Syllabus for UMBC CMSC-104, Section: 0801,
Course-ID: 1610 -- Spring 2002

Instructor

Instructor:	Thomas Gaeng
Office:	ECS-202 E
Office Hours:	Wednesdays, 5:30pm - 6:45pm, and by appointment
Phone:	410-455-3372 (only during office hours, don't leave messages there)
E-mail:	gaeng@cs.umbc.edu

Teaching Assistant

TA: Dhiresh Rawal

Office: ECS-335 A

Office Hours: Tue and Thu, 7:00pm - 8:00pm

E-mail: rawaldh1@umbc.edu

Class Time and Place

Days/Times: Wednesdays, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Classroom: ACIV 150

Textbook

Required:

C How to Program by H.M. Deitel/P.J. Deitel, Prentice Hall, 3^rd Edition

Optional:

Computer Science an Overview by J. Glenn Brookshear, Addison Wesley, 6^th Edition

Course Homepage

The homepage for this course (CMCS-104, Spring 2002, section 0801) can be found at:

http://www.cs.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/104/spring02/gaeng

Note that there is a link on the homepage to the lecture slides that will be used in class. I recommend that you get a printed copy of the lecture slides before the class in which they will be used. The lecture slide files are in PowerPoint format. For more information follow the Lectures link of this course.

The above course section web-page is where your assignments, grades, handouts, informations and any announcements relevant to your particular section will be posted. You need to monitor the course web pages for your section and read your e-mail daily to stay current on class information.

Course Description

This course will give the student an overview of Computer Science focusing on problem solving and algorithm development. The C programming language will be introduced by covering the beginning chapters of the textbook. The following is a list of the topics that will be covered:

Basic Computer Organization and Architecture
Data Representation and Memory Usage
Introduction to Operating Systems
Problem Solving and Algorithm Development
Introduction to Software Engineering Using Top-Down Design and Incremental Programming
Compiling, Linking, and Execution
Basic C Programming
Reuse Based on Algorithm Selection and Design Techniques

Grading

Your final grade will be broken down as follows.

4 Homework Assignments = 20% 4 Programming Projects = 40% Unannounced Pop Quizzes = 10% Midterm Exam = 15% Final Exam = 15% Total = 100%

Final letter grades will be determined as follows.

90% <= A <= 100% 80% <= B < 90% 70% <= C < 80% 60% <= D < 70% 0% <= F < 60%

Final grades will NOT be curved. Do not ask.

A grade of "I" (Incomplete) will only be given in the case of a verifiable medical emergency or other such dire circumstance. See General Policies and Conduct below.

General Policies and Conduct

Attendance: You are expected to attend all classes. If you miss a class, you are responsible for getting the notes and any verbal information given during class from a fellow classmate (if handouts were given out, you may come to my office to get them). Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated (e.g. if you come late or must leave early, sit in the back of the class and be quiet when entering/leaving the classroom). Turn off pagers and cell phones while attending the class !

Tardiness: Please be on time! Class begins at the scheduled time. Being late is disruptive to the class. Habitual tardiness will not be tolerated.

Responsibility for Class Material and Information: You are responsible for all material covered in lecture, even if it is not in the textbook. You are responsible for the material in the readings, even if they are not covered during lecture. The readings are listed in the Lecture Schedule.

Hardware and Software: You do not need to own a computer for this class. All hardware and software needed will be available on campus.

Questioning a Grade: You have exactly one week from the time that you receive any grade to discuss it with the TA or me. After that time period, the grade remains as is. Contact the TA first for discussions of homeworks and programming projects as these will be graded by the TA. The quizzes, midterm and final exam will be graded by the instructor.

Requesting a Grade of "I" (Incomplete) for the Semester: A grade of "I" (Incomplete) will only be given in the case of a verifiable medical emergency or other such dire circumstance. This is for circumstances that occur at the last moment in the semester only.

E-mail: In addition to office hours, you may communicate with me and the TA via e-mail. We'll do our best to answer my e-mail in a timely and thorough manner, but backups do occur. Also, do not expect a reply on weekends, over holidays, or late in the evening. See Making the Most of E-mail below.

Communications

All communications with the instructor and the TA must have your name and the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN). Too many of you have e-mail that shows up with a fancy alias and we can't figure out who "Joe Snuffy" is! This includes all e-mail, projects, homework, written reports, exams, etc. Except for in-class work, all material must be typed (or printed on the computer).

Project Submission and Grading

The critical programming skills cannot be learned simply by attending class. You should budget enough time to work on the projects as well. I recommend you do as many programming projects as possible (e.g. examples from the textbook) even if they are not required homeworks or projects. Programming projects will be graded based on the following:

Logically correct and neatly formatted psueodocode (if pseudocode is required)
Adherence to the CMSC 104 C Coding Standards
Adherence to the CMSC 104 Indentation Standards
Correctness of program output
Format of program output
Other criteria as specified in the assignment

All projects must:

compile, and
produce reasonable output.

If a project does not compile and produce reasonable output, it will receive a zero. "Reasonable output" will be explained in class. If you ever have a doubt as to whether or not your project produces reasonable output, ask your instructor before submitting it.

All projects must compile on the LINUX computer system linux.gl.umbc.edu (the LINUX system consists of multiple hosts - IP address range: linux1, linux2, linux3 (130.85.60.16, 130.85.60.38, 130.85.60.39) under the "gcc" compiler. This is the compiler that the grader will use to compile your program.

All projects are due by midnight on the date listed in the Lecture Schedule. I will accept late project up to 48hours after the deadline but will subtract 20% of the grade for each 24hours (ie: 0-24hours late: max points: 80%, 24-48hours late: max points: 60%). No late projects will be accepted after 48hours after the deadline. To account for timestamp errors in computer clocks I will allow a 1 hour window in the submission deadlines. You should try and submit your project well before the deadline though!

Be aware that the LINUX systems and UMBC networks may go down from time to time. You are given ample time to complete your projects, so such downtimes, no matter how long and when, are no excuse for your project being late. For those accessing the UMBC network remotely (e.g. via AOL, cable modem, DSL, ...), your Internet Service Provider (ISP) being down is no excuse for a late project either. If your ISP goes down, get to a UMBC computer lab and complete your project.

You will be turning your projects in electronically (i.e. via e-mail). Details will be explained in class before you need to submit your first project.

Project Policy

All projects must be completed by your own individual effort. You should never have a copy of someone else's project either on paper or electronically under any circumstance. Also, you should never give a copy of your project, either on paper or electronically, to another student. This also means that you cannot "work" on the project together. Cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with severely.

If your project is turned in by someone else, both you and the person copying your project will receive a zero for that project. This includes "substantially similar" projects. Furthermore, all parties concerned will have their prior projects checked for cheating. So, if you cheat on Project 4, you can lose all the points from Projects 1 through 3 as well, even though you may have done all the work and just "let" other people copy from you.

Homeworks

Homeworks submissions follow the same rules as project submissions if they are submitted via e-mail. The project policy concerning cheating also applies for your homeworks!

Help

You have several resources available to you to assist you with your projects. They are:

The Teaching Assistant for this section
The Computer Science Help Center
The Office of Information Technology (OIT) resources
The Learning Resources Center (private tutoring)
Your instructor
Your textbook and other printed or electronic resources

You may not use any other resources for help with your project.

Exams

You must bring a photo ID to the Midterm and Final Exams.

The exams will be closed-book and closed-notes. The test dates for the exams are listed in the Lecture Schedule. Make a note of it now. I have no plans to give any early or makeup exams. In the case of a verifiable medical excuse or other such dire circumstance, arrangements must be made with your instructor immmediately for a makeup exam. You are responsible for initiating these arrangements, not your instructor.

General Academic Conduct Policy

By enrolling in this course, each student assumes the responsibilities of an active participant in UMBC scholarly community in which everyone academic work and behavior are held to the highest standards of honesty. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, and helping others to commit these acts are all forms of academic dishonesty, and they are wrong. Academic misconduct could result in disciplinary action that may include, but is not limited to, suspension or dismissal. To read the full Student Academic Conduct Policy, consult the UMBC Student Handbook, the Faculty Handbook, or the UMBC Policies section of the UMBC Directory.

Academic dishonesty is serious and will be dealt with severely, including the possibility of being reported to the University's Academic Misconduct Committee. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

Cheating in any manner on a quiz or test.
Sharing projects either partially or wholey (see Your Project Must be Yours above).
Discussing quizzes or tests that you have already taken with students in other sections of 104

For a more complete description of academic dishonesty, refer to the UMBC Student Handbook.

The following is taken from the UMBC Student Handbook:

DEFINITIONS OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Academic misconduct may include but is not limited to the following:

Cheating: knowingly using or attempting to use unauthorized material, information, or study aids in any academic exercise.
Fabrication: Intentional and unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty: Intentionally or knowingly helping or attempting to help another commit an act of academic dishonesty.
Plagiarism: Knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise, including works of art and computer-generated information/images.

POLICY FOR RESOLVING CASES OF ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Individual faculty members have the right and responsibility to deal directly with any cases of academic misconduct which arise in their courses. Instances of academic misconduct may be identified in one of two ways. If a faculty member believes a student has committed an act of academic misconduct--for example, by direct observation of student behavior, by comparing the contents of an assignment with that submitted by another student, or by reviewing notated sources or references--the faculty member, in consultation with the Chair of the Academic Conduct Committee, will assess the student's alleged misconduct and the faculty member's options. If a student believes that academic misconduct has occurred, the student will notify either the faculty member or the Chair of the Academic Conduct Committee.

It is particularly important that the Chair of the Academic Conduct Committee be consulted. The Chair can provide knowledge and insight for the faculty member. Communication of instances of academic misconduct also protects the integrity of the university by providing a means of recording infractions that may be repeated by a particular student, or which may prove endemic to a particular course or department. Consultation with the Chair of the Academic Conduct Committee provides a formal record of the infraction and resolution, protecting the student, professor, and university should any questions later arise.

The student will have the opportunity to respond to an accusation of academic misconduct.

Making the Most of E-mail

E-mail is a great way to communicate. It can save both of us a lot of time and also allows you to receive answers to questions outside of class. Realize, however, that it is not always the most appropriate way to communicate with me. Some topics are best discussed personally during my office hours or in an appointment.

Using E-mail Wisely

Before you send an e-mail to anyone, it is a good idea to ask yourself the following questions.

Would you say what you have said in the e-mail directly to the person?
Do you want what you have said in the e-mail permanently recorded and possibly distributed to others?
Do you want anyone and everyone to read what you have written?

If your answer is "no" to any one of these questions, it is probably best not to send the e-mail.

Using E-mail For THIS Class

In order to facilitate communication, please observe the following rules.

Include your name, course number, and section number in the body of the e-mail.
Make sure that the e-mail's subject line clearly identifies its content.
Use your real name. I get a lot of junk e-mail (spam). So, e-mail from "Hot Stuff" or some other unidentifiable source gets deleted without being read.
Write your message in the e-mail's text box. Do not include it as an attachment. In particular do NOT send me Word, EXCEL, Powerpoint or HTML files. Also do NOT e-mail binary files from your programming projects - these files are usually very big and not always useful for debugging purposes.
If you need help with a programming project, include the code you have written together with the tests you have done and any error messages you have received. But FIRST READ the error messages and use them to debug the code yourself (this is an important skill in computer programming!)

Any e-mail that does not follow these rules will be returned unanswered. It is up to you to determine which rule was not followed. Any e-mail that is disrespectful, offensive, or threatening will receive no reply.

In addition, please do not send me e-mails expressing "tales of woe." If you have such a situation, please see me during an office hour, make an appointment with me, or give me a call. If I receive a "tale of woe," I will instruct you to handle it in one of these manners rather than by e-mail.

I do my best to answer my e-mail in a timely and thorough manner. But backups do occur, especially around project due dates. Also, do not expect a reply on weekends, over holidays, or late in the evening. And do not hold up turning an assignment in because you are waiting for a reply to your e-mail.

When I reply to your e-mail, I will reply to the address from which it was sent. However, if I initiate an e-mail, it will be sent to your gl account. So, be sure to check your gl account regularly and frequently.

For your benefit, hold on to all e-mails concerning policies and grades as well as e-mail submissions of your homeworks and programming projects. A good idea is to "cc" (carbon copy) all class related e-mails to yourself when you send them! This will proove that you have submitted them on time and can serve as backup in case e-mails get lost.

Last modified:

TA:	Dhiresh Rawal
Office:	ECS-335 A
Office Hours:	Tue and Thu, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
E-mail:	rawaldh1@umbc.edu

Syllabus for UMBC CMSC-104, Section: 0801, Course-ID: 1610 -- Spring 2002