CMPSCI 250: Introduction to Computation

Andrew Barto

Fall, 2006

Course Requirements and Grading

Your grade in CMPSCI 250 will be based on the following:

• Midterm Exams: There will be two midterm exams, on Thursday evenings as specified on the syllabus. You will have 1.5 hours to complete each midterm, but I will try to make it reasonable to complete each in one hour. Each will count for 15% of the course grade.
• Final Exam: This will be during the December final exam period as scheduled by the University, and will be cumulative. You will have two hours. This exam will count for 25% of your final grade, except that I will count it for 50%, and reduce the weights of all other components proportionally, if this is to your advantage.
• Homework: There will be eight homework assignments during the term. Together they will count for 35% of your final grade. The questions will mostly be taken from the textbook. Late homework will in general not be accepted -- we'll deal with valid excuses by giving "excused" grades on particular assignments. The worst of the eight homeworks will not count.
• Discussion Writings: During each of the discussion periods there will be a problem for which you are to submit a written response. These will be graded individually on a scale of "check-plus (A)", "check" (B), "check-minus" (C), and "no response or absent" (F). Any sincere attempt to solve the problem will get at least a check. Often actually solving the problem is enough for a check-plus. (Often there will be a series of problems and I'll decide after the fact how far you need to have gotten for the check-plus.) The discussion writings will count together for 10% of your final grade. (Attendence at discussions is thus "required", in that missing a discussion without a major excuse [medical, family emergency, etc.] incurs a grade penalty.)

Last modified 31 July 2006