Spring 2003 Syllabus

Professor:	James Brink
Office:	MBLD Room 99
Email:	brinkje@plu.edu
Phone:	253-535-7409
Class web page:	http://www.cs.plu.edu/courses/csce144/spring03/home.php

Required Textbook

Java for Students, 3rd edition by Douglas Bell and Mike Parr, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 2002. (ISBN 0-13-032377-2)

Meeting Times

Class
	Section 01	M W F 11:15-12:20 Rieke 221	J. Brink
	Section 02	M W F 12:30-01:35 Rieke 221	J. Brink
Lab	Lab 01	T 09:55-11:40 Memorial 102	J. Brink
	Lab 02	T 11:50-01:35 Memorial 102	J. Brink
	Lab 03	T 01:45-03:30 Memorial 102	J. Brink

Prerequisite
The official prerequisite for this course is four years of high school math or MATH 140 or equivalent. The general rule of thumb is that if you are ready to take first semester calculus this term, then you have sufficient mathematical background to take this course. Note also that this course is designed as a first year course for computer science and computer engineering majors. It is also required for some other majors including physics. If you are just looking for a course to fill a general university requirement, then this is probably not the right one for you. You might want CSCE 120 instead.

Course Goals
This course is designed to be an introduction to some of the basic concepts of computer science within the context of learning a computer language. By the end of the term you should expect to have a good working knowledge of the Java language, a rudimentary idea of computer science as a discipline, and have been exposed to object oriented programming and graphical user interface (GUI) programming.

Attendance
You are expected to attend all lectures and labs. While, I do not take attendance, there will be quizzes, group exercises, labs or assignments regularly. You are responsible for all material that is covered in class, and all other information that is conveyed during the regular lectures. If you must miss a class contact someone in your section for his or her notes. Expect that missing class or labs will result in a lower grade, directly or indirectly.

Grading
Your grade will be based on the following:

Exams	40%	There will be a mid-term and a final exam, each of these will count 20% of your final grade. The date and time of the final exam is specified in the class schedule. Barring exceptional circumstances, makeup exams will not be given.
Quizzes	20%	There will be 6 quizzes during the class, approximately one every 2 weeks. You may "drop" your lowest quiz grade. Quizzes will generally be on Fridays. Make up quizzes will not be given.
Laboratory Projects	30%	A lab will be due every week or two. They are due at the beginning of class. Scores will be reduced by 20% for each class day late. Labs will include a prelab and postlab that students will carry out on their own in addition to the work done in the lab.
Homework	10%	There will be frequent homework assignments. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. Late homework will not be accepted.

Your final grade will then be based on your final average (a weighted average using the above weights).

	A	93%	A	90%	A-
87%	B+	83%	B	80%	B-
77%	C+	73%	C	70%	C-
67%	D+	63%	D	60%	D-
59% and less	E

Supplemental Materials
Several 3.5" floppy disks are recommended for this course. However, the preferred place to keep your files will be your account on the departmental Solaris computer (shemp.cs.plu.edu). You will be given an account during the first week of the class which will be available for the duration of the class. However, you will have to take responsibility to keep your files backed up in case there is a system problem. You can do this using a floppy, or your home computer. More information will be given about this in class and/or lab.

If you want to use your own computer for some out-of-lab work you may want to down-load the Java SDK, a text editor such as MultiEd, and the SSH Client. See "Downloads" on the class web pages for links to these free tools.

Getting Help
Students who begin encountering difficulties should seek help as soon as possible. Please do not let yourself get behind. Your instructor is your primary resource for help and can be contacted during office hours, by appointment, or via E-mail or voice mail.

Academic Honesty
The basic presumption is that you turn in is your own. Occasionally, especially when working problem sets or writing programs (but never on exams and quizzes), it may be necessary to ask someone for help. You are encouraged to do so, provided you meet the following two conditions:

1. You acknowledge the help on the work you hand in.
2. You understand the work you hand in, so that you could explain the reasoning behind the parts of the work done with help from another.

Make sure that you protect your own work. If you store your files on a public server, make sure the permissions are set so that only you can read them. Ask your professor if you don't know how to do this. Never give printed copies of your own work to other students. Do not throw printed copies of your programs in the recycle bin in the computer lab. Recycle them where other students in the class do not have access to them.

If you have any questions about what this policy means, please discuss the matter with the instructor now.

Weather Related Closures
In the event of extreme weather, closure information may be obtained from the "Campus Closure" hotline (535-7100). If the university is open, but this class needs to be cancelled, that information can either be found on this web page or from your instructor's voice mail message. Students are urged to use caution and personal discretion and avoid undue risk and personal danger when making travel decisions during extreme weather conditions.

Disabilities
If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible.

Students are also reminded that they are responsible for notifying instructors of any conditions that may impair their academic performance. Without advance warning, such difficulties cannot be used later as a basis for requesting make-up exams or reconsideration of grades.

Withdrawal Dates
Last day to register, add a class, or drop a class with a full refund is Wednesday, Feb. 19. The last day to withdraw from a class with a W grade and a fee is Friday, May. 2.