CSCI460 Seminar in Computer Science
Fall 2013
Syllabus
Course Information
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
McKinney 213 Lecture
3:00 – 3:50
3 credit hours
Instructor Information
Name:
Vincent Capaccio
Email:
vcapacci@bridgewater.edu (best method of contact)
Phone:
x5623 (E-mail is the recommended means of communication)
Office:
McKinney 231
Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday - 12:00-1:00, or by appointment.
Goals
Course Description
Discussion and presentation of papers by students and faculty on problems of current
interest in computer science. Students do research for a semester on a computer science
topic and write a 25-page paper. A presentation and oral defense of the paper are
required. The capstone project is designed so that students can highlight what they have
learned.
Course Materials
REQUIRED: NONE
Money to print:
There may be times in lab that you need to print a worksheet, a completed
assignment or other work. You must have your ID card with you and some money
on it for printing. Make sure that you have a couple of dollars on the card each
day.
Backup Media:
It will be important that you have a backup device available to use in the lab.
While you will get some network space, sometimes the network goes down and
you need some way to continue working. Lab machines do not provide a
permanent save. When the machine is logged out, your work is lost.
Assignments and Grading
Exams and programming assignments are graded on a 100 point scale. Letter grades
correspond to 10 point ranges...90 - 100 = "A", 80 - 89.999 = "B", etc. "F" is used for
work below 60%. Final grades will be based on a scale similar to the exams and
programming assignments. Plus grades will be used to differentiate work between grade
categories.
The final grade will be computed as follows:
Assignment
Faculty Evaluation of Paper
Faculty Evaluation of Presentation
Oral Exam
Peer Evaluation of Paper and Presentation
Satisfactory Attendance
Comprehensive Exam
Weight
30%
20%
20%
10%
10%
10%
Grading
Evaluations by faculty will take into account:
How will the student communication the topic
Clarity of the organization of the material
Level of preparation
Depth of research
Suitability of the outline to the material presented
Attendance and timeliness of meeting deadlines
Missed and Late Assignments
Late assignments - All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the day that they
are due. No late assignments will be accepted for credit, although I will review late
assignments at your request to help you learn. For programming projects, late
assignments will have a per day penalty associated with them.
Attendance and Participation
Attend class. If you must miss class, use the web and our schedule to pick up any
missed material. You may not turn in any assignments that you missed doing for
credit, but I encourage you to do all of the class activities. See a colleague and the
schedule for missed notes. Don't apologize for missing class and don't ask if you
missed "anything important".
Extended absences: If you will be out of class for an extended time due to illness or
family emergency (several days or more), DO let me know. You may need to
document such a situation, but I will try to help you catch up the work. However,
realize that this class moves quickly and covers a lot of material. Long absences may
prevent you from successfully completing this course during the semester.
Contact and Email Policy
Outside of the classroom and office hours, email is the recommend form of
communication. However I can be reached by phone during office hours.
Adding/Dropping Course Policy
Students are responsible for adding and dropping courses via WebAdvisor.
Cancellations
The Bridgewater College website provides details of information dissemination for
inclement weather and other emergencies.
Honor Code
Students are expected to comply with the Bridgewater Honor Code as stated in the
Student Handbook http://www.bridgewater.edu/files/EagleStudentHandbook.pdf
Religious Observation Accommodations
Students who are unable to attend class due to religious observance may request
deadline extensions BEFORE the expected absence. I will do my best to
accommodate your special circumstances.
Disability Accommodations
Bridgewater College is committed to providing all students equal access to the
college’s academic programs and activities.
Students who have a condition, temporary or permanent, (attention, learning,
visual, hearing, physical, psychological or medical), that impacts learning and for
which an accommodation may be desired are encouraged to contact the Director of
Academic Support, Dr. Chip Studwell, 540, 828-5370 or cstudwel@bridgewater.edu
to work out accommodation strategies. A letter is required from the Academic
Support office, each semester, in order to receive accommodations at Bridgewater.