably make some changes through the first week of class. After that, I'll try to avoid making additional changes.

General Policies

We should all be respectful of everyone else's questions, comments, and, and opinions.

To avoid distracting yourself, your fellow students, and me, please do the following:

You are welcome to bring beverages such as water, coffee, and sodas to class. Food is okay if it's not messy or distracting.

Getting Help and Asking Questions

The best ways to ask questions and get help are to (1) post to the discussion board or (2) visit office hours. Note that you can choose to ask questions that are anonymous to other students.

Your other options are to send me an e-mail to ask a question or to set up a meeting outside of my office hours. When sending an e-mail to set up a meeting, please include your full availability (days and times). If your question seems of interest to the class in general, I will likely ask you to post it to the discussion board.

To help me be efficient and effective by having uninterrupted blocks of time to work, please do not visit outside of office hours without an appointment and please do not call me on the phone, except in very urgent circumstances.

Assignments

There will be approximately three homeworks and two programming projects. Homeworks are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Programming projects are due via the submit program on stdlinux.

To help preserve the grader's eyes and sanity, :) please make homeworks readable and understandable, and staple multiple sheets together. Typing your solutions is greatly appreciated. If the grader has trouble reading your work or understanding what you've done, your answers will get partial or no credit, even if it can finally be determined that they're correct. Your homework solutions must be precise and detailed, in order to convince the grader that you've understood all the details.

You may discuss homeworks and projects at a high level, but you must do the actual work alone. Assignments that show excessive similarities will be forwarded to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. See Academic Integrity below for more information.

Exams

There will be a midterm exam and a comprehensive final exam. You're allowed to bring a one-page cheat sheet (8.5x11", double-sided) to the midterm and a two-page cheat sheet (8.5x11", double-sided) to the final.

Grading

Grading will be on a curve, with the average around a B. For this reason, the grader and I will deduct points liberally.

Grade disputes are handled by whoever did the grading. (The grader grades the homeworks and projects, and I grade the exams.) We will happily give back points when we've made mistakes. However, to discourage frivolous regrade requests, we may regrade the entire assignment, which could actually lower your grade. You may dispute grading for up to one week after an assignment or exam is handed back.

Late and Missed Assignments, Class, and Exams

A late homework loses 30% if it's turned in one class day late. After that, it receives no credit. A late project loses 10% per day (or fraction thereof) for up to 5 days. After that, it receives no credit.

If you'll miss an exam or assignment for an excusable reason, I'll try to accommodate it. Let me know as early as possible.

Disabilities and Religious Obligations

Please contact me so I can help make reasonable accommodations.

Academic Integrity

Representing someone else's work as your own is a seriously violation of academic integrity.

You may discuss homeworks and projects with other people at a very high level, but you must actually do each assignment by yourself.

Although you should avoid receiving significant, specific help from any source, if you do receive such help, you must explicitly acknowledge the source and nature of the help (i.e., add a written note on the assignment). If the help seems unreasonable, you might lose some or all points, but there won't be any academic integrity consequences, since you acknowledged the help you received.

I am obligated by University Rules to report any suspected violation to the Committee on Academic Misconduct (COAM). COAM decides whether a violation has occurred and, if so, what the penalty will be, which can include a failing grade and suspension or dismissal from the University.

Suggestions and Rules for maintaining academic integrity