Syllabus, CMPSC 9, Fall 2023

Basic Facts

• Course Web Site: https://ucsb-cs9.github.io/f23/
• Instructor: Richert Wang
  • Email is richert@ucsb.edu, BUT please use Piazza for course related communication.
• Lecture: Tu Th 11:00am-12:15pm (ILP 2302)
• TAs: (contact via Piazza)
• Mentors: (contact via Piazza)
• Lab (50 minute lab sections): Wednesdays 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm (SSMS 1301)
• Office Hours: See https://ucsb-cs9.github.io/f23/info/office_hours/

Required Resources

• Textbooks:
  • “Problem Solving with Algorithms and Data Structures Using Python” - Bradley N. Miller & David L. Ranum, 2nd edition

Official UCSB Catalog Description

A few course policies in brief

• If you are registered for another UCSB course that overlaps with this one, you are responsible for any work or material you may miss. I am within my rights to not give credit on any work you miss as a result, and WILL NOT make accomodations.
• Collaboration is only permitted when specifically allowed for — otherwise, you must do your own work independently (lab assignments must be done independently this quarter).
• I recognize that some absences (e.g. minor illnesses, mishaps, etc.) are unavoidable. Litigating whether each of these is “excused” or not isn’t a good use of anyone’s time, so instead we will drop the lowest two grades from everyone’s homework. No lab assignments will be dropped. This way, absences (or failure to submit homework) does not unduly penalize your grade unless it becomes excessive.
• We will use the gradescope system this quarter for lab submissions and homework assignments. The midterm and final exams will be conducted in-person.
• All regrade requests must be made on Gradescope and we will not consider a regrade request one week after the assignment grades are distributed back to students.

What this course is about

CS 9 serves as a continuation of material covered in CS 8: Introduction to Computer Science using the Python programming language. The target of this class is for non CS majors who will learn additional fundamental CS topics such as object oriented programming, algorithm runtime analysis, fundamental data structures, and testing methodologies. By the end of this course, students will understand tradeoffs between various algorithms / data structures, their performance, and their implementation.

Learning the details of programming requires A LOT OF PRACTICE, like learning any new skill. Making mistakes is an essential part of learning as long as you learn from them! Questions like “I wonder what will happen if I do this…” or “How will Python behave in this case…” is a great way to investigate and observe the functionality and limitations of a programming language (there are many programming languages available to software developers and each have their specific pros and cons that may or may not be the best choice for the problems you are trying to solve).

I find the best way to practice is to rapid prototype constantly. Writing simple snippets of code to test and confirm your understanding allows you to 1) practice typing out code, which makes you more comfortable with the language and 2) solidify your understanding of the specific behavior of the programming language functionality.

We highly encourage all students to start all assignments and reading as early as possible, and invite all students to seek assistance during our lab sections / office hours when offered. Waiting until the last-minute to ask questions or provide clarifications may result in not receiving a response in time - please give us ample time to help you appropriately.

Piazza Etiquette

Here are some general rules about Piazza, to keep it from getting cluttered, make sure you can benefit the most from having this forum, and to make it easier for us to answer your questions. Class communication will be done through this platform (reminders / announcements / etc). Note: all lab assignments in this course must be done INDEPENDENTLY (no group work).

In general, Piazza is not a substitute for lab sections / office hours, and we generally will not consistently check Piazza on weekends - the best feedback is given in lab sections / office hours.

But when you have a question and would like to post it on Piazza:

1. Search through existing Piazza questions to make sure your question hasn’t been answered before.
2. Use the filters (lab, lecture, logistics) to navigate between questions easily.
3. If you believe that other students will benefit from the answer, make the question public. Else, make it private.
4. Please DO NOT post your code (even if incorrect) in your public questions at any time including past the deadlines. Snippets of code are generally fine, but should be framed in a generic way not specific to the lab or your unique solution.
5. We do our best to get to your questions answered in a timely manner. However, if you find a question that you can help with, please do! We encourage students’ participation in answering questions.
6. Remember that Piazza has a feature that will allow you to post anonymously - this will not reveal the author of a question/contribution to other students (but will be known to the course staff).

Course Grades

Letter grades will be determined by the end of the course after all labs, homeworks, and exams have been computed. I can say that I will not grade harder than a traditional straight scale (90% = A-, 80% = B-, etc.). However, I will adjust the letter grades accordingly based on the class’ overall performance at the end of the course. If you are concerned about your grade in the class, I encourage you to discuss the matter with me during my office hours. Please come talk to me sooner rather than later so there can be some time where we can help you succeed in the course.

Your course grade will be determined as follows:

Grade Item	Percentage of Final Grade
Academic Integrity Contract	1 %
Midterm (Thursday 11/2), 11am - 12:15pm	35 %
Final (Wed 12/13), 12:00pm - 2:00pm	35 %
Homeworks	9 %
Labs	20 %

In general, homeworks will be assigned periodically throughout the quarter and should be completed on Gradescope by the due date.

There will be labs assigned throughout the quarter. These labs are autograded and your score is based on Gradescope’s recorded score. Lab sections and office hours are available to ask questions and seek assistance. Please be sure to check the due dates for all assignments on the course page and calendar.

• Two of the lowest homework scores will be dropped. Late homework submissions will not be accepted. However, even if you know you will not be able to submit a homework on time, I highly encourage you to complete it anyways since the homeworks will help prepare you for the exams.
• No lab assignment grades will be dropped.
• The midterm and final exam are each worth 35% of your grade.
  • Your midterm grade can be replaced with the average of your midterm and final scores if the average of the exams are greater than your midterm score.
• All labs must be submitted by the due date. There will be a 24-hour late window open on Gradescope for each lab. Submissions during the late window period will have a 20% deduction from your grade. We will only consider your most recent submission.
  • I highly encourage students not to wait until the last-minute to complete lab assignments. We generally will not be available to provide assistance over the weekend, and there is a risk of encountering technical difficulties (internet outages for example) that prevent an on-time submission. Please plan accordingly.

Late work

I will consider late submissions / accommodations only for medical or family emergencies where formal documentation can be provided. This does not include overwhelming workload from other courses, scheduling conflicts, technical difficulties, or vacation plans. The course policy of dropping two lowest homeworks, and lab assignments’ 24-hour late window is in place to accommodate any unfortunate situation where no form of documentation can be provided.

Accommodations for disabilities

Students with disabilities may request academic accommodations for exams online through the UCSB Disabled Students Program at http://dsp.sa.ucsb.edu/. Please make your requests for exam accommodations through the online system as early in the quarter as possible to ensure proper arrangement.

Managing stress

Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationships, depression, cultural differences, can interfere with the ability of students to succeed and thrive. For helpful resources, please contact UCSB Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at 805-893-4411 or visit http://counseling.sa.ucsb.edu/.

Responsible scholarship

Honesty and integrity in all academic work is essential for a valuable educational experience. The Office of Judicial Affairs has policies, tips, and resources for proper citation use, recognizing actions considered to be cheating or other forms of academic theft, and students’ responsibilities, available on their website at: https://studentconduct.sa.ucsb.edu/academic-integrity. Students are responsible for educating themselves on the policies and abide by them.

Furthermore, for general academic support, students are encouraged to visit Campus Learning Assistance Services (CLAS) early and often. CLAS offers instructional groups, drop-in tutoring, writing and ESL services, skills workshops and one-on-one consultations. CLAS is located on the third floor of the Student Resource Building, or visit http://clas.sa.ucsb.edu

Standard Disclaimer

This syllabus is as accurate as possible, but is subject to change at the instructor’s discretion, within the bounds of UC policy.