CS 3250 Course Syllabus - The Internet Class

General Information

Semester: Winter 1999
Textbook: None. Se the resources page for further information.
Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:45 to 9:45 pm
Location: PD 4 (relocatable)
Instructor: Mark Whitley - There are a variety of ways to get a hold of me:
Work email: mwhitley@equis.com (best bet for reaching me)
Work phone: 265-9996 (I do answer my voice mail)
Home email: mark.k.whitley@gmail.com
Home phone: 966-1297 (after 10 pm is too late to call)
(Note: If you send email to my work address, don't send it to my home address as well. The reverse is also true.)
Prerequisites: I expect you to know about the following things: C, C++, Object-Oriented Programming, and UNIX. If you are weak in any of these areas, I expect that you will struggle a bit. You have been warned.

Goals of This Class

This class has the following goals:

Reading and Homework Assignments

Students are encouraged to read appropriate documentation prior to class. Each week I will post notes for class which will be benificial to you. For a detailed description of what we will cover, what homework will be assigned, when homework is due, and when tests will be given see the class schedule. There will be three exams and three fairly large project-style assignments over the course of the semester.

To "hand in" assignments, you will need to upload them to the zonker server in the lab. This can be done from anywhere via telnet/ftp, therefore assignments can be turned in at any time. If you are unfamiliar with FTP/telnet and/or do not have an account on the Zonker server, please review the lab notes. We will review these notes in class, most likely on our first night in the lab.

Collaboration and team programming is encouraged, but it should be done at a conceptual level. Wholesale copying will be considered cheating and will not be tollerated. Remember, these assignments are to help you learn.

Scoring and Grading

The percentage breakdown for tests and homework will be as follows:

Exam #1 (Internet infrastructure and HTML) 15%
Assn #1 (Internet report written in HTML) 15%
Exam #2 (covers all things Java) 15%
Assn #2 (Java app - drawing program) 15%
Exam #3 (CGI and Perl - mildly comprehensive) 20%
Assn #3 (Comment-posting CGI prog) 15%
Class Participation (oh yes!) 5%

Please note the 'Participation' points mentioned above. It is my desire to see that this class meets the needs of the students. This is best accomplished by hearing from all of you! Be confident about answering questions or raising points in class. Feel free to ask questions when you have problems or concerns about any of the material we cover. Note also, that this includes giving me feedback on the notes and documentation. If you find that something is missing, incorrect, or not well explained raise your hand in class or send me an email with an addition/correction. The upshot of all this is that I want to encourage interactivity in this class.

The grading scale for the final grade will be as follows:

100-93% = A 82.9-80% = B- 69.9-67% = D+
92.9-90% = A- 79.9-77% = C+ 66.9-63% = D
89.9-87% = B+ 76.9-73% = C 62.9-60% = D-
86.9-83% = B 72.9-70% = C- below 60% = E

Please note that this scale applies ONLY to the final grade, and not to individual tests or assignments. (The difference between a 79 and an 80 on a test is the same as the difference between an 80 and an 81, i.e. one point.)

The Fine Print

The instructor reserves the right to capriciously amend the syllabus in any way he deems necessary. Each student will receive the grade which, in the best judgement of the instructor, he or she has earned. Requests for a higher grade than the one earned for any reason (including loss of student visa, entrance requirements into a professional school, graduating, etc.) wil not be honored. There will be no re-tests. Make-up exams will be given only for valid reasons and if the instructor is notified in advance of the scheduled exam hour. No late work will be accepted. I repeat, no late work will be accepted. If you have some mitigating circumstance (car accident, funeral, birth of a new child, i.e.) I will be understanding, and we can work something out.

On days of exams, students will be required to ask if tests are "open neighbor".