Policies

Policies and Procedures

Attendance. Attendence is mandetory and will be checked. By signing up for this class you commit yourself to attend. Note: It is a university requirement (see general policies link below) that you attend the class. Failure to do so will require the instructor to impose academic penalties. Let's not get to this point, simply attend class.
Lateness. Coming late to class is disruptive and may be treated as an unexcused absence, especially if it is not the first time a student has done it.
Class Material. Most class material will be available on the web site. Please bring the lecture notes to class to fill in blanks and make notes. You should check the electronic message boards for announcements and Q&As regarding assignments. Q&As should address technical problems with class work. Posting solutions and significant contributions towards solutions are subject to rules about Academic Integrity (see below).
Homework. Unless the assignment specifies otherwise, you must turn in homeworks individually. The assignment schedule is on the course web site. All assignments (written or programming) will be turned in electronically on the course web site. Grading also occurs electronically. Due to a shortage in support, not all problems may be graded. We hope to avoid this situation but we cannot guarantee so. Ungraded problems do not contribute toward your course grade, they serve as exercises to prepare you for the exams.
Homework format. Homeworks may include written assignments, programming assignments and a potentially project (with significantly larger weight). Assignments involving programming will be judged based on fulfillment of functional requirements by automated testing and also on proper coding styles and documentation. Each routine should start with a comment explaining its functionality and I/O requirements. Longer algorithms may require comments within the code. Meaningful variable names are helpful if the length of their names is not excessive. Written reports are only required if explicitly stated in the assignment.
Late homework. Electronic submission does not allow you to turn in homeworks late. The web server will reject submissions automatically after the deadline. If you have ISP problems, come to a campus lab.
Academic Integrity. Students are expected to maintain high standards of academic integrity and honesty. University guidelines regarding academic integrity will be followed. University policy regarding academic conduct can be found here and general policies here. Cheating on homeworks and tests will result in disciplinary actions, up to the full penalties specified in the guidelines, and an automatic "F" grade for the course. Please keep in mind that academic integrity in the classroom translates to professional integrity in the workplace. Moreover, awarding similar grades to students who have maintained academic integrity and to students who have cheated results in conferring equivalent degrees on them, and reduces the value of that degree in the workplace. It is the responsibility of every student as well as the instructor and TA to see that this is not allowed to happen.
Tests and Quizzes. There will be a midterm and a comprehensive final exam, both of which are closed book, closed notes, no electronic devices (incl. calculators). No additional tests will be given unless necessitated by marginal results on selective questions during the midterm exam. However, pop-up quizzes may be given at any time in class without prior announcement.
Test and homework grading. The responsibility for grading tests/quizzes and homework assignments reside with the teaching assistants (TAs). If you believe an error has been made in grading, bring it to the TA who did the grading during his or her office hours. If you believe that you should have gotten more points than you got, write a statement making your case and take it to the TA. If you are not satisfied with the TA's decision, bring the statement to your course instructor, who will make the final decision.
Missed tests. If you miss a test/quiz without either a certified medical excuse or prior instructor approval, you may take a makeup test at a designated time near the end of the semester. Only one makeup test will be given. It will be fair but comprehensive and challenging! Tests/quizzes missed with certified medical excuses or prior instructor approval will be dealt with individually. If you miss the final exam without a valid excuse, a zero will be averaged into your grade.
Calculation of course grade. Grading is based on the following (tentative) materials:

Assignment Percent of Grade

Homeworks/Quizzes 50%

Midterm Exam 20%

Final Exam 30%

Using these weights, an average grade will (tentatively) be calculated as follows:

Total Score Minimum Grade

97% A+

93% A

90% A-

87% B+

83% B

80% B-

etc.

Audit students have to turn in all homeworks and receive at least the equivalent of the letter grade C- for each homework. Pass/fail students pass at the equivalent of the letter grade C-, which includes scores from homeworks and exams.
Note: Generally, we assign grades based on a fixed interval scheme determined at the end of the course. This means that the cut-off for an A- may be lower than indicated in the table. Your performance depends mostly on how you do, not so much on how everyone else in the class does.
Instructors' commitment. You can expect your instructor to be courteous, respectful, and punctual; be well organized and prepared for lecture and other class activities; answer questions clearly and in a non-negative fashion; be available during office hours or notify you beforehand if he/she is unable to keep them; and grade uniformly and consistently according to the posted guidelines.

Assignment	Percent of Grade
Homeworks/Quizzes	50%
Midterm Exam	20%
Final Exam	30%

Total Score	Minimum Grade
97%	A+
93%	A
90%	A-
87%	B+
83%	B
80%	B-
etc.