Syllabus
Instructor: Clayton Price
Office: 325 Computer Science
Phone: 573-341-4491
E-mail: price@mst.edu
Text: Absolute C++, Savitch, 4th or later edition
Home page: http://www.mst.edu/~price
As everyone is aware, we are in the midst of a pandemic. Classes are not running as "normal". This class likewise. We will begin the semester in-person. But IF circumstances require it, we will move all instruction to on-line presentation. You will have ample notification. You will need:
a computer to use outside of class (presumably at home) that will accommodate the use of Zoom.
a vpn on this machine
a version of Putty on this machine
The last two of these can be obtained from IT. Please don't ask me to help with your hardware issues as I do NOT work in IT.
The following is the syllabus for this course under normal circumstances. Spring '21 will not be normal. I have modified it for the times.
Please turn off any and all pagers, cell-phones, pacemakers, heart monitors and the like while you are in my class. It is a common courtesy to do the same while in any other class on campus. If you are a member of an emergency response team (such as an ambulance crew or rural fire-fighter), please let me know.
Attendance in class is mandatory. You will be responsible for all the material presented in class and otherwise designated (such as reading material). Come to class on time and be prepared.If you miss class for some reason, it is your responsibility to find out what you've missed; it is not my responsibility. If you miss more than 3 classes, I WILL drop you from the class. (If you wish to drop the class, don't assume that I will do it automatically when you stop coming to class. Please bring me a drop slip to sign.)Be responsible for your actions and/or inaction.For a list of topics to be covered in this course, go to CS 1570 Topics or navigate back to the course homepage. This outline may change as the semester proceeds. Additional material not in the text may be presented.
The material that we will cover in the text is roughly outlined as follows:
(5th week) TEST #1: chapters 1, 2
(10th week) TEST #2: chapters 3, 4, 16.1, 6.1, 5, 9, 11.1
(15th week) TEST #3: chapters 5 and 9 cleanup, 12, 6.2, 7, 8 and other optional material
Your grade in this class will be determined by your performance on tests and regularly assigned homework. Tests will be announced at least one week in advance. There will be 3 tests and a final exam. You may not make-up tests unless you have acceptable and verifiable reasons for missing class that day. Acceptable excuses include such circumstances as ‘acts of God’ (e.g. death in the family, being hit by a large truck on the way to class, contracting a virus during a pandemic, etc) and exclude such non-excuses as a faulty alarm clock, drinking binges, having a grand piano fall on you from a 5th floor window (this never really happens -- only in the cartoons),etc. Do not bother to ask me if you may take a test early because I won't let you -- no matter what the reason. Dates that classes are in session are well published; don't ask me if you can miss a class or test because you want to leave for vacation early.
Your final grade will be based on a straight scale (90% - 100% A; 80% - 89% B; etc.). Your tests will account for 50% of your final average, the homework/programs up to the last project will account for 40% of your final average, and the final programming project will account for 10% of your final average.
If you score below 60% on any test you need to come to my office to discuss the situation with me. Don’t ignore this warning.
You will most probably learn much you didn't already know. I will expect you to really learn it. I'm am not going to expect you to regurgitate stock answers to stock questions. You will be asked to demonstrate solid understanding of the material, applying your new-found knowledge in many different ways.
Homework assignments will be programming problems designed to hone and test your C++ and problem solving skills. These programs will be your primary contribution towards preparing for the exams. If you fail to submit any one of these, you will hurt yourself/grade twice. Make every effort to submit each one. You will submit these programs electronically. Electronic submission does not include email. I will be using Canvas this semester, but only for posting grades. I will show you later in class how to submit your programs. Late submission will be penalized according to the following schedule:
First Late: 10% penalty for first 24 hours (1 day)
50% penalty for second 24 hours (2 day)
no credit thereafter.
Second Late: 50% penalty for the first 24 hours (1 day)
no credit thereafter.
Please understand that there are several sections of this course. Each instructor has different graders to help with the grading. Given this situation, grading of tests and programs can not possibly be the same from section to section. DO NOT compare the grading of your material with that of a student in another section.
I will send you messages concerning the class via e-mail. So check your email regularly (at least once a day, and preferably twice).
I will be using the GNU compiler to compile and execute your programs after you have submitted them to me. Thus, you must make sure that your programs will compile using GNU before you submit. You may develop your programs on any platform and using any compiler, but it had better ultimately compile on the GNU. Please don't question me about any compiler other than the GNU, it is enough to keep up with. Understand that there are subtle differences between compilers and you will be responsible for that problem if you use any compiler other than GNU.
Don’t cheat! Don’t even think about it. If you cheat, you will be caught and the penalty is severe. In response to a first offense, I will give you a zero for the assignment and lower your semester grade one letter and notify your adviser and the Provost. Your second offense will get you ejected from the class. I expect you to do your own work. This means that you should not work with another student on your programs; I want to see your work. Do not work with others and turn in duplicates. Do not turn in work that you did not write (this includes material copied from the internet or other sources). Don’t try to fool me. You are free to ask questions of others and learn from your friends, but not to copy ideas and/or code. Do not let others copy from you.
Be sure to seek my help if you need it. I will be glad to help if I can; you only have to ask. Check my office hours. However, I am in my office most of the day and am happy to see you any time I can. Call for an appointment or ask me after class for an appointment. Note that there is a link on the CS 1570 page at the bottom for LEAD tutors. Avail yourself of this service if you need to.
Note: If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, you are strongly encouraged to meet with me early in the semester. You will need to request that the Disability Services staff send a letter to me verifying your disability and specifying the accommodation you will need before I can arrange your accommodation.
As the semester progresses and I get to know each of you better, my lectures will become more relaxed. I will endeavor to make the whole experience enjoyable for you as a student by including humor in my lectures where I can. Of course, this opens up the possibility that I may inadvertently offend some one. Please be sure to know that I in no way intend to offend anyone. If it happens that I have offended you with some remark, I assure you that it was not intended as such, but only to be humorous.
I will do my best to address any concerns you have about the class. You simply need to ask me. My immediate supervisor is the chair of the CS dept. If there are any problems that I am unable to resolve for you relevant to this class, address your concerns to him/her. His/her office is 325 CS.
If you abide by the foregoing rules laid out in this document, you are much more likely, though not guaranteed, to do well in this course. You must also put forth a significant and concerted effort to complete all graded material, learn the concepts presented in the course, and earn grades on assignments and tests commensurate with "good grade" expectations. Though this is an introductory course, it should not be treated lightly.
Missouri University of Science and Technology is committed to the safety and well-being of all members of its community. US Federal Law Title IX states that no member of the university community shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Furthermore, in accordance with Title IX guidelines from the US Office of Civil Rights, Missouri S&T requires that all faculty and staff members report, to the Missouri S&T Title IX Coordinator, any notice of sexual harassment, abuse, and/or violence (including personal relational abuse, relational/domestic violence, and stalking) disclosed through communication including but not limited to direct conversation, email, social media, classroom papers and homework exercises.Missouri S&T’s Title IX Coordinator is Vice Chancellor Shenethia Manuel. Contact her directly (manuels@mst.edu; (573) 341-4920; 113 Centennial Hall) to report Title IX violations. To learn more about Title IX resources and reporting options (confidential and non-confidential) available to Missouri S&T students, staff, and faculty, please visit http://titleix.mst.edu.
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