CSC 300 Basic Course Administration - Fall 2008



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* 

* 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 is intended to give you an idea of the important assignments and how your grade is calculated. It 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.  This calculation is given in positive terms.  It may be well understood in negative terms, too, so you are 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 two weeks of class and produce a short 2 page report about its impact in the world of Computing and Professional Responsibility.  See the list here.

CLASS ATTENDANCE, CLASS PREPARATION and SIGNIFICANT PARTICIPATION are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to your passing this course.  Participation and attendance will be noted and used in evaluations, especially in borderline grading cases.

Termpaper  20%
Formal Presentation  20%  (Note bonus points available by the student evaluation of presentations.
LABS  15%
Practice Midterm exam 15% 
Practice: Fall 2008 FINAL  20% 
Class Participation 10%
                ______
Total        100%  *


Preparation, Participation, and a passing grade is required for each acitivity listed above.  In other words, you cannot skip (or fail) a presentation and take a point penalty.  You must take part in each and every activity with a passing grade in order to pass the course.  Participate - even if you must do suboptimal work.  (But try hard not to!)  Class preparation and participation contribute 10% to your final grade. You will be subjectively evaluated weekly on your class preparation and participation.  

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.

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.  You cannot pass this course if you stay home, coming to class only to take exams and turn in a paper.  You cannot pass this class if you never participate or volunteer at all during class.
 


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

Updated: CST January 2009.