I. ASCRC General Education Form (revised 3/19/14)
Use to propose new general education courses (except writing courses), to change or
renew existing gen ed courses and to remove designations for existing gen ed courses.
Note: One-time-only general education designation may be requested for experimental courses
(X91-previously X95), granted only for the semester taught. A NEW request must be
submitted for the course to receive subsequent general education status.
Group
II. Mathematics
VII: Social Sciences
(submit
III. Language
VIII: Ethics & Human Values
separate forms X III Exception: Symbolic Systems * IX: American & European
if requesting
IV: Expressive Arts
X: Indigenous & Global
more than one
V: Literary & Artistic Studies
XI: Natural Sciences
general
w/ lab  w/out lab 
education
VI: Historical & Cultural Studies
group
* Require a Symbolic Systems Request Form.
designation)
Dept/Program Computer Science
Course #
CSCI 135
Course Title
Prerequisite
Fund of Computer Science I
Prereq., computer programming
experience in a language such as
BASIC, Pascal, C, etc.; coreq., M 095
or consent of instr. CSCI 104 highly
recommended as prereq. or coreq.
Credits
3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
Instructor
Michael Cassens
Phone / Email michael.cassens@mso.umt.edu
Program Chair Douglas W. Raiford
Dean
Chris Comer
III. Type of request
New
One-time Only
Renew X
Change
Remove
Reason for Gen Ed inclusion, change or deletion
Symbolic Systems Renewal
Description of change
No changes
IV. Description and purpose of the general education course: General Education courses
must be introductory and foundational within the offering department or within the General
Education Group. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/archives/minutes/gened/GE_preamble.aspx
An introduction to the field of Computer Science, focusing on the object-oriented programming
language Java, Software Engineering principles, and fundamental knowledge about computers,
as preparation for using computers to accomplish tasks, and for acquiring the more advanced
knowledge required for a career in the Computer Science field.
V. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
1. rigorously present a mapping between a realworld system and a human abstraction of the
system.
1) A computer program is a model of a realworld system, devised by the program
developer, and expressed in the symbols and
symbol manipulations of a programming
language.
2. applies analysis, reasoning and creative
2) Analysis, reasoning, and creative thinking
thinking in the understanding and manipulation are indispensable in devising how to use the
of symbolic codes.
symbol manipulations of a programming
language (sequence, selection, repetition,
data abstraction, and procedural abstraction)
to model a real-world system.
3. utilizes alternative methods of
3) The program is the complete expression
communication, perception, and expression in
of the model of the real-world system.
order to encourage rigorous thinking.
Alternate methods of communication,
perception, and expression of the program
(such as a flowchart, UML diagram, or
method call tree) focus on the correctness of
particular aspects of the model.
VI. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://umt.edu/facultysenate/documents/forms/GE_Criteria5-1-08.aspx
1. demonstrate an understanding of the symbols Upon completion of the course, students
and the transformations of the system.
will be able to create a new program and
modify/extend an existing program
2. relay and interpret information in terms of the Upon completion of the course, students
given symbolic system.
will be able to create alternate
representations of the program and create
programs from alternate representations
3. apply creative thinking using the symbolic
Upon completion of the course, students
system in order to solve problems and
will be able to specialize (i.e. modify and
communicate ideas.
extend) the symbolic system to solve new
problems
VII. Assessment: How are the learning goals above measured? Please list at least one
assignment, activity or test question for each goal.
1.Students complete a series of projects where programs are created and/or modified
2.During projects, students are given alternate representations of the end product and required
to implement a program that represents this alternate representation. In later projects, students
are required to write their own alternate representation given a product specification.
3.Students are required to solve programmatic challenges by synthesizing previously learned
concepts.
VIII. Justification: Normally, general education courses will not carry pre-requisites, will
carry at least 3 credits, and will be numbered at the 100-200 level. If the course has more than
one pre-requisite, carries fewer than three credits, or is upper division (numbered above the 200
level), provide rationale for exception(s).
NA (plus we are dropping the one prereq this review cycle)
IX. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form.  The syllabus
should clearly describe learning outcomes related to the above criteria and learning goals.
Fundamentals of Computer Science CSCI 135
Syllabus Fall 2014
CSCI 135 Section 00
Instructor: Michael Cassens
Office: SS 411
Office Hours: MWF 12:00-1:00 pm or by appt
Phone: 406-370-1684
E-mail: michael.cassens@mso.umt.edu
Skype: michaelcassens
Google: michaelcassens@gmail.com
URL: http://umonline.umt.edu/
Overview:
This class is designed to give you a good general understanding of software development
and logical reasoning. This course focuses on introducing general programming and object
oriented programming concepts using the Java programming language. This course will
introduce all of these concepts as well as provide a number of hands on opportunities to
become proficient in using these tools.




General Computing Concepts
Object Oriented Concepts
Logical Reasoning and Critical Thinking
Java Programming Constructs
Upon completing this course, a student will be able to:









Understand the basic components of a computer and how it works
Declare and understand the difference between primitives and object data types
Create UML diagrams based on requirement descriptions
Instantiate and use classes from the built-in Java library as well as custom classes
Create graphical programs using appropriate layout managers and event handlers
Implement appropriate looping and control structures to solve problems
Implement and understand method overloading and method overriding
Create test cases for programs written
Read from files, iterate through the file and manipulate the data within the file
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory however I realize there are times when you must be absent.
Please give me advance notice of any absences, and I will provide you with the same
courtesy.
Class consists of Monday/Wednesday 9 am – 10 am in Forestry 106. The lab is from 9-11
am on Friday in LA 206 (you can also attend the 136 from 10-12 on Thursday in LA 206)
Grading:
Homework 35%
Labs 20%
2 Exams 15% for each test
Final Exam 15% Final: Thursday Dec 10th, 2014 8-10 am
All Assignments will be submitted through Moodle assignments. If you have
trouble with your submission, please send them to
michael.cassens@mso.umt.edu
Your subject must be CSCI 135 Assignment # (e.g CSCI 135 Assignment 1)
If you have multiple files, please zip all your files and label your file:
“CSCI135LastNameAssignment1.zip”
Grading Scale
100-90 A, A89-80 B+, B, B-
79-70 C+, C, C69-60 D+, D, D-
59-and beyond F
P/NP – pass/no pass, 70 or greater is passing determined by Computer Science
Department policy, which is a C or better.
Late Assignments:
 Late assignments will not be accepted. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Requirements
 Required Texts:
 Java Software Solutions 8th edition – Lewis and Loftus


Pre-requisites for this course: CSCI 100
Required Software:
 Java JDK
 http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/download
s/jdk8-downloads-2133151.html
 Eclipse
 http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/eclipse-idejava-developers/lunar
Suggestions:
 It would be beneficial to read and ask as many questions as you can.
 Feel free to set up an appointment if you need help. I am here to help you
understand and do well.
Collaboration:
 I encourage you all to work together through problems, but copying and plagiarism
will not be tolerated. If you are caught cheating, I will give you an F for the course.
 Please refer to the Student Conduct Code in how this will be dealt with:
http://life.umt.edu/VPSA/student_conduct.php
Incompletes:
“Incomplete for the course is not an option to be exercised at the
discretion of students. In all cases it is given at the discretion of the
instructor….” Some guidelines for receiving an incomplete are listed in the
catalog which include having a passing grade up to three weeks before
the end of the semester and being in attendance. “Negligence and
indifference are not acceptable reasons.” Also note that there may be
financial aid implications.
Late Drops:
The University’s policy on drops after 45 days of instruction is very specific. The
Computer Science Department follows this policy rigorously. There are five
circumstances under which a late drop might be approved: registration errors,
accident or illness, family emergency, change in work schedule, no assessment of
performance in class after this deadline. Except in very unusual circumstances, I
will only approve late drops if there is documented justification for one of these
circumstances.
Disabilities:
This course is accessible to and usable by otherwise qualified students with
disabilities. To request reasonable program modifications, please consult with the
instructor. Disability Services for Students will assist the instructor and student in
the modification process. For more information, visit the Disability Services website
at http://life.umt.edu/dss/.
Class



Etiquette:
Be respectful of your fellow classmates.
Call me anytime if you have a question.
Profanity and Obscenity will not be tolerated in class or assignments.
Special Dates:









Aug 25, 2014 Classes Begin
Sept 1, 2014 Labor Day – No Class
Sept 15th-18th, 2014 online and will try and find a sub for labs
Nov 4th, 2014 – Election Day – No Class
Nov 11th, 2014 - Veteran’s Day – No Class
Nov 24-25th – Class online
Nov 26th – Nov 28th - Thanksgiving
Dec 8th-12th, 2014 Finals
Final: Dec 10th, 2014 8-10 am
Tentative Schedule:
Syllabus Review and Overview of the course
Week 1 Chapter 1 Introduction of Computing Concepts
Week 2 Chapter 1 Introduction Cont. – Logical Reasoning
Week 3 Chapter 2 Data and Expressions
Week 4 Chapter 2 Data and Expressions cont.
Week 5 Chapter 3 Using Classes and Objects
Week 6 Exam 1
Week 7 Chapters 1, 2, 3 Graphics
Week 8 Chapter 4 Writing Classes
Week 9 Chapter 4 Writing Classes cont.
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Chapter 5 Conditionals and Loops
Chapter 6 More Conditionals and Loops
Exam 2
Chapter 7 Object Oriented Design
Chapter 7 Object Oriented Design cont.
Chapter 8, Review
Final - Wednesday Dec 10th, 2014 8-10 am
Please note: Approved general education changes will take effect next fall.
General education instructors will be expected to provide sample assessment items and
corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.