CPSC 229: Foundations of Computation
Additional Policy Changes

Changes to the syllabus for this course were outlined previously. This page discusses more specific policies about participation requirements, homework, final exam, and grading.

Midterm Grade

Your midterm grade for the course includes Homeworks 1 through 5 and the in-class test that was given on February 26. In your overall grade at the end of the course, the test will count for 24% of the grade and Homeworks 1 through 5 for 23%.

Your midterm grade is now posted in Canvas.

The grading scale for letter grades is: A, 90–100%; B, 80–89%; C, 65–79%; D, 55–64%; and F, 0–54%. Grades near the endpoints of a range get a plus or minus.

Post-Break Homework

Homework assignments from after Spring break will count for 23% of your overall grade in the course. This includes the "Graded Survey" that you filled out over break and Homework 6 on regular expressions on the computer. There will be a total of ten homework assignments.

As of April 13, Post-Break Homework is listed on Canvas as counting for 10% of the final grade to represent grades on the survey, homework 6, and homework 7. That percentage will increase as more homeworks are graded.

Final Exam

The final exam will count for 30% of your overall grade for the course. It will be a take-home test. It will consist of both problems and essay questions. The problems will be similar to homework problems and will include some proofs. The essay questions will be significantly longer than the essay questions on an in-class test. They will require you to exhibit your understanding of the material covered in the course. When doing the final exam, you will be required to use only the textbook and your notes.

The final exam will be due on the day of the scheduled final exam period, Saturday, May 9. It will not be accepted late.

Participation Requirement and Your Final Grade

As announced previously, there is now a participation requirement. You need to have two participation events every week. Coming to the two regular class meetings will fulfill that requirement. Failing that, you can come to office hours, send me substantive emails about the course, or contribute to a Canvas Discussion.

Also, as part of the participation requirement, you are expected to turn in homework and the final exam.

As long as you are fulfilling this requirement for at least the large majority of the time, your overall grade for the course will not be lower than your midterm grade, even if your performance on the homework and final exam would lower your final average for the semester. (Note: Missing one homework might be OK; missing the final exam, however, is not OK.)

What if Someone Gets Sick?

If you get sick and can't participate or do the homework for a time, that will not count against you. That is, the participation requirement is waived for weeks when you are too sick to do the work. You should let me know if that is the case.

As always, when you are unable to attend class or do the work for your classes, you should be in contact with your Dean, who will let your professors know about your situation.

If you are unable to complete the final exam because of illness, that will probably mean an incomplete in the course. However, we can discuss that if it happens.