Instructor
Mary Eberlein, Ph.D.
Taylor 5.116
471-9722
eberlein@cs.utexas.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 10 am - 12 noon
Course web page: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/eberlein/cs313/cs313.html

Proctor
Ankit Agarwal (ankit@cs.utexas.edu)
   Lab Hours: MW 5-6 pm, TTh 3:30-7 pm, F 1-4 pm

Textbooks
Java, Java, Java by Morelli, Prentice-Hall, 2nd edition
Thinking in Java by Eckel, available (for free!) at http://www.bruceeckel.com

Covered Material
Object-oriented concepts
UML
Some review topics such as arrays, strings
Exceptions
Abstract classes and interfaces
I/O using the java.io package
Collections and data structures
Graphical User Interfaces
Other topics as time permits

Grading
I think we all wish that we could have courses without grades. You hate worrying about grades. I hate having to assign grades. But grades are essential to insuring that your degree has the value that it deserves. So we have a grading system and that system has to have two essential properties:
-It has to be fair to everyone in the class.
-It has to be a true measure of how much each student knows about the class material.
The system I will use in this class will assign grades as follows:
3 Exams (Sept 30, October 28, December 2)        (all cumulative, 20%, 20%, 25%)
Projects/homework assignments                                  25%
Quizzes                                                                          10%

The standard letter grade cutoffs will be applied, i.e., 90 - 100 % is an A, 80 - 89 % is a B, etc. It is possible that these cutoffs may be lowered, but don't count on it.

The exam dates given above are tentative and may be changed. No final exam will be given. Exams will be given in the evening, 7-9 pm, on the scheduled dates.

No late projects or assignments will be accepted. Makeup exams will be given if you miss an exam for a very good reason. I am the sole judge of what constitutes a "very good reason." In any event, if you must miss an exam, you must notify me in advance. No makeup quizzes will be given, but you can drop your lowest quiz score.

In order for this grading system to work fairly for everyone, we need a few additional ground rules:
(1) Assigned grades are not the starting point of a negotiation. This isn't a weekend bazaar. Unless we have made a specific mistake in grading your work (i.e., you have a correct answer that was marked wrong or your score was added incorrectly), your grade is final.
(2) If we have made a mistake, then you must submit a description of the problem in writing to me within a week of the time that the grades were handed out. Regrades will not be considered after this time.

Note that none of the following grade discussions is appropriate:
(1) "I know my answer was wrong, but I deserve more partial credit points." When we grade, we make decisions about how many points to give for various kinds of wrong answers. This is never a clear cut decision. The important thing is that we make some decision and then implement it fairly for everyone. It is completely unfair to come back later and give one person more points just because they ask. We won't do it.
(2) "I don't like my final grade. It will ruin my life for the following reason: ... Therefore you should give me a better one." Class grades reflect only one thing: how well you did in the class. Life circumstances just don't play a role here. Don't come to me with this kind of argument.
(3) "I don't like my final grade. I am desperate. Isn't there some sort of extra credit thing I could do?" Any answer other than "No" to this question would be completely unfair to other students in the class unless they were all offered this option. That would be equivalent to saying that the semester isn't over and everyone can keep trying. We're not going to do this. Final grades are final.
(4) "I don't like my final grade. Can I have an incomplete and try again?" There are University rules for giving incompletes. If you meet those rules (e.g., you had a medical problem during the semester), then, of course, come and tell me and ask for an incomplete. But make sure you do it as soon as you can. Do not wait until the semester is over. If you do not meet the rules, the answer is "No".
(5) "I don't like my final grade. It doesn't reflect what I really know. I guess I didn't show what I know on the exams, but won't you give me a chance to convince you that I really know this stuff." Again, any answer other than "No" would be unfair to everyone else.

Academic Honesty
We follow the University's standard policies on academic honesty. They will be rigorously enforced. Cheating will result in action commensurate with the policies stated in the University's Manual on Academic Honesty. You are expected to do all work individually unless explicit permission for group work is given.

Students with Disabilities
The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accomodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY.