Course Syllabus

Website

The CS 2100 Canvas course is always under development, with regular updates to the class schedule, course notes, assignment specifications, resources, etc.

Textbook

The required textbook for the course is:

• Discrete Mathematics with Applications, Susanna S. Epp
  • ISBN 978-1337694193

Course notes

The materials generated during a class meeting will be posted to Canvas following the class meeting. These materials are to augment the class meeting, not replace it. Attendance is crucial for success in the class.

Laboratory practice

Lab sessions meet on Fridays to give students guided practice applying the concepts of CS 2100.  To avoid more participants than can be managed by the TA(s), students should regularly attend the lab section for which they are registered.  Infrequently attending a different lab section is allowed and need not be approved by the instructor.

Attendance is expected at class meetings (Mondays/Wednesdays) and at lab sessions (Fridays). Neither class meetings nor lab sessions will be recorded. Students who miss class do to illness or emergency are responsible for catching up by visiting instructor during office hours or TAs during help hours.

Students are expected to engage with the instructor and classmates during class meetings and lab sessions. Laptops and mobile devices are permitted for note taking; however, research has shown that handwritten note taking is more beneficial to students than typed note taking.¹ Handwritten notes will help prepare students for the exams which require students to handwrite solutions. In addition, laptops and mobile devices often act as distractions for students who may be tempted to multitask during class meetings and lab sessions, hampering their ability to focus on new and complex material. For these reasons, students are discouraged from using laptops and mobile devices during class except when the context requires it.

1. Mueller, P. A. & Oppenheimer, D. M. (2014). The pen is mightier than the keyboard: Advantages of longhand over laptop note taking.  Psychological Science, 25(6), 1159-1168. doi:10.1177/0956797614524581.

Please review the communication methods and requirements for this course:

Preferred Contact Methods

All class announcements and student questions (public or private) take place on Piazza — sign up right away and set notifications appropriately.

Help Hours

The instructor and TAs will hold office hours as specifed on the Getting help page.

Your grade in this course will be evaluated by:

• Participation – 10%
• Assignments – 30%
• Midterm Exams – 30%
• Final Exam – 30%

As this course is about careful and logical analysis, problems on assignments and exams must contain all relevant work and justification. A correct answer without justification will not receive full credit.

Participation

The participation portion of the grade will be based on regular PollEverywhere polls and Canvas quizzes. There will be a total of 100 points for polls and 100 points for quizzes and the participation grade will be computed using these two scores.

• The poll score for each Monday and Wednesday lecture (non-exam class periods) will be based on participation in the polls given during that class period. The cumulative poll score will be 100 points. There will be 5 points given for participation during each class period. Since there are 24 lectures during the semester, a student may earn up to 120 out of 100 points. This allows students to either earn extra credit or to miss up to 4 lectures without penalty.
• There will be a total of 12 canvas quizzes worth 10 points each. A student may earn up to 120 out of 100 points. This allows students to earn extra credit or to make up for points missed in some quizzes.

For information on assignments and exams, see the sections below.

There will be roughly one assignment per week. Each assignment will be posted on Canvas at least one week before it must be submitted. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the successful and timely submission of each assignment — start early and follow the instructions carefully. The assignments must be submitted via Gradescope. Each assignment's deadline is followed by a one-day grace period.

Assignment problems will not generally be sufficient or comprehensive relative to the course content. Additional problems will be provided each week to give students extra practice with the relevant concepts. Students are expected to understand the concepts contained in the additional problems. Although these problems will not be turned in or graded, students are highly encouraged to complete them. 

All exams are paper-based and will be administered in person in the usual classroom. Exams cannot be missed and will not be given at an alternate time except in the case of medical emergencies.

Students must bring their UCard to the all exams, as they will be asked to show their UCard when turning in their exam. No other form of identification may be used for this purpose.

Midterm Exams

• Midterm Exam #1: Wednesday, 29 January, 11:50am–12:10pm
• Midterm Exam #2: Wednesday, 5 March, 11:50am–12:10pm
• Midterm Exam #3: Wednesday, 16 April, 11:50am–12:10pm

Final Exam

• Monday, 28 April, 10:30am–12:30pm

Students who have ADA accommodations should make arrangements to register for their exam with the Center for Disability and AccessLinks to an external site. (CDA) at least one week before the scheduled test time. This proactive step ensures that appropriate accommodations are in place to support the needs of students with disabilities during the examination. By registering in advance, the CDA can work collaboratively with the students and the instructor to provide the necessary accommodations and create an inclusive testing environment that allows all students to demonstrate their knowledge and abilities on an equal basis.

Weights

The final grade for the course is determined using the following weights:

• Participation – 10%
• Assignments – 30%
• Midterm Exams – 30%
• Final Exam – 30%

Adjustments

When calculating the final grade, the following adjustments will be made.

• The lowest assignment score will be dropped.
• The lowest midterm exam score will be weighted half as much as the higher two midterm scores. In other words, the 30% for midterm exams will break up as 6% for the lowest midterm score and 12% each for the higher midterm scores.

Regrades

Students desiring to appeal a score on an assignment or exam must do so via Gradescope. All such appeals are due no later than one week after the score is published.

Letter grades

To get help understanding course material, students may

• see the Teaching Assistant(s) during TA Help Hours (see Getting help)
• see the instructor during office hours (see Getting help)
• post a question to Piazza

Students are bound by the CS 2420 and Kahlert School of computing academic misconduct policies.

• Kahlert School of Computing academic misconduct policyLinks to an external site.

Students are bound by the Kahlert School of Computing and Price College of Engineering policies and guidelines.

• Kahlert School of Computing policies and guidelinesLinks to an external site.
• Price College of Engineering guidelinesLinks to an external site.

Disclaimer

Accommodations will be considered on an individual basis and may require documentation.

Please contact your instructor and/or teaching assistant as soon as possible (preferably shortly before the semester begins) to request accommodations of any kind.

Extreme personal circumstances

Please contact your instructor as soon as possible if an extreme personal circumstance
(hospitalization, death of a close relative, natural disaster, etc.) is interfering with your ability to
complete your work.

Religious Practice

To request an accommodation for religious practices, contact your instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Active Duty Military

If you are a student on active duty with the military and experience issues that prevent you from participating in the course because of deployment or service responsibilities, contact your instructor as soon as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations.

Disability Access

All written information in this course can be made available in an alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services (CDS). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. Prior notice is appreciated. To read the full accommodations policy for the University of Utah, please see Section Q of the Instruction & Evaluation regulations.

If you will need accommodations in this class, contact:

Center for Disability Services
  801-581-5020
  disability.utah.edu
  162 Union Building
    200 S. Central Campus Dr.
     Salt Lake City, UT 84112

This syllabus is not a contract. It is meant to serve as an outline and guide for your course. Please note that your instructor may modify it to accommodate the needs of your class.

You will be notified of any changes to the Syllabus.

Though the online format allows students greater flexibility to complete their work, this course does have a structure and timeline! As such, the following is expected of all students in this class:

• Students must be self-motivated, organized, and willing to stay on top of their schedules. Students should take control of their learning while in this course.
• Students are expected to follow the Core Rules of Netiquette at all times while participating in the class and communicating with others.
• Students will log in to the course a minimum of 3 times per week.
• Students are not expected to interact with their classmates in person. Students may be expected to work with classmates via online communication options like Canvas Discussions, video conferencing, or other communication technologies of choice (Groupme, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, etc).
• Students will regularly check for course updates and will update their Canvas notification settings to ensure they receive timely notifications from the course.
• Students will contact their instructor or teaching assistant in a timely manner if they have any questions, are struggling with course materials, or need further assistance from their instructor.
  • If you do not hear back within 3 days after sending a message, please contact your instructor/TA again.
• Students will follow all official University of Utah policies regarding interpersonal conduct, academic dishonesty, and other rights and responsibilities of students outlined in the University of Utah Student Handbook and Code of Student Rights and Responsibilities.
  • If you have any questions about this, please contact the Dean of Students.

Your course instructor is an expert in the topics you will learn about this semester. Your instructor is your mentor and facilitator of the classroom experience, aided by teaching assistants. Instructors are committed to:

• The instructor will design the course to include lectures, learning materials, and assignments that are accessible and provide students with opportunities to learn and practice course content.
• The instructor and teaching assistants will ensure that the course remains a safe space where students can engage with difficult content thoughtfully and respectfully.
• The instructor and teaching assistants will interact with the class regularly via announcements, virtual office hours (one-on-one video conferencing), emails/the Canvas Inbox, feedback on assignments, and comments on Discussions, among other methods.
• The instructor and teaching assistants will respond to students in a timely manner: within 48 hours, not including weekends and holidays.
• The instructor and teaching assistants will be available for an individual consultation via virtual office hours (one-on-one video conferencing), email, or phone and will not require students to meet in person.
• The instructor and teaching assistants will provide relevant feedback in a timely manner.
• The instructor and teaching assistants will follow all official University of Utah policies regarding interpersonal conduct, accommodations, and other important duties.