CS 2440 Computer Science II
Syllabus, Spring 2017

Time and Place
101: 10:00 – 10:50 MWF, BH 325
103: 1:00 – 1:50 MWF, BH 325

Professor
Dr. Alice McRae


Email Addresses
[email protected]


Web Address
asulearn.appstate.edu


Office
BH 312L


Telephone
828-262-2385 (office)


Office Hours
These are the hours when I plan to be in my office so that I can help you if you stop by. There are times when I am surprised by a mandatory meeting that someone schedules during my office hours, or by some other emergency. I will let you know about the change by email if I have sufficient time for that, but occasionally I may simply post a note on my office door. To make up for such occasions I keep an open door policy. You may feel free to stop by any time to see if I have time to help you. If I don't, we'll schedule an alternative time. My full schedule is available online at www.cs.appstate.edu/~aam/spr17.html. Here are my regular office hours:

Monday, Wednesday: 2:00 – 4:00
Tuesday, Thursday: 3:30 – 5:00


Text
Data Structures and Other Objects Using Java (4th Edition), Michael Main, Prentice Hall, 2011.


Supplemental Readings
Head First Java, Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates, O'Reilly Media, 2005. Available through Safari on the Library's website.
The Java Tutorials at http://docs.oracle.com/javase/tutorial/


Required Supplies
3-ring binder for worksheets and assignments
thumb drive for use in lab


Tutorial Services
Free tutoring is available at University Tutoring Services. They hire our honors students to serve as tutors. Go to their website for details:
lap.appstate.edu/university-tutoring-services-0


Course Goals
By the end of this course, students will
Grading
Grades will be calculated based on the following percentages:
Category Percentage
Labs and programs -- Dr. Parry will report the grades to Dr. Parks and Dr. McRae at the end of the semester. If you don't get at least a D- in the lab, you cannot pass the course. 30%
In-semester exams (2) 30%
Final exam 15%
Preparation, participation, and professionalism:

25%
    Online quizzes
    Homework
    In-class quizzes
    Professional behavior		 7.5%
7.5%
5%
5%
 


 
Programming assignments. Most of your labs and programming assignments will be automatically graded using a system called Web-CAT. Lab assignments will be due on Tuesdays at 11:55pm. They will be available on the lab's AsULearn page by at least the previous Tuesday. All submitted work must be your own. You should not copy from others or share your work with others. We will run similarity checking software to detect any code between submissions from different people that is too much alike, and you will be called in to talk about that. (See Academic Integrity below.) For help with your lab assignments, you should attend the study halls or see Dr. Parry during his office hours. Study halls meet on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.

Exams. There will be two in-semester exams and a final exam. All exams are mandatory and there will be no make-up exams unless you have to miss class for a reason that the University considers valid. In such a case you must supply appropriate documentation prior to the date of the exam unless you become ill suddenly. In that case I will need the telephone number of the doctor you saw so that I can verify your illness. Exams will be completed on your own during lab (to give you additional time). The final exam will be divided into a lecture portion taken in the scheduled time for your lecture period, and a lab portion taken in the scheduled time for your lab period. (See Academic Integrity below.)

Online quizzes. Online quizzes are to be taken according to the schedule on the Agenda. They are based on the indicated reading assignments. You will get two attempts at each quiz and your grade will be the higher of the two attempts. The reading quizzes are intended to test your understanding and should be completed on your own. (See Academic Integrity below.)

Classroom exercises. Every day we meet you will be responsible for actively participating in class. This may mean answering questions during a class quiz; it may mean being fully engaged in the material and solving problems on the worksheet for the day. You are expected to collaborate with others willingly and freely during class. Your professional behavior grade will include attendance. (See Academic Integrity below.)

Homework Homework assignments can be found at the end of the worksheets file and will be due on the date shown for that homework on the Agenda. Homework will be collected in class and cannot be turned in late. The intent of a homework assignment is sometimes to get you prepared for the next class activity and sometimes to put finishing touches a particular activity. Since homeworks are hand-written and will need to be easily read by your teacher, neatness and legibility are important. Homeworks that cannot be read will not receive high grades. You may collaborate freely with other students when doing the homework assignments provided you are the only one writing on your paper. (See Academic Integrity below.)

Email
Dr. Parks and I frequently send email to students in this course. I assume that students check their ASU email several times daily. If you check a different email address more frequently than your ASU address, then set your AppalNet account so that your email gets forwarded. I will hold you responsible for information conveyed to you through email from either myself or Dr. Parks.


Class Cancellations
If it becomes necessary to cancel class due to bad weather or an emergency, I will make every effort to notify you by email at least two hours prior to the start of class (unless the University has called off all classes -- then their notification will suffice). If I am more than 15 minutes late for class, you may leave. I do not foresee this as a possibility, but stuff happens.


Electronic Devices in Class
The use of laptops and cellphones in our classroom is not required and is not conducive to learning the course material. It is rude to me and it is distracting to other students. I do not wish to police the use of these devices, however. So I will establish an area at the back of the classroom for people who want to use their laptops and cellphones, and you must sit in that area if you want to use those devices.


Academic Integrity
During class you are expected to participate freely by asking and answering questions and working with your peers to solve problems. Sometimes this collaboration will include brainstorming sessions where you are given permission to discuss a programming assignment or lab assignment. These sessions are intended to help you get started on your programs and understand some of the complexities to anticipate before you get started.
Outside class you must work individually on quizzes, programs, and labs. All submitted work should be your own. You should not copy from others or share your work with others. However, you are encouraged to talk to other students about the best ways to solve the problems you are assigned. The distinction between talking to another person about a program and sharing the code of that program is a fuzzy one. If you have questions, ask me. If you do talk to someone about a problem, give that person credit on the assignment itself.
Homework assignments which are extensions of the in-class exercises are the only exceptions where you are allowed to work together outside of class (See details above).


ASU Academic Integrity Statement
As a community of learners at Appalachian State University, we must create an atmosphere of honesty, fairness, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of each other. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of an Appalachian degree. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form and will oppose any instance of academic dishonesty. This course will follow the provisions of the Academic Integrity Code, which can be found on the Office of Student Conduct Web Site: www.studentconduct.appstate.edu. Students attending ASU agree to abide by the following Code:


Students With Disabilities
Appalachian State University is committed to making reasonable accommodations for individuals with documented qualifying disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Those seeking accommodations based on a substantially limiting disability must contact and register with The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at www.ods.appstate.edu or 828-262-3056. Once registration is complete, individuals will meet with ODS staff to discuss eligibility and appropriate accommodations.


Attendance Policy
It is the policy of Appalachian State University that class attendance is an important part of a student's educational experience. Students are expected to attend every meeting of their classes and are responsible for class attendance. Regardless of what reasons there may be for absence, students are accountable for all academic activities. See the University policies on attendance at http://academicaffairs.appstate.edu/syllabi. We will follow the guidelines explicitly so make sure you know what they are.


Student Engagement
In its mission statement, Appalachian State University aims at "providing undergraduate students a rigorous liberal education that emphasizes transferable skills and preparation for professional careers" as well as " maintaining a faculty whose members serve as excellent teachers and scholarly mentors for their students." Such rigor means that the foremost activity of Appalachian students is an intense engagement with their courses. In practical terms, students should expect to spend two to three hours of studying for every hour of class time. Hence, a fifteen hour academic load might reasonably require between 30 and 45 hours per week of out-of-class work. Since our class is a 4-hour class, you should expect to spend between 8 and 12 hours per week on the material in CS 2440 outside of class. Because programming can be more time-consuming than studying things in other disciplines, that amount of time should be considered a minimum.


General Policies
I teach best in a class in which I receive interaction from my students. My teaching style is to ask many questions as I proceed, and I want you all to suggest answers. It is not necessary to raise your hand to speak. I hope I will never make you feel stupid for giving an answer that isn't correct, so speak out. Do not let one or two class members dominate discussions. If this begins to happen, I will speak with those persons outside of class. If you realize that you are offering most of the feedback in class, slow your answers down to give others a chance to speak. It is not necessary to impress me during class. You will impress me by doing good work. Let's make class a fun learning time.

I encourage you to ask questions during class, during office hours, and through email. If you need help on the homework or on a programming assignment, come see me. Also, please offer feedback on the course as it progresses. I welcome comments, positive or negative, that will help me continue to improve this course.


Special Days
Monday, Jan. 23 Last day to add a class, last day to drop without it counting for one of your four drops
Monday, Jan. 30 Last day to drop without the class being used in the calculation of the "fifty percent surcharge"

Monday - Friday, Mar. 13 - 17

 Spring Break
Monday, Mar. 27 Last day to drop the class or withdraw without academic penalty
Monday - Tuesday, Apr. 17 - 18 State Holidays
Wednesday, May 3 Last day of classes
Monday, May 8th, noon – 2:30 pm Final exam period for section 101
Thursday, May 11th, noon – 2:30 pm Final exam period for section 103