There will be a mid-term and a final exam, stressing concepts rather than memorization of details. There will also be several homework assignments (number to be determined). The homework will include both written and programming work. The written work will consist primarily of problems taken from the textbooks. The programming projects will introduce you to Linux kernel programming, and will be taken from Gary Nutt's book, Kernel Projects for Linux, ISBN 0201612437, which is not a required text (handouts will be given).
Final grades will be based on the following formula:
You are encouraged to discuss general features of the assignment and the ideas involved with other students. This might include general approaches to the problems, how long you've spent working on it, etc.
However, (except for projects to be done in groups), you should not discuss details of how you solved the problems or what conclusions you came to. You must not exchange literal copies of any material, whether it is code, diagrams, English-language text, or proofs. You also cannot copy material from published or on-line sources, with or without cosmetic changes such as rephrasing text.
If you aren't sure what is permitted, explicitly document what you did and, if at all possible, consult with me beforehand. Similarly, document what happened if you receive extensive or particularly important help from some source, even if it seems legitimate. If the questionable material or extensive help is explicitly marked as such, you might lose points but it's not an honor code violation.
These principles are the same, no matter what the medium of discussion or exchange (voice, writing, email, etc).
Important announcements between classes will be sent out via the course's electronic mailing list. (In complex cases, the email may refer you to the course's web page.) Check your email regularly, particularly right before an assignment is due (when any bugs are likely emerge and be corrected).
You are expected to be in class most of the time. I'm not going to take attendance explicitly. However, if you aren't in class, it's your responsibility to find out what happened, and if you are gone a lot, it will impact your grade.
Unless announced, there are no automatic extensions to homework (or other) deadlines, and a grading penalty of 5 points per day will be exacted for late submissions. All deadlines, whether for homework, exams, or other material, are firm. Turning something in even a little bit past the deadline is the same as turning it in the next day.
If, for some good reason, you are unable to turn in a homework when due, extensions may be possible. The key principles are:
If you think it is impossible to accomplish the work in the available time, consult with me. It may be that everyone in the class has the same problem, in which case I might want to adjust the assignment. The same applies if I have scheduled something at a particularly bad time (e.g. simultaneously with a major deadline for another class) or if there seems to be a bug in an assignment.
If you get sick during the term, let me know immediately, even if you think it will not affect your work. This applies any time you are sick enough that you miss any classes (not just this one), need extra sleep, or find yourself thinking more slowly than normal. Notify me of sickness even if you're 100% sure that you'll be able to get your work done on time.
© 2003, Geoff Kuenning
This page is maintained by Geoff Kuenning.