CS 311 Discrete Mathematics for Computer Science

Subsection 6.1 Assessments

Subsection 6.2 Late Submissions and Missed Assignments

You will have a total of 4 slip days in increments of 1 day units (that is, 1 minute to 24 hours late = 1 slip day, etc.) to use throughout the semester to extend your homework deadline. However, you may use only one slip day on any particular assignment. Other than that, you may divide your slip days across the assignments in any way you wish, subject to the 4 slip days total and the maximum 1 slip day per assignment. Slip days are to account for unexpected life circumstances and emergencies. Use your slip days wisely. If you use all your slip days and are unable to turn in your assignment on time for any reason then you will receive a 0 for that assignment.

In addition, the lowest-score on your homework will be dropped from your final grade calculation. This is done in the case you miss an assignment because of illness, or other obligations that may come up.

There are no make-up opportunities for the assignments and/or exam.

Subsection 6.3 Regrade Requests

The grade you are given on an exam, a quiz, an assignment, or your final grade, is not the starting point of a negotiation; it is your grade unless a concrete error has been made. Do not come to the teaching team to ask for a better grade because you want one or you feel you deserve it. Unless we have made a 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. Errors can certainly be made in grading, especially when many students are involved. But keep in mind that errors can be made either in your favor or not. So, it is possible that if you ask to have a piece of work re-graded your grade will go down rather than up.

If you believe your work was graded incorrectly, you may submit a regrade request to the teaching team.

For quizzes or homework, if a concrete error has been made in your grade, please send the TA that graded your assignment an email with your request to regrade your quiz. Please use the format described in Emails to the Instructor or TAs.

You must submit a regrade request to the teaching team within one week of the date the grade became available on Canvas. Your request must contain details explaining why your work was graded incorrectly. (For example, it is not sufficient to submit a note that says ”regrade question 3” or "the rubric is too harsh".) Grade change requests that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

For exam grades, regrade requests must be submitted to me during my office hours. Any regrade request must be received by the given deadline. Your request must include an explanation of why your answer was not graded according to the rubric. Complaints not following this format will not be considered, nor will complaints that argue the rubric (see below about which grade discussions are inappropriate).

Note that the following grade discussions are not appropriate:

• “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.

• “I don’t like my final grade. It will ruin me 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. Your grade is not a reflection of who you are. Your grades will not ruin your life.

• “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.

• “I am on the border of the next letter grade. Can you bump me up?”

  The answer will always be “No”. Regrade requests are not given priority over any current grading, and so a response to your request may be delayed.

Subsection 6.4 Final Grades

To summarize, your final grade will comprise of the following assessments

Final grades will be assigned according to the following standard criteria:

Subsection 6.5 Academic Dishonesty

The University and the Department are committed to preserving the reputation of your UT degree. To guarantee that every degree means what it says it means, we must enforce a strict policy on academic honesty: Every piece of work that you turn in with your name on it must be yours. Students who violate University rules on scholastic dishonesty in assignments or exams are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of a lowered or 0 grade on an assignment or exam, failure in the course, and/or dismissal from the University. Changing your exam answers after they have been graded, copying answers during exams, or plagiarizing the work of others (classmates or from the internet) will be considered academic dishonesty and will not be tolerated. You may not search for solution to problems given in the class on the internet. Moreover, you may not copy these solutions or be inspired by them and claim they are your own work. Plagiarism detection software will be used on the programs submitted in this class. If cheating is discovered, a report will be made to the Dean of Students.