Policies

Integrity

Students in this course, no matter what nationality or cultural background you come from, are expected to adhere to the MIT policy on academic integrity.

https://integrity.mit.edu/handbook/academic-integrity-mit/what-academic-integrity

Participation

All students are expected to attend all classes and ALL PROJECT AND PROPOSAL PRESENTATIONS.   The last two days of class are mandatory.

Please contact Prof. Picard or the TA  in advance if you have an emergency and have to miss class,.

Unexcused absence from class (which includes organized student walk-outs) will reduce your class participation grade.   Missing project and proposal presentation days will reduce your class participation grade.  Worse than reducing your grades, these absences will reduce your learning experience.

Evaluation:

20% Class participation

35% Weekly assignments (reading/response)

45% Project and presentation

Late homework will lose 10 points for each hour it is late after a one hour grace period. Each assignment is worth 100 points so after 10 hours it is a zero. The lowest homework grade for the semester will be dropped. If you have a medical or family emergency that threatens timely completion of your work, let Prof. Picard or any of the course staff know before the deadline and we will give an extension.  

Generative AI:  You are not allowed to use large-language models or other AI-synthesis tools to write your answers to your homework unless the homework explicitly requests that you use such a model.  It is fine to play with these models, and to incorporate them explicitly as part of a class project; however, it is not fine to have them write things that you are asked to think about and write.  If you use an AI to help you create part of your project or any assignment please make sure it is clearly labeled as contributing, which version of which AI model it is, and what you used for its prompts/settings.  If caught submitting the work of another as your own work, you will get a zero on the assignment and the grade will be given instead to the AI (when it can successfully enroll at MIT.)

Get help to learn to write well:

You are expected to write and speak in clear English, even if it is not your first language.  Grades in this class are affected by communication style as well as by the ideas being communicated.  

The Writing and Communication Center at MIT offers free professional advice from published writers about oral presentations and about all types of academic, creative, and professional writing. To schedule an appointment online, click on the MIT Writing and Communications Center website.  If you are at all uncertain about your English, whether or not you are a native English speaker, you are recommended to go ahead and book an appointment before your assignment due dates so they can help you tune up your communication.   

In the past they have often had cancellations on the day of the appointment and have offered a wait list with email notification that day if a spot opens up, but it's still best to book early.

Protests and classroom disruptions:

MIT policy does not allow classroom disruptions.  If they happen, our staff will ask them to stop immediately.  If they persist, we are encouraged to call the MIT police (617-253-1212).   **Unlike** some police you may have seen in the media who act with aggression or violence, the MIT police are members of our community and they have a great record of protecting all of us and acting to restore peace without violence.  (One young officer, Sean Collier, lost his life while keeping our community safe).  They are specially trained to de-escalate conflict without force.  We should get the names of the disrupters (filming may help if we don't know their names) and refer them to the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards.  This MIT office will conduct fact-finding and assess next steps.