Course number: COP4531


Course name:   Analysis of Algorithms


Course review committee members: Chris Lacher (Chair), Piyush Kumar,  Viet Tung Hoang

Report submitted date: 02/28/2018

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1. Are there any problems with course last year? If Yes, describe the 
problems.



During Spring and Summer 2017, the department conducted a review of syllabi in required courses
that are taught both on main campus f2f and (by different faculty) online.
The syllabus for the online offering of cop4531, taught by Lacher for many years, had a natural drift
in directions related to his areas of interest.

At the same time, several different faculty taught the main campus class, and these syllabi drifted more
rapidly, again the evolutionary pressure coming from the interests of those individuals.

The review of syllabi showed that we needed to bring the online and main campus versions closer together.

We will accomplish that in Fall 2018 by having faculty members Kumar and Lacher closely coordinate the two offerings in Fall 2018.
It should be noted that the only issue is uniformization of coverage, not rigor or appropriateness of material.

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2. Course committee recommendations to the current/future 
instructors.




The course committees should review syllabi once each academic year to ensure that natural drift when
individual (and new) faculty teach the same course divergence of content is held to an acceptable level.

The general principle for this capstone class has been to list some topics as required to be in each offering,
and leave about 50% of the material to the discretion of the instructor.



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3. Course committee recommendations to department/UCC regarding this
 course.



Have course committees review various offerings of the course once per year.


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Other notes:




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History: 

Chris Lacher - taught PC and onlline sections of cop4531 in:
  Fall Semesters 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Viet Tung Hoang - taught main campus f2f course in Fall 2016, Fall 2017

Piyush Kumar - last taught cop4531 around 2010, but is scheduled to teach the main campus and online sections in Fall 2018.

Ashok Srinavasan and Michael Mascagni also taught the class occasionally.