99% of the purpose of a syllabus is to answer questions you may have about
the class and the class policies. We have turned this into an FAQ-by-topic for that
reason. Feedback appreciated.
General Homework Questions:
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What types of homework will there be?
You will have paper-and-pencil homework each week that is due
in class the next week.
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Where will I submit homework?
Homework must be submitted in person in class unless
you have a university excused absence and/or instructor approval.
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Will you "drop" one or more homework assignments?
No. This is a graduate class. No homework can be dropped for
any reason (except emergencies, see questions below in "Homework
Issues and Potential Problems").
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Can I work in a group? Can I work with an AI?
Homework is considered individual effort unless otherwise
authorized by your professor, and the resources permitted are only
those provided by your professor. Therefore no sharing of solutons
(and no discussion of solutions) is allowed with anyone except the
TAs and professors.
So, in short, if the person or thing helping you is not:
(a) your professor, (b) an official TA for the course,
(c) your professor's course material -- slides, code, etc.,
(d) the textbook, or (e) your own brain,
you may not use it.
Getting Help on Homework:
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So how can I get help on homework?
Homework help is available in-person before/after class or in office
hours, but the discussion board (Piazza) also gives a way to get
asynchronous help. Don't spend days banging your head against a wall,
come get help!
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Where and when are office hours?
These will be posted on Piazza as a pinned post.
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Can I discuss my homework with my classmates?
Before the homework is returned for grading, no.
After the homework is returned, you may discuss your
solutions with classmates in your class section
this semester. However, please don't give anyone
a copy of your homework or share/show it online where someone
could take a screenshot, even after grading, as you never know
how they will use it.
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How can I get better at time management so
I'm not doing everything at the last minute?
Instructors can often help with this, but
GMU Learning Services
offers a lot of support options for time management improvement as well.
Whatever you do, don't hide the problem, talk to someone about it!
-
What can I do to improve my writing skills
(so that I don't lose points on homework or exams)?
We'd recommend working with the
Writing Center.
They also have specific resources to assist with
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Homework Issues and Potential Problems
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What if I miss (or will miss) a homework
deadline because of some sort of emergency?
If you need an extension or miss a due date because of a
university-accepted emergency (such as being taken to the
hospital), just notify your professor within 24 hours to make arrangements.
If you can provide documentation of the emergency and your involvement,
we will work out something that makes sense for the situation.
We may elect to "exempt" a missed homework rather than give an
extension under certain circumstances. In this case, other homework
in the same sub-category will gain more weight.
Unfortunately, to ensure the class moves forward for everyone,
failure to follow these policies will result in a zero.
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What if I miss a homework deadline
for some other reason?
Missing a homework due date for any non-university-accepted
reason (such as not paying attention to when the due date is),
will result in a zero.
-
What if I know I will need an extension
in advance?
Extensions require exceptional circumstances (as judged by
your professor) and must be arranged in advance. We don't give
extensions on or after the due day unless you have a
university-accepted emergency. Normal obligations such as family
or friend events, vacations, or other classes are not
exceptional circumstances (unless hospitals are involved!).
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Can the TAs give me an extension?
Nope. Just professors. TAs cannot approve late submissions or extensions.
Classes with Electronic Submissions
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What if I forget my homework at home?
Please don't skip class! Come talk to your professor during class
and they'll figure out the quickest way to get it to them within
that day.
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What if I'm sick and can't come to class?
What if my car stops working?
If you are suddenly unable to come to class, we're happy to
accept a homework emailed to us as long as it's before the end of
class time. That said, we'm only happy to do that once a
semester without some sort of documentation of your situation.
Classes with Electronic Submissions
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What if I submit the wrong files electronically?
Just like turning in the wrong homework in-person, turning in
the wrong homework electronically will result in a zero. Just because it's
easy to make a mistake, doesn't mean you shouldn't double check
your submission (in fact, it means the opposite!).
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What if I make a "stupid" mistake on
my homework?
It happens, but it also has consequences. To prepare you for the
cautiousness you need when working in a professional environment,
you will not be able to fix anything after submission,
even if it is a simple mistake. That's what the time before
submission is for. Make sure to dedicate specific time to looking
over your work before submission.
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What if Blackboard or Gradescope is down?
In the rare situation that a website/tool/service is somehow
unavailable or giving an error, you are still responsible for
turning in on time. Just email your submission to your professor before
the deadline and explain what happened.
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What if my computer crashes and I lose
my work?
To ensure professional practices in our senior student body,
catastrophic computer failure will not be considered a reason
for an extension. As this is a senior level CS course, you
can practice the professionalism you'll need in the workplace
by backing up your work.
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What type of backup should I use?
You can use online services like OneDrive (free to students, see:
https://its.gmu.edu/service/office-365-onedrive/), or
something as simple as emailing things to yourself at the
end of each day, whatever gets the job done!