10-601   Fall 2008 Course Policies

Course Requirements and Grading

The grade will be calculated as follows:

Additional Non-Linear Constraint

In order to pass the course, the average of your midterm and final must also be "pass”..

Assignment due dates, Lateness and Extensions

All communication regarding late assignment submission should be done directly with the TA in charge of that assignment, not with the instructor.  For each assignment, the TA in charge will be identified on the “Assignments” web page, as well as on top of the assignment document itself.

Unless otherwise specified, assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date. Please do not miss class in order to finish an assignment since it will be considered late if you turn it in after class has started.

Each student has four extension days to be used at his or her own discretion throughout the entire course, without having to ask in advance. However, please note that your assignment grade will be discounted by 10% of the achievable score per day (24-hour period beginning at 10:30am), when you use any of these late days. You may use the 4 days in whatever combination you like: for example, all 4 days on 1 assignment (for a maximum grade of 60%) or 1 day on each of 4 different assignments (for a maximum grade of 90% on each). After you have used all 4 days, you cannot get credit for anything turned in late.

If you have a substantial reason for  needing an extension (e.g., going to a conference, being really sick, family emergency, etc), please email the TA in charge (not the professor) as soon as you know of the need for the extension, explaining your situation and asking for a specific extension time period. The TA in charge will grant extensions that do not count towards your four days quota if your reason is legitimate and you asked for the extension in a timely manner.  Do not hesitate to ask for an extension if you have unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances – we would like to accommodate you, as long as you act responsibly.  In the unlikely event that the TA denies your request, you can appeal by emailing the instructor. Late assignments for which you have been granted an excused extension will not incur the 10% per day penalty (or any penalty at all).

Assignment Hand-in Procedure

Assignment must always be turned in to the TA in charge, not to the instructor!

If you are turning in your assignment late, you must contact the TA in charge and deliver your assignment to him/her in person, or else make alternative arrangements with him/her.  If you need to get an assignment to your TA and they are not available (such as during the weekend), you should type your solutions (Latex or Word+Eqation Editor, etc) and email them to the TA.  Do not email a scanned copy of your hand-written HW, and never leave your assignment on your TA's desk!

Never shove your assignment under the instructor's door -- it might be lost!

Important Notice Regarding Previously Used Assignments

Some of the homework assignments used in this class may have been used in prior versions of this class, or in classes at other institutions.   Avoiding the use of heavily tested assignments will detract from the main purpose of these assignments, which is to reinforce the material and stimulate thinking.  Because some of these assignments may have been used before, solutions to them may be (or may have been) available online, or from other people.   It is explicitly forbidden to use any such sources, or to consult people who have solved these problems before.  You must solve the homework assignments completely on your own. I will mostly rely on your wisdom and honor to follow this rule, but if a violation is detected it will be dealt with harshly.  Collaboration with other students who are currently taking the class is allowed, but only under the conditions stated below.

Collaboration among Students

The purpose of student collaboration is to facilitate learning, not to circumvent it. Studying the material in groups is strongly encouraged. It is also allowed to seek help from other students in understanding the material needed to solve a particular homework problem, provided no written notes are shared, or are taken at that time, and provided learning is facilitated, not circumvented. The actual solution must be done by each student alone, and the student should be ready to reproduce their solution upon request. Any form of help or collaboration must be disclosed in full by all involved on the first page of their assignment (e.g. "Jane explained to me what is asked in Question 3.4", "I pointed Joe to section 2.3 since he didn't know how to proceed with Question 2"). When such collaboration is deemed excessive by the instructor, grading may be somewhat affected. However, collaboration without full disclosure will be handled much more severely, in compliance with CMU's Policy on Cheating and Plagiarism

Last modified: Tuesday, Auguest 29, 2006 04:24 PM