Grading Policies

Grade

Your grade is composed of the following components:

There will be four examlets. Your highest three scores will count toward your grade. Each will be weighted at 15% of the course grade.

Grading Scale

All your grade components will be added up with the percentage weights indicated and result in a single number. This number will determine your letter grade, according to the following scales:

If you are signed up for the four-credit-hour section, a larger, potentially multi-part project assignment will be posted about halfway through the class and will count for two homework sets and factor into your homework grade correspondingly, diminishing the weight of the other homework.

Grade Acceptance and Complaint Period

After grades are released for any homework set, quiz, or examlet, you have two three weeks in order to clarify any misgivings you may have about the grade you received. Once two three weeks have passed, the assigned grade is considered accepted and no further complaints will be considered.

Registration

CS 450 is, unfortunately, too popular for its own good, leading to annoyances like waitlists and sections with controlled access.

Some of you have asked to take part in class activities despite not being officially registered for the class, and I am usually happy to make this possible. If you choose to make use of this, you will be held to the same standard as every other student that is officially registered for the class, and, at the discretion of the instructor, work you do as part of this 'unofficial' participation may be eligible for class credit if you later become officially registered.

However, please keep the following two things in mind:

1. While it is quite likely that spots will open up as the semester continues, I am unable to promise that this will happen.

2. As long as you are not officially signed up (check with the academic office in 1210 Siebel if you're not sure), you will not receive university credit for the work you are doing.

In particular being "enrolled" in the course on this site has no administrative significance to the university. What matters is enrollment as shown in the UIUC self-service application.

Online Quizzes

There will be a short quiz due before each class. All these quizzes contribute a small amount to your grade. The intent of these quizzes is to remind you of the material covered in the prior lecture and to help you practice applying it. Each quiz should take you no longer than perhaps 15 minutes to complete.

These rules apply to the quizzes, unless otherwise stated:

• Quizzes will be posted 24 hours before the next lecture. You will find links to this material on the class calendar page in the section for the upcoming lecture.

• Quizzes will usually allow three graded attempts.

  Of these, the one with the higher grade will count.

• We obviously can't keep you from looking up information while you're taking the quiz. To an extent, that's fine. Nonetheless, try to do as much of the quiz as you can from memory. You'll learn more.

• Please don't take these quizzes as a group, or speak with your peers about the answers. The same academic integrity policy as for homework applies, for further details see the Section of this document regarding Collaboration on Homework.

• Each quiz has a deadline. Generally, that deadline will be the beginning of the next class. After that deadline has passed, you can still take the quiz for half-credit for three days. Once that period has passed, you will be able to review your answers and the correct answer, but you will not be allowed to take the quiz again for credit. (You may repeat the quiz to practice, however.)

• There is no time limit on these quizzes other than the deadline, as long as you click "End Session" and "Confirm" before the deadline.

  If you do not submit your quiz before the deadline, it will automatically roll over to half-credit.

  After the half-credit deadline expires, you will lose the ability to make changes to your quiz. The current state of the quiz at that point will count as your submitted answer (for half credit).

• IMPORTANT: You must fully submit your entire quiz in order to receive credit. To do so, you must press the "Submit Assignment" button in the upper right corner. This is separate from submitting a final answer to a single question. Failure to submit the entire quiz, regardless of whether answers were saved for individual questions, will result in no credit.

Homework

There will be generally weekly longer-form homework sets over the course of the semester. One of these sets will be due every, as shown in the class calendar. Homework sets due in exam weeks will be lighter than in other weeks.

Late homework

Homework submitted after the deadline will count for half of its original worth. This offer is good for up to one week after the original deadline. After that, no late work will be accepted.

Homework will typically come out during the day on Wednesdays and be due the following Wednesday, as indicated in the class calendar. Each homework set will typically consist of a combination of coding and written responses.

• Solutions to the homework sets will be posted after the due date. If you are submitting homework for the half-credit due date, feel free to use the posted solutions in writing up your own solution. You may however not directly copy the sample solution. What you submit must still be written by you, not just copied.

Grading

You get exactly one submission per homework set. In particular, this means that:

• After you click "Submit Assignment" in the top right corner, you will not be able to make changes to your work.

• No resubmissions of work already graded. If, between the posted solution and your graded work, you still have questions, feel free to raise those on Piazza or during the TAs' office hours.

• Homework sets submit themselves automatically at (or soon after) the deadline. If you would like to make use of the half-credit opportunity, you must select "At deadline: Do not submit session for grading". Otherwise, the homework set will automatically be submitted at the deadline. This is particularly true if you have not worked on the homework set at all but wish to work on it during the half-credit period.

• We do not accept partial submissions on the homework. (e.g. we will not let you submit problem 1 and 2 before and 3, 4, 5 after the deadline.) There will also be no resubmissions of work already graded. If, between the posted solution and your graded work, you still have questions, feel free to raise those on Piazza or during the TA's office hours.

Collaboration on Homework

• You may discuss your approach (but not your code or your writeups) with your peers. All parts of each homework set must be your own work. You must have typed/written every part of your homework yourself. In some cases, code/pieces of work from elsewhere may be allowed--if so, this will be stated in the instructions. In that case, you must acknowledge the source.

• Code from demos as well as submissions/answers from previous semesters may not be used in coding problem submissions. Unless otherwise stated, you should submit code you have written from scratch.

• If we notice that your work has considerable overlap with someone else's or with old submissions or solutions (and we do check), you will receive a warning and be asked to resubmit on first violation. On the second violation, a zero will be given for the assignment and a FAIR allegation will be filed. While this policy is intended to avoid any misunderstanding, we reserve the right to file a FAIR allegation for any violation of the UIUC student code.

Examlets and Final Exam

There will be four examlets (i.e. midterms) during the semester, along with a longer final exam. The examlets and the final exam will take place in a computer-based testing facility ("CBTF"). The examlets will be offered over a period of a few days. You must schedule an 1h50m (final exam likely to be longer) block within that time span in which to take the examlet. You must schedule your examlet using a self-service web site provided by the facility. Instructions will be given in the class calendar.

All examlets and the final are cumulative.

Examlet 0 takes place early in the class and does not carry much weight. Its purpose is to help you asssess your coding and linear algebra preparation as well as get you used to the process of taking exams in the CBTF.

Taking Examlets

• You will take your examlets as scheduled with the CBTF, and only on the scheduled day and time. If you do not take the examlet (e.g. by not scheduling an appointment, by not reporting to the facility at the scheduled time, or by not performing the required work), the examlet will be counted for a grade of zero.

• There will be no exceptions to the examlet scheduling policy except in cases of severe emergency (e.g., loss of life or limb). Examples of events that do not qualify as emergencies include (but are not limited to): transportation problems, conflict with work schedule, important family vacation, or computer problems. The policies of the facility apply during each examlet for aspects such as late arrival and emergency closures.

• For any type of foreseeable absence, documentation must be received by the instructor at least one week before the examlet to be acceptable, at which point the instructor will determine whether a make-up examlet will be allowed.

  Make-up examlets are not allowed without proper documentation as described above or for university-approved activities. Make-up examlets are not allowed for any type of unexcused absences, including missing class to study for a test, oversleeping, not being ready to take the examlet, or having to work at an outside job.

  For health-related or other absence because of an emergency, the instructor must be notified at least two hours prior to the examlet to receive consideration for a make-up examlet, but preferably as early as possible. An hour before the examlet at the latest, the instructor will provide guidance on whether a make-up examlet will be allowed.

• No aids other than a writing utensil and paper provided by the facility are allowed in examlets. In particular: If you are seen near a phone, MP3 player or other digital device (turned on or not--it does not matter) during an examlet, you will receive a grade of zero for the examlet or final.

• Only examlets taken in accordance with these rules will receive credit. Any deviation from these rules will lead to the exam in question being assinged a grade of zero.

CBTF Policies

• This course uses the College of Engineering Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBTF) for its examlets and its final exam: https://cbtf.engr.illinois.edu.

• The policies of the CBTF are the policies of this course, and academic integrity infractions related to the CBTF are infractions in this course.

• If you have accommodations identified by the Division of Rehabilitation-Education Services (DRES) for exams, please take your Letter of Accomodation (LOA) to the CBTF proctors in person before you make your first exam reservation. The proctors will advise you as to whether the CBTF provides your accommodations or whether you will need to make other arrangements with your instructor.

• Any problem with testing in the CBTF must be reported to CBTF staff at the time the problem occurs. If you do not inform a proctor of a problem during the test, then you forfeit all rights to redress.

Conflict Examlets

Since we allow you to take the exam at the exam center over a period of a few days, conflict exams will generally not be provided.

Accommodations

Please let me (Andreas) know as soon as you can if you need special accommodations (extra time etc.) on exams. Thanks! Send accommodations email now »

Extra credit opportunities

• Ask and answer good questions on Piazza. Every numerics-related question that an instructor marks as a good question/answer is worth 0.1 points on your final course grade, up to a maximum of 1 point.

• Do very well on exams. 100% on an examlet is awarded even when you make a mistake on some questions. (See each examlet's rules/start page for details on how many.) If you get more questions right than the 100% standard, those points are yours to keep.

Student responsibilities

Please read and understand the UIUC student code (link opens PDF).

In particular, make sure to read and understand Paragraph §1‑402. The rules there along with the rules in this tutorial form the foundation for making sure you and everyone else in the class receive a fair, transparent grade. Please see also the Collaboration on Homework Section above.

Special Requests

We are usually willing to provide quiz and homework extensions or make other exceptions provided the a well-justified request is made in a timely manner. By far the best way to get a prompt response to such questions or other pesonal issues related to the class is to post a private message on Piazza.

Inclusivity at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Message from campus leaders:

"A core value of this institution is one of respect for diversity of ideas and identities. We value the vast range of perspectives of individuals of all backgrounds." --- James Anderson, Dean of the College of Education

"We have prioritized diversity at the center of our college’s mission …We have attracted students who are eager to learn from others’ experiences, beliefs, and cultural backgrounds.” ---Feng Sheng Hu, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Working well with diverse individuals is critical to your success:

In our diverse society, being able to effectively interact and work in teams with people from many different backgrounds is critical to your success. Like leadership or critical thinking, learning how to work well with people from diverse backgrounds is a skill anyone can learn with practice. Fighting Illini who build this skill in college are not only doing the right thing, they are also more successful in the job market and excel more quickly in their careers.

What your peers think:

A recent survey found that 89% of UIUC students agreed with this statement: “I embrace diversity and make sure that people from all backgrounds feel part of the UIUC community.”

While overt acts of discrimination occur at UIUC, recent research suggests these acts are committed by a small minority of individuals who differ radically from other students in terms of their attitudes and personalities.

What you can do:

Being inclusive is easy. By doing some simple things, you can improve our campus climate.

Do these things...

• Have a conversation with a student who has a different background from you. Ask them about their experiences.
• Attend several activities, talks, or other diversity events per semester. Find an events list at https://oiir.illinois.edu/events
• Display the same level of warmth and enthusiasm when interacting with students from all social groups.
• Ask individuals from different social groups what terms or phrases they find offensive.
• Choose students from different social groups for class projects and study groups.

…but not these things

• Assume you know about an individual’s abilities and interests just because they belong to a certain social group.
• Tell someone they conform to a positive stereotype about a group they belong to. Instead, give them a personal compliment!
• Tell someone their name is odd because you find hard to pronounce. Instead, learn how to say their name correctly.
• Tell someone they are different from “typical” members of a social group they belong to.
• Remain silent when you see others engage in discrimination. Speak up!

Questions about this message? Send an email! psych-law-lab@mx.uillinois.edu