In the spirit of functional modular design, i have placed certain administrative aspects, rules and other things equally applicable to every course I teach on this page.
You should consider this page as part and parcel of each course's syllabus.
Learn a bit about me from my LinkedIn profile.
Course specific details (such as the textbook, course deliverables, etc.) will be posted on the applicable course page. Please bookmark it.
Any adjustments or updates regarding lectures, assignments, etc. will be announced in class and added to the News and Updates section of the applicable course page. In appropriate cases I may also send an email to the whole class.
Please ensure you check the course website and your email regularly.
I am more than happy to meet or chat with any student using any of the following channels:
In person at my office in Hazen Hall 302. You should 100% drop by and say hi. I usually have snacks.
Online anytime you see me as "Available" in Teams.
You can also email me. I will endeavour to get back to you within 24 hours.
Please don't be shy if you have questions or issues. I am here to help you succeed in learning the course material!
Furthermore, if I can help you, you will help me live longer. Win win.
The most important skill to have as a computer science professional is the ability to problem-solve. Developing problem solving skills requires practice and effort.
Problem solving capacity develops robustly only after the application of such effort over time.
Seasoned IT professionals have developed a keen intuition about how to analyze problems and implement efficient solutions, grounded in a solid understanding of key programming and software development concepts and approaches to the specific functional aspects of computing.
If you want to develop those skills and intuitions, then resist leaning on AI tools such as GPT and other Large Language Models (LLMs) for the problem solving aspects of your assignments.
You can, and should, use these tools to get quick answers to simple questions which help you in your learning. But don't use them to do the thinking for you.
If I suspect that you may have used an LLM to do a deliverable for you, I reserve the right to interview you to verify that the deliverable's content has been produced by your personal effort.
Points awarded for deliverables - other than a term paper or term project - are reduced by 1 point for each late day, or part thereof.
Points awarded for a term paper or term project report are reduced by 5 points for each late day, or part thereof, for up to 2 days. A term paper or term project report submitted 3 or more days late will receive a grade of 0 (zero).
I reserve the right to, in my sole discretion, grant extensions for due dates where doing so is justified. Students who find themselves in a situation where due to circumstances beyond their control they are not able to meet a deadline, must proactively contact me before the deadline and request an extension. No extensions will be given after a deadline has passed.
0 < 50: F
50 < 55: D
55 < 60: C
60 < 65: C+
65 < 70: B-
70 < 75: B
75 < 80: B+
80 < 85: A-
85 < 90: A
90+: A+
All sessions will be in-person as a default. Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings.
You must provide a citation for anything in a course deliverable which is not a product of your own thinking.
If you use someone else's work without citation, you are likely committing plagiarism. Students must diligently ensure that they do not engage in any of the following as it relates to any of the deliverables for this course:
Quoting verbatim or almost verbatim from any source, including all electronic sources, without acknowledgment.
Adopting someone else’s line of thought, argument, arrangement, or supporting evidence without acknowledgment.
Submitting someone else’s work, in whatever form without acknowledgment. Knowingly representing as one’s own work any idea of another.
Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please consult the Undergraduate Calendar for the university’s description and policy on plagiarism:
Academic accommodations for students with disabilities are provided by the Student Accessibility Centre. If you are a student with a disability and would like to discuss potential academic accommodations, you are encouraged to contact Ken Craft, Student Accessibility Centre Coordinator. Ken can be reached at kcraft@unb.ca or 648-5690.
The University has a wonderful student services team, who can provide you with great support, including help with learning how to study effectively, how to manage your time, how to write a paper, etc.
Check them out at https://www.unb.ca/sas/academic-success/.