CSC 300 Basic Course Administration - Spring 2009



Current Course Catalog Description:

CSC 300 Professional Responsibilities (4)

The responsibilities of the Computer Science professional.  The ethics of science and the IEEE/ACM Software Engineering Code of Ethics, quality tradeoffs, software system safety, intellectual property, history of computing and the social implications of computers in the modern world.  Applications to ethical dilemmas in computing. Technical presentation methods and practice.  3 lectures, 1 laboratory. *Prerequisite CSC 307 or CSC 309* 

* Note, this prerequisite is changing.  

Ask yourself, what is this reference to a "professional" and why is it part of the course description?  Understand this and you have a large part of the class solved.


Basic Course Requirements and Grading:

This document intended to give you an idea of the critical aspects of the class and how your grade is calculated. Your grade is not a simple number calculated from objective tests. It is based on a wholistic view of your performance in each of these areas and in the classroom.  You are also referred to your student agreement that contains my list of common characteristics that lead to failing grades in this class:  in order to ensure you have understood the basic course requirements, you must sign a Student Agreement for CSC 300.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT to get started, read one of the following books (or an alternative) in the first two weeks of class and produce a 1500 word Critical Analysis (not a report) on some aspect of the book's thesis relative to its impact in the world of Computing and Professional Responsibility.  See below for specs.

Class attendance, class preparation and participation measures are directly utilized in your final grade as noted in the student agreement.  

Take Note: in order to pass this class, you must receive passing grades on both the Final Termpaper and the Formal Presentation.


1500 word Critical Analysis paper  10 %
Formal Proposal for Termpaper   10 %
3000 word Full Draft Termpaper  10 %
6000 word Final Termpaper   20%
Formal Presentation  20%  (Note bonus points available by the student evaluation of presentations.)
LABS  20%
Class Attendance, Preparation and Participation  10%
                ______
Total        100%  *


Basic University honesty policies apply to this class.  Though I strongly encourage cooperation in your work, the work you author must be your own. You really MUST use other's work (other references, students work, quotations, etc.) and it MUST be properly referenced.  It is a GOOD THING to use others' smart ideas and cite to their work while you do analysis and build your own variations on their ideas.  Copying anothers' work without valid citation is considered plagiarism.  Paraphrasing another source in your work as your own may also be considered dishonest, you must cite to sources and distinguish your interpretation from the original principles that sparked your interpretation.  This is part of good research.  This class strictly enforces the policy and lack of proper references for any facts, figures, tables, pictures, well-known principles or student contributed ideas will result in serious consequences, as noted in the student agreement.  This policy is also further explained in the student agreement.

I repeat: attendance and participation are mandatory in this course. Discussions in class require your input. The class process and class discussions are not contained in any slides or notes. Of course, if you must miss class, let me know and find out what transpired from other students in the class.   

LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED without prior arrangement or acceptable medical excuse.

Updated: CST March 2009.