General Grading Policy for courses taught by Dr. Sullins

General Grading Policy

Grading:
The course grade will be based on the required material:

90% will guarantee at least an ``A'' for the course,
80% will guarantee at least a ``B'' for the course,
70% will guarantee at least a ``C'' for the course, and
60% will guarantee at least a ``D'' for the course.

The grade scale may be adjusted to benefit the students.

Grades may be adjusted upwards on an individual basis. Factors which may be taken into account include, but are not limited to, class participation, efforts to complete work on time, and wide differences in scores on individual exams.

Due Dates and Late Assignments:
An assignment (including programs and projects) is late if it is not IN MY POSSESSION (either as hardcopy or electronically) at the beginning of class on the due date. Late assignments may be penalized at some percentage (usually 10%) per day late, and no credit will be given for assignments turned in after solutions have been handed out. Extenuating circumstances (such as nonfunctional labs) may be recognized if they become a chronic problem.

Attendance:
Class attendance is optional, except for students who are receiving VA benefits, or in situations (such as group meetings) where your absence would be detrimental to other students in a group. However, missing class is not an acceptable excuse for failure to complete required material on time. Material that is presented in class will not be covered again outside of class -- if you miss class, it is up to you to find out what was covered and to get the notes from someone else.

Exams:
Exams will cover material presented in class and corresponding required sections in the text, and will also usually relate to material covered in the homework. Makeup exams are allowed, but only for compelling and verifiable reasons. I need to be informed as soon as possible if you need to take a makeup (ideally, before the exam is given), and I reserve the right to refuse if too much time has passed since the exam, or if no compelling reason is given.

Disability Services:
In accordance with University procedures, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. You must be registered with CSP Disability Services, which is located at Wick House, and provide a letter of accommodation to verify your eligibility. You can reach CSP Disability Services at (330) 941-1732.

Academic Support:
The Marion G. Resh Center for Student Progress is a resource on Campus established to hep students successfully complete their university experience. Please phone (330) 941-3538 or visit the Center for assistance in tutoring or for individualized assistance with social and academic success. The main Center is located in Kilcawley West below the bookstore. Disability Services is located in Wick House.

Incomplete Grades:
Incomplete grades are strongly discouraged. However, an incomplete grade may be assigned under the following conditions:

The student must request in writing that an incomplete grade be assigned.
The student's previous work in the course must have been satisfactory.
The reason(s) must be beyond the student's control, and deemed justifiable by the instructor.

Insufficient time is NOT a justification for an incomplete. Also note that all incompletes must be made up within a year; otherwise, they automatically revert to an F.

Academic Honesty:
Academic honesty is expected and required. HELPING fellow students is acceptable, and is actually a very good way to learn the material (particularly with debugging programs). COPYING is NOT acceptable, and will result in loss of credit for the assignment, and possibly failure of the course. Follow these guidelines:

All work on the design and basic coding phase of a program should be your own. That is, sitting in a group writing a program or assignment together is considered to be copying (unless this is specifically allowed as part of a group project).
If you receive help with debugging part of an assignment, then you must acknowledge that help in the documentation of that section (your grade will not be affected unless otherwise announced).
If you give help to another student, then it is your responsibility to make sure that they fully understand the problem and solution -- just giving someone code is worse than no help at all.
Under NO circumstances should code be copied from one students file to another (it's a lot easier to detect than you might think).

For further information, see page 42 of the 2007-2008 Undergraduate Bulletin. See also the CSIS Acceptable Use Policy for Lab Standards at http://www.cis.ysu.edu/Meshel.Hall.Labs/aup.html .

The bottom line: if you are not sure how to approach a problem, or are stuck at some point, SEE ME FIRST FOR HELP.