This course is an introduction to computer science with an emphasis on abstraction. We will study computational processes; you will learn how to describe a process by using a procedure and how to use general categories of data in terms of their operational properties.

Course webpage: The course webpage is www.gac.edu/~mc27/2008S. There you will find a complete schedule, homework assignments, suggestions on how to improve your grade, and so on. 

Prerequisites: Although there are no formal prerequisites, you should understand the material that is typically covered in high school algebra.

Text: Concrete Abstractions: An Introduction to Computer Science, by Max Hailperin, Barbara Kaiser, and Karl Knight.

Classes: Classes will be used for lectures, problem solving, discussions, and other fun activities. Labs will be used for working on projects. You should prepare for each of these by doing the reading, thinking about the problems in the text or project assignment, and formulating questions of your own. Attendance, both physical and mental, is required.  Note that part of your grade depends on how well you are prepared for and participate in class.

Labs: Lab sessions are your chance to work on the projects and get expert help.  You should be sure to read the lab assignment before coming to lab.  If you come prepared with questions, you will be able to complete the six projects without too many late nights filled with frustration.  Attendance in lab is required; if you miss more than two labs, I will lower you grade by as much as a full letter.

Homework:  Chapter homework will help check your understanding of the reading and the classes. Assignments are posted on the course webpage and are due soon after the end of each chapter.  Solutions to these problems should be neatly written on notebook-sized paper and will be graded for the accuracy of your solution and the quality of your explanations.  Be sure to see the guidelines for writing up homework assignments.

Projects: You will have five programming projects throughout the semester; for each of these, you will need to write a report that presents your solution to the project's main problem.  Much, but not all, of the work for these projects can be done during the lab time. During this time, you will be able to ask the lab instructor (Max Hailperin) for help or guidance.  The lab instructor will also be the person who grades the reports.

Late Assignments, Absences from class, etc: Should you need to miss a class because of an illness or a personal emergency, you are still responsible for the material covered in that class. This means that you will need to make sure that you understand the reading for that day, that you should ask a friend for the notes from that day, and make sure that you understand what was covered. If there is an assignment due that day, you should be sure to have a friend hand it in or put it in my departmental mailbox (in Olin 324). You do not need to tell me why you missed a class unless there is a compelling reason for me to know.  If you miss more than three class days or more than two lab sessions, I will lower your grade by as much as one letter.

Chapter homework and project reports need to be handed in on the day they're due.  Generally, you should hand them in at the beginning of class.  Otherwise,  you need to make sure I get them before I leave for the day.  Under no circumstances should you send them to me through the POs (I'll throw them away with my lunch dishes), nor should you put them in the grey box outside my office door (I use that for leftover handouts).  In case you are sick or have some sort of emergency, you may hand in two of the 15 assignments (10 homeworks + 5 projects) late without penalty, as long as they are no more than one week late and as long as I have not handed out solutions or returned the graded homeworks.  Any more late assignments will be heavily penalized.

Tests: We will have two tests at 7:00 pm.  The test dates are

Thursday,  March 13
Thursday, April 17

If you cannot take a test at the regularly scheduled time because you have some other academic obligation, please let me know as soon as possible.  The final is on Tuesday, May 27, at 1:00 pm.

Honor:   In this course, you are expected to to adhere to the highest standards of academic honesty, to uphold the Gustavus Honor Code and to abide by the Academic Honesty Policy. Copies of these can be found in Academic Bulletin and in the Gustavus Guide.

On homework,  you should make a real effort to solve each problem by yourself, although  you can  and should discuss problems and their solutions with your classmates after you've made this effort.  You should give credit to any people or texts that helped you find solutions. On tests,  you are expected to work completely by yourself.

You will be expected to sign the honor pledge on every homework, project, and exam.  

Course grade:
 

Projects	23%
Chapter homework	23%
Class particpation and preparation	4%
Tests	50%

Accessibility: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Art of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) work together to ensure ‘reasonable accommodation’ and non-discrimination for students with disabilities in higher education.  A student who has a physical, psychiatric/emotional, medical, learning, or attentional disability that may have an effect on the student’s ability to complete assigned course work should contact the Disability Services Coordinator (Laurie Bickett, x6286) in the Advising Center.  She will review your concerns, decide what accommodations are necessary, and let me know.  All discussions are confidential.