CSC 482 COURSE POLICY STATEMENT - Spring 2001

Instructor:

Dr. Peter Sanderson

203B Cheek Hall

836-4157

 

PeteSanderson@smsu.edu

http://www.cs.smsu.edu/~pete

 

Office Hours:       10-11 MTW, 2-3 WR, or by appointment.

Textbook:              The Case of the Killer Robot, by Richard Epstein, John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Prerequisites:      completion of or current enrollment in CSC 326 and CSC 460.

Course Purpose: This one-hour seminar course is designed to heighten your awareness of the social issues raised by computer usage, with an emphasis on ethics.

Examinations: The MFAT computer science assessment test must be taken on the last day of class, March 6. This is a timed standardized exam with two one-hour sections. The questions fall into four general categories: programming methodology, software systems, computer organization, and theory and computational mathematics. Your exam score will not affect your 482 grade, except that failure to take the exam will result in a failing grade for the course! Scores will be available before the end of the semester.

Homework: You will be assigned readings each week, and must turn in written summaries as directed. One or more class members will be appointed discussion leaders for each reading, and are responsible for turning in additional written work as directed. Each student will also be required to write a term paper on an appropriate topic and give a brief presentation about it to the class.

Grading Policy: Your grade will be based on class attendance (10%) and participation both as a discussion leader (15%) and in general (20%), summaries and outlines (20%), the term paper (35%), and completion of the MFAT. Each component will be scaled to 0-100 point range, then weighted according to the percentages shown to yield a final score. The letter grade is then based on a straight 90-80-70-60 translation. Participation and summaries will be marked on a three-level scale (check-plus, check, check-minus, corresponding roughly to 95, 85, 75%).

Attendance: This is a one-credit hour discussion-oriented course that meets only 7 times. You are expected to attend each week, and attendance will be recorded. Make arrangements in advance of a planned absence (e.g. job interview).

Academic Integrity: SMSU is a community of scholars committed to the ideal of academic integrity. All members of the University community share the responsibility and authority to challenge and make known acts of apparent academic dishonesty.  Academic dishonesty in this course is defined as either blatant copying of individual assignments.  Either will result in shared credit among the persons involved for a first offense, and zero credit thereafter.  Carefully review the University Student Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures; http://www.smsu.edu/acadaff/StudentAcademicIntegrity.pdf; also available at the Reserves Desk (Meyer Library), and in abbreviated form in the SMSU Undergraduate Catalog.

Disability Accommodation Policy: To request academic accommodations for a disability, contact Disability Support Services (DSS), Plaster Student Union, Suite 405, (417) 836-4192 (voice); (417) 836-6792 (TTY); http://www.smsu.edu/disability. Students are required to provide documentation of disability to DSS prior to receiving accommodations. DSS refers some types of accommodation requests to the Learning Diagnostic Clinic (LDC).  For a sliding-scale fee, the LDC also provides diagnostic testing for learning and psychological disabilities.  To inquire, contact Dr. Steve Capps, Director, LDC, (417) 836-4787; http://www.smsu.edu/contrib/ldc/.

SMSU is an equal opportunity institution, and maintains a grievance procedure incorporating due process available to any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against.  At all times, it is your right to address inquiries or concerns about possible discrimination to the Equal Opportunity Officer, Carrington 128, (417) 836-4252.  Concerns about discrimination can also be brought directly to your instructor's attention.


[ CSC 482 | Peter Sanderson | Computer Science | SMSU ]


Last reviewed: 17 January 2001

Peter Sanderson ( PeteSanderson@smsu.edu )