15-213 Introduction to Computer Systems (ICS): Assignments

The assignments are the heart of this course. Much of what you learn in this course will be through completing these assignments.

All labs are due 11:59pm on the shown due date
You have 5 grace days for the entire semester - use them wisely.
You can use at most 2 grace day for any one assignment
You can submit any assignment at most 3 days late.
All assignments are handed out and handed in using Autolab.

Collaboration and Academic Integrity

We will be using the Moss system to detect software plagiarism including comparisons with labs from prior years. This system is amazingly good, because it understands the programming language in question (C, in our case).

It is not considered cheating to clarify vague points in the assignments or textbook, or to give help or receive help in using the computer systems, compilers, debuggers, profilers, or other facilities.

Due Dates and Grace Days

All handins are electronic via the Autolab system. Assignments are due at 11:59pm on the specified due date.

Each student will receive a budget of 5 grace days for the entire semster. Here is how they work:

You will be granted at most 2 grace day for each assignment. Grace days are used up automatically until you run out. You cannot defer or bank grace days.
After you use up the grace day for an assignment (or run out of grace days) then you will receive a penalty of 15% for each subsequent day late.
For any assignment you may not submit more than 3 days late. This allows timely grading and permits us to discuss or post aspects of solutions. You will receive no credit for an assignment which is more than three days late.

Summer Vacations/Off-grid travel

Short interruptions are, by design, managed by late days. But, if you've got major travel plans, etc, please let us know as soon as you know, with luck at least 2 weeks in advance. We'll work something out -- but we need to know well in advance of any affected work.

Submission

We always count your latest submission, both for grading purposes and for the purpose of counting late days. You should avoid the scenario where you make final clean-up edits close to the submission deadline without subsequently compiling and re-testing your code. You might end up with no credit if you accidentally fail to close a comment or miss a parenthesis!

Some labs permit unofficial submissions in order to test your code with the Autolab grader. Unofficial submissions will not be graded. Please make sure to hand in at least one official submission.

Grading

Grading criteria are stated separately with each lab. Most of each score will be determined by the Autolab grading script.

The teaching staff will decide on grade boundaries at the end of the year. We may use intangibles, such as participation in class and recitation for those close to grade boundaries.