Policies
The point of this course is your intellectual enlightenment and enjoyment.
I want the course to run as smoothly as possible, so I encourage feedback
on both positive and negative aspects. Feel free to drop by my office,
send email, or leave a note. Note that the Instructor reserves the right
to modify the schedule and topics as needed.
Programs
Programs must be turned in to the TA, and are due before class on the day of their due dates. Please do not skip class to finish your program!
Grading
Your
grade is split according to the following schedule:
- 40% homeworks
- 40% mini-project
- 15% final exam
- 5% class participation
Your
letter grade is determined as follows:
Letter Grade | Grade |
A+ | [97,100] |
A | [93,97) |
A- | [88,93) |
B+ | [84,88) |
B | [80,84) |
B- | [75,80) |
C | [65,73) |
F | [0,65) |
When your work is returned to you, check it. If you disagree about a
particular solution, please document in writing what you think the
grading mistake is. Please do not make immediate verbal complaints to
the professor or TA.
Class participation counts toward your grade. I expect and
encourage thoughtful and lively participation and discussion.
I typically DO NOT
scale or
curve grades unless there is
a classwide epidemic of failure. Plan your work and effort based on the
assumption that there will be no curve.
You can
contact me via email, but please start your email's subject
with the string
[ISA563]
; it helps me filter my email. Short
(one or two paragraphs) emails are appreciated.
While
collaboration on homework and projects is greatly
encouraged, your answers must be original. No collaboration is
allowed on the final exam. Students collaborating on
assignments must clearly list with whom they worked. The bottom line
is that general discussion is welcome, but specific solutions cross
the line.
Honor Code
Cheating and Plagiarism are absolutely forbidden. I assume
that you have read
GMU Honor Code. Please refer
to the links at the top of this page. It is almost absurdly easy to
discover cheating.
Late work is generally not accepted. Late submission loses 10%
of the assignment's value per day.