Required text:
Readings, to be announced.
Approximate Grading Scheme:
15% Course paper presentations
25% Short quizzes (approximately every two weeks)
30% Assignments
30% Term project
Notes:
- Refer to the course's Web page for copies of assignments and other
handouts.
- We will use electronic mail for announcements.
To receive the class announcements, you need to
register your email address at
http://www.csdl.tamu.edu/mailman/listinfo/cpsc671
Class
messages also will be archived there.
You should check your account for mail regularly.
- If you need to get in touch with me and I am not in my office, please use
electronic mail.
- The course Web site will be updated regularly to contain information of
importance to the class. This will include copies of handouts, copies of
slides, and the course's working schedule. You should check it regularly.
- Quizzes are intended to make sure that you are keeping up with the reading.
- There will be no makeup examinations or quizzes. If you have a valid
medical excuse, the examination component of your grade will be computed based
on the other examinations.
- Include your name and email address on all assignments. You will
need to maintain a class Web site during this course.
Your class
Web site should include copies of all of your assignments. Do not email
assignments to the instructor unless otherwise instructed--put them on your Web
site instead.
- Assignments are to be turned in paper form and maintained in electronic
form on your Web site. Note that both the paper and electronic forms are
required for most assignments and that you may lose credit if you don't have
both.
- Assignments will be checked for plagiarism. Assignments that contain
plagiarized material will not receive any credit. Instances of
plagiarism may be referred to the department and/or University for disciplinary
action.
- Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Due dates
will be set to give ample time for completion of the project and will not be
extended save for the unexpected and unlikely major, long-lived catastrophe.
Individual accommodations will be discussed if you have a valid medical excuse.
Start projects early--last minute computer malfunctions will not be accepted as
reason for delaying an assignment's due date. Changes to an assignment's due
date will be avoided because they are unfair to those students who have
organized their time to complete the assignment. Late assignments will be
decremented by 10% per class day or fraction of day late, starting at class
time.
- Final course grades are based on the overall average. You are
guaranteed a grade based on a 10% window (e.g., 90-100% is an A).
Individual grade windows may be increased in size if the instructor
finds it appropriate (e.g., if you have 89% you might get an A but you
will get at least a B).
- Scholarly dishonesty, especially plagiarism, will not be tolerated.
Plagiarism is defined by the University's Student Rules
(http://student-rules.tamu.edu/)
as "Failing to credit
sources used in a work product in an attempt to pass off the work as one's
own. Attempting to receive credit for work performed by another, including
papers obtained in whole or in part from individuals or other sources."
Refer to
http://library.tamu.edu/vgn/portal/tamulib/content/renderer/children/0,2875,1724_1001620,00.html
if you have any questions about what plagiarism is.