Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
This course will cover the following topics:
15-112, Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
Grading Policy
| Course Component | Points |
|---|---|
| Homeworks | 35% |
| Quizzes | 15% |
| Midterm Exam | 20% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
| Attendance | 5% |
Letter Grade Assignment
I will use standard grade percentages as follows:
The 60% Rule
You must receive a 60% or higher (calculating using the appropriate weightings above) on in-class assessments (quizzes, midterm exam, and final exam) in order to receive a D or higher in the course.
Dropped Quiz Policy
I will drop your two lowest quizzes, regardless of the reason they were missed. The intention is to handle situations where you miss due to illness or other issues that prevent you from attending class on a quiz day.
In order to simplify life for everyone, and eliminate potentially needless trips to a doctor for a note, this policy does not distinguish between "excused" and "unexcused" absences. Any missed quiz will simply be one of your two dropped quizzes. (So, if you feel sick, I don’t need a doctor's note.) This also means that there are no make-up quizzes.
Attendance
Attendance (worth 5% of your final grade) is graded out of 50 points. You lose five of those points for every absence or tardy in class.
Late Submission Policy
In an ideal world, I would be able to support varying submission schedules so that all students could work at their own pace. Unfortunately, this is impossible. I need you to submit assignments on time so that I can promptly give feedback to all students, to support the learning process.
However, I understand that life can sometimes get in the way. Therefore, I provide 3 grace days for homework assignments. These can be used to submit homeworks up to 24 hours late with no penalty. You may only use one grace day per homework. I strongly urge you not to use these grace days immediately; try to save them for unforeseen events.
Once you run out of grace days, late submissions will receive a score of 0.
Regrade Requests
We occasionally make mistakes while grading (we’re only human!). If you find a mistake which you would like corrected:
In both cases, include all relevant details for your regrade request.
Regrades must be requested within two weeks of the time when the contested grade was released.
Note: Regrade requests will result in the entire problem being regraded, not just the incorrectly graded part.
Refer to the course academic honesty policy.
Electronics
Research has shown that devices can greatly detract from student learning. Therefore, students may only use electronic devices in lecture during learning activities which involve those devices. Any exceptions to this require explicit permission in writing from the instructor.
Outside of these events, students should only use electronic devices with explicit permission from the instructors. Notes may still be taken, of course, but should be done with pen and paper. This policy is meant to help all students focus, as electronic devices are distracting not only for the user, but also for the students surrounding them.
Recording
Students may not record audio or video of lectures or recitations without explicit permission in writing from the instructor. Violations will result in your failing the course. Exceptions will be granted in accordance with university guidelines for accessibility concerns, but even then such recordings may not be shared publicly or privately and must be deleted at the end of the semester.
Attendance
Your regular, on-time attendance of class is important for your success. As such, class attendance is mandatory and graded as described in the grading policy. In addition, arriving late is not permitted. If you attempt to enter the classroom after class has started, you will be asked to leave. If you arrive late for a quiz, you will not be permitted to take the quiz or make it up.
Diversity
It is my hope that students from a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives be well served by this course, that students' learning needs be addressed both in and out of class, and that the diversity students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. It is my intent to present materials and activities that are respectful of diversity: gender, sexuality, disability, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race, nationality, religion, and culture. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students or student groups.
This statement is adapted from The University of Iowa Department of Education.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
Carnegie Mellon University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all persons with disabilities. To access accommodation services you are expected to initiate the request and submit a Voluntary Disclosure of Disability Form to the office of Health & Wellness or CaPS-Q. In order to receive services/accommodations, verification of a disability is required as recommended in writing by a doctor, licensed psychologist or psycho-educational specialist. The office of Health & Wellness, CaPS-Q and Office of Disability Resources in Pittsburgh will review the information you provide. All information will be considered confidential and only released to appropriate persons on a need to know basis.
Once the accommodations have been approved, you will be issued a Summary of Accommodations Memorandum documenting the disability and describing the accommodation. You are responsible for providing the Memorandum to your professors at the beginning of each semester.
For more information on policies and procedures, please visit Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities on Scotty.
For additional information, please feel free to contact any of the following:
Take Care of Yourself
Take care of yourself. Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.
If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, I strongly encourage you to seek support. Student Affairs staff are here to help: call 4454 8526 or send Renee Camerlengo an email at reneec@andrew.cmu.edu. Consider reaching out to a friend, faculty or family member you trust for help getting connected to the support that can help.
If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal or in danger of self-harm, call someone immediately, day or night at 5554-7913, which is staffed by trained mental health care providers.
If the situation is life threatening, call 999.