COMP 051: Introduction to Computer Science


Course Description | Administration | Learning Objectives | Course Material and Schedule | Grading and Attendance Policy | Exams | Assignment Guidelines | Academic Honesty | Covid19 Pandemic | Accomodation for Students with Disabilities | Nondiscrimination Policy

Course Description

The course emphasizes program design and problem solving techniques that use a high-level programming language. The course introduces basic concepts such as assignment, control flow, iteration, and basic data structures through a supervised lab.

Prerequisites: Completion of Fundamental Math Skills.

Website: Syllabus, Canvas LMS

Credits: 4 units

Course Catalog: https://catalog.pacific.edu/search/?search=COMP+051&caturl=%2Fstocktongeneral%2F


Administration

Instructor: Sepehr Amir-Mohammadian
Email:
Lecture: MWF 02:00PM - 03:15PM, either in CTC 114 or through Zoom
Office hours: MW 8:00AM - 9:15AM, either in CTC 122 or through Zoom

Teaching Assistant: Joyeeta Banerjee
Email: j_banerjee@u.pacific.edu



Learning Objectives

This course is a programming intensive course and the language used for assignments and labs will be C++.

By the end of the course, students will learn the following course outcomes:

University of the Pacific Core Competencies: This course reflects the following university-wide core competenceies in the undergraduate program:

Outcomes for COMP program: The assessment plan for this course comprises the following outcomes identified by ABET:


Course Material

We will use the following zyBook along with additional resources that are referred through the semester. In order to use the zyBook follow these steps:

The slides, assignments, supplementary material, etc. will be provided through Canvas LMS.

Major topics that will be covered in the course are:


Grading and Attendance Policy

Grades for the course are assigned on the scale below:
A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D F
[93,100] [90,93) [87,90) [83,87) [80,83) [77,80) [73,77) [70,73) [67,70) [60,67) [0,60)

Final grades will be assigned based on several performance factors. These factors and their quantitative contribution to the final grade are as follows:

Attendance: Class attendance and participation is necessary and expected. There will be numerous activities in class, and these activities cannot be made up outside of class. Participation requires that you are properly prepared for classroom discussions and activities, and have completed all reading assignments before the relevant class. You will only be allowed three excused or unexcused class misses during the semester. The only acceptable excuses for missing a class, an assignment due date, or an exam are serious illness, family emergency or important professional, academic or athletic activities. Illness or family emergency may require documentation. Excuses for professional, academic or athletic activities must be approved by the instructor in advance. Students missing a class are responsible for making up the material discussed in that class on their own. Students are responsible for being aware of any announcements made during their absence.


Exams

Two exams will be conducted during the semester, a midterm and a final. The schedule will be announced in class and content and format will be discussed prior to the exams. Make up exams will only be scheduled in emergency situations.




Assignment Guidelines

Release and Submission




Academic Honesty

The Honor Code at the University of the Pacific calls upon each student to exhibit a high degree of maturity, responsibility, and personal integrity. Students are expected to:

Violations will be referred to and investigated by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. If a student is found responsible, it will be documented as part of her or his permanent academic record. A student may receive a range of penalties, including failure of an assignment, failure of the course, suspension, or dismissal from the University. The Academic Honesty Policy is located in Tiger Lore and online.

Course-specific Honor Code Policy: Engineering is generally a cooperative endeavor and collaborative learning can be a valuable experience for all involved. However, proper assessment (i.e., grading) requires that work be done by individuals. To balance these two requirements, the following policy will apply:

Marginal cases will be resolved by oral examination of the student(s) involved. If they each understand the material in the assignment, it will be considered honest collaboration. If they do not, then it will be considered academic dishonesty.

In many cases, it may be possible to identify reusable source code from textbooks, web sites or other resources that can help you with assignments. You are permitted to use such references provided that:

You are responsible for understanding the theory behind all algorithms or source code used, regardless of their source.


Covid19 Pandemic

You are also responsible for conducting yourselves according to university rules and policies related to the pandemic. Here are some links for review:

If there are significant changes in pandemic conditions, it may be necessary to change some of the policies or structure of this course. If this becomes necessary, a revised syllabus will be distributed through the course Canvas site. Check the Canvas site regularly for announcements.


Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations, please visit pacific.edu/disabilities to contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) for information on how to request accommodations while at Pacific.

The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is located in the McCaffrey Center, Second Floor. Phone: 209-946-3221. Email: ssd@pacific.edu. Online: pacific.edu/disabilities


Nondiscrimination Policy

The University of the Pacific does not discriminate in the administration of any of its educational programs, admissions, scholarships, loans, athletics, or other University activities or programs on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, handicap, sexual orientation or preference, sex or age.


The instructor reserves the right to change these policies and guidelines at any time, and students agree to abide by the most recent version of this syllabus.


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