School of Engineering and Applied Science
Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
CSci 51, Section 10 -- Data Structures
Spring 1999 General Information
Prof. Michael B. Feldman

Grading

Your semester grade will be calculated as follows:

  • Lecture Attendance 5%
  • Laboratory Assignments 10%
  • Midterm Exam 20%
  • Final Exam 29%
  • Projects 36% (about 4% per project)

I will eliminate the lowest project grade for each student. That is, only your best 9 projects will count in the final grade.However, I will not give a semester grade that is more than one grade higher than the project average. That is, if your project average is a "C", you will not be able to get a semester grade higher than "B". Quizzes, if any, will be counted in according to how many there are.

I keep grade records strictly "by the numbers"; any conversion to letter grades, and any "curving" of the final grade results, is done only at the very end, when I have all the semester data.

Projects

I will assign a project every week, which will be due the following week. Each project will build on the work done in previous projects, so it is in your interest to keep up with the project work. There will be about 10 projects.

Each project will be graded on a 0-20 point basis. An incomplete submission is better than none; you will get credit where credit is due. I will accept late projects, subject to a "late fee" of 4 points per week of lateness. Each project is due at the start of the class on the due date; projects submitted after the lecture has begun will be counted as one week late.

Projects must represent the results of your own work. I cannot prevent your speaking with friends to sketch out a solution. But if you collaborate on the detailed design or coding, or copy a program from an acquaintance, then submit the results as your own work, I will charge you with plagiarism, and I will win. Please read the handout on Plagiarism and Collaboration. Also read the GW Code of Academic Integrity.

Examinations

There will be a one-hour midterm and a two-hour final exam, both strictly timed. These will be open-book, open-notes exams. If you are coming to class regularly, and keeping up with the reading and the projects, the exams should not be difficult for you. Exams will require a mixture of reading and interpreting short program segments, writing short program segments, and short "essay" questions.

Quizzes

There may be one or more unnanounced quizzes during the lecture period. The best way to avoid unannounced quizzes is to come to class regularly, participate actively, and keep up with the reading.

Lab Exercises

Lab exercises must be completed during the lab period, and will count 10% of your final grade.

Withdrawals and Incompletes

Under University and SEAS regulations, here are the rules for withdrawing from courses:

  • During the first four weeks: you can withdraw using a simple Drop/Add (Registration Transaction) form. The course disappears from your transcript.
  • After four weeks but before Preregistration begins: you can withdraw using a simple Drop/Add but the grade W appears on your transcript. This has no effect on your grade-point average.
  • After Preregistration begins but before the end of classes: this is considered a "late withdrawal." You must complete a SEAS Late Withdrawal form, which requires the signatures of the instructor, your advisor, the EECS Department Chair, and the SEAS Associate Dean. I will always sign a late withdrawal form, as long as classes have not ended for the semester. I will not sign a withdrawal form after the last class!

Under University regulations, and my own policies, here are the rules for Incomplete grades:

  • A grade of I (Incomplete) may be assigned only when the student has really special circumstances such that (s)he cannot finish the work of the course. I follow the University regulations, and do not give Incompletes unless the situation is truly unusual. Do not ask for an Incomplete just to gain more time to finish projects or raise a low grade. I will almost always say no.

An Incomplete grade is undesirable. You are required to remove the I by completing the work of the course. Taking the course a second time does not (NOT!) remove the original I. Under SEAS rules, an Incomplete not removed within one year becomes an F.

About Ada 95

We, like about 150 other colleges and universities, are using Ada 95 in this course because we are convinced it is absolutely the best choice for a course of this type. We have used Ada here since 1985, and Ada 95 since 1995, and it works!

You can also learn lots about this interesting language on the web at http://www.acm.org/sigada/education.