The CSCI 130 Syllabus serves to set forth what is expected during the semester from the instructor and the students and to guide the behaviors of both parties. More specifically, this syllabus delineates the responsibilities of students and of the instructor for various tasks, including attendance, assignments, examinations, and other requirements. It also describes appropriate procedures and course policies so that both students and the instructor know ahead of time how certain potential occurrences---such as missing an exam or submitting a late assignment---will be handled.1,2
This course is an introduction to computing, both in theory and in practice. We will examine questions of how computers work, what they are good at doing, what they don't do well, why they sometimes don't work as expected, and how they can best be used. We will consider both the how and the why of problem solving using a computer. Students will gain insights into the structure and use of computers that will serve them however they may decide to use computers in the future. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- understand and describe the basic components and workings of a computer system,
- demonstrate awareness of the capabilities and limitations of computers,
- design, read, write and understand Visual Basic programs, and
- design and implement solutions to simple spreadsheet and database problems
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119.
Students are REQUIRED to have access to the textbook, [Computer Concepts and Applications]({% file readings/textbook.pdf %}) by Herzfeld and Miller et al.
class meeting : A meeting scheduled during the time slot assigned to the course and during the university approved academic calendar for the relevant semester. Such meetings will normally take place in the assigned classroom, however, they MAY occur elsewhere.
excused absence : An absence from a scheduled class meeting with prior permission from the instructor. In the event that prior permission cannot be obtained, the student MUST notify the instructor of the reason for the absence as soon as reasonably possible. Reasons for missing a class meeting that qualify as excused include, but are not limited to, documented illness, death in your family, varsity athletic events (MUST NOT be practices), or other performances.
unexcused absence : An absence that is not excused.
original work : TBD
closed book : The book and any accompanying materials MUST NOT be used.
open note : A single 8.5" x 11" piece of paper, front and back with nothing attached MAY be used.
Attendance is REQUIRED at all class and lab meetings. Each unexcused absence MAY result in a 1% reduction in the final grade for the course. Students who have more than three unexcused absences MAY receive a failing grade for the course. Habitual lateness in attending class or lab meetings MAY be treated as unexcused absence.
There will be several assignments during the semester including: readings, in-class exercises, and take-home exercises. All of these assignments are intended to be collaborative in nature and you are encouraged to work together to understand the material and come up with solutions. However, all work submitted for a grade MUST be your own original work. Late assignment submissions MAY NOT be accepted.
This is a designated Natural Science course in the Common Curriculum, and like all such courses, it has a required laboratory component. There will be two scheduled 80-minute labs each week throughout the semester. See Attendance above for policies regarding attendance.
Students SHOULD come prepared to the lab by studying class material and completing previous lab work ahead of time. Each week, labs will be due at the end of the lab meeting scheduled for Thursday. Late submissions will NOT be accepted and will receive a grade of zero instead.
Most lab periods will have a set of lab exercises to complete for that lab; a few of the lab periods will be dedicated to the programming project instead of the usual lab structure.
There will be one project during the course for which students will design their own application and write up complete documentation for that application. While labs are intended to be collaborative in nature, projects are to be your own work — i.e., INDIVIDUAL OR ASSIGNED GROUP'S WORK.
There will be four in-class exams and one cumulative final exam. All exams are closed book/open note. All exam times are documented on the Canvas calendar for this course; you are responsible for keeping those times clear in your schedule. Students MAY be allowed to make up missed exams in the case of an excused absence and at the discretion of the instructor.
I welcome emails and Outlook meeting invitations from students. However, you SHOULD use the following guidelines when sending either to me:
- start the subject line with CS130, CS 130, CSCI130, or CSCI 130
- provide a concise description in subject line
- use a salutation like, "Good afternoon Prof. Iverson" or just "Prof. Iverson"
- conclude your message with a signature like, "Sincerely, Jeremy" or even as simple as just "Jeremy", to indicate who the message is from
- use standard punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar
If you fail to incorporate any of the above suggestions when corresponding with me via email or meeting invitations, then I MAY NOT respond in a timely manner, or for grievous infractions, at all.
The final grade for the course will be based on the percentages shown below.
| Assignments and participation | 5% | | Labs | 27% | | Project | 8% | | In-class exams | 40% | | Final exam | 20% |
For calculating the final grade, the 40% associated with In-class exams will be distributed as follows:
- 5% on lowest in-class exam
- 15% on highest in-class exam
- 10% on the other in-class exams
Unfortunately, at the time this was written, Canvas does not support this type of grade calculation, so this will be done by the instructor prior to final grade submission. If you have questions regarding your grade in the course, please feel free to inquire with your instructor.
Grading is mainly based on the performance of each student compared to the class as a whole. In general, the following guidelines are followed except in certain situations where the instructor sees a need for adjustments. A grade of F MAY be given in situations of frequent unexcused absences, unsuccessful completion of required work in a timely manner, or evident lack of understanding of core material as illustrated by exam scores (e.g., failing all exams MAY result in an F grade regardless of your total final score).
| A | ≥92% | | AB | ≥88% | | B | ≥82% | | BC | ≥78% | | C | ≥72% | | CD | ≥68% | | D | ≥60% | | F | <60% |
Students in this class are encouraged to speak up and participate in-class and online. Each of us must show respect for each other because our class represents a diversity of beliefs, backgrounds, and experiences. It is this breadth of perspectives that will enrich all of our experiences together. Our individual differences will deepen our understanding of one another and the world around us, rather than divide us. In this class, people of all ethnicities, genders and gender identities, religions, ages, sexual orientations, disabilities, socioeconomic backgrounds, regions, and nationalities are strongly encouraged to share their rich array of perspectives and experiences. If you feel your differences may in some way isolate you from our classroom community or if you have a specific need, please speak with me early in the semester so that we can work together to help you become an active and engaged member of our class and community. (Adapted from Humbolt State University and Winona State University)
Any student who has difficulty affording groceries or accessing sufficient food to eat every day, or who lacks a safe and stable place to live, and believes this may affect their performance in the course, is urged to contact the Dean of Students for support. Furthermore, please notify the instructor if you are comfortable doing so. This will enable them to provide any resources that they may have. (From Sara Goldrick-Rab)
Students needing special accommodations or who have special needs are invited to share this information with the instructor as early as possible.
Work must be completed in a manner consistent with the College of Saint Benedict's & Saint John's University's codes for academic honesty. All outside work and/or ideas used in any part of this course must be properly attributed; all forms of plagiarism including — but not limited to — copying the ideas and the written and/or spoken words of others and copying or annexing computer files from other people are strictly prohibited. All acts of plagiarism, cheating, or other academic misconduct are considered forms of academic dishonesty and are strictly prohibited. Such instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the appropriate personnel and officials. Please refer to the most recent version of the College of Saint Benedict & Saint John's University's Academic Catalog for further relevant information and guidelines on this matter.
This is a challenging course and exposes students to several new algorithmic concepts and programming environments in a relatively short amount of time. Students are strongly encouraged to seek help from the instructor on course material when needed. Please contact me during office hours or by appointment to discuss a homework problem or any aspect of the course.