Instructor Information

Other Instructor Information regarding e-mail contact

• Note my FSU e-mail above: rmyers@fsu.edu .
• Please use this e-mail for communicating with me.
• Please avoid using Canvas messages
• Make sure to send any e-mails from an official FSU e-mail account

Class Schedule

Main class

Recitation

Course Requirements:

Prerequisite Course

• All students taking COP 3363 are required to have previously taken and passed (with a C- or higher final grade) MAC 1140 or MAC 2311 or MAC 2233. If you have not completed this pre-requisite requirement, the CS department may drop you from this course in the first week of classes. To be sure that your course schedule is correct, if you do not have the pre-req you should drop yourself from this course and then adjust your class schedule appropriately with the help of your academic advisor.

Course Website:

• http://www.cs.fsu.edu/~myers/cop3363

Textbooks:

• Starting Out with C++ from Control Structures to Objects, 10th ed., Tony Gaddis, Pearson
  ISBN-13: 9780137450626
• Note that this one is available as an online subscription through Pearson.com
• A slightly earlier edition is fine also, if you can find a used copy. Recommended at least 8th edition

Course Objectives:

• Use the basic set of Unix commands to
  • manipulate directories and files
  • create and edit files using standard text editor
  • transfer files from a laptop to the Unix server
  • use the g++ compiler to compile and run programs
• gain practice with commonly used commands and utilities in Unix, especially those that will assist in programming tasks
• gain a basic understanding of computer concepts, software, and hardware.
• Solve computing problems using a top-down approach in a well-structured design using procedural programming techniques.
• Design, implement, test, and debug a C++ program to solve problems.
• Demonstrate knowledge and use of control structures used in procedural programming, including sequence, selection, iteration, and functions.
• Make use of data types and structures in C++ including integer and floating point types, arrays and structs; arrays of structs and structs containing arrays. Have an introductory-level understanding of the C++ class and be able to utilize the standard IO and string class libraries and their member functions.
• Utilize fundamental algorithms studied to perform common tasks, such as finding the max and min of a data set, counting, summing, tracking a previous value, searching and sorting, reading until EOF, etc.
• Consider, compare, and evaluate code segments or simple algorithms for relative efficiency in a basic fashion
• Make use of pointers: understanding their relationship with arrays, their use in function parameters and returns, and their use in dynamic memory allocation.
• Understand the basics of a C++ class and be able to use a minimal class

Grading Policy:

In addition to the scale listed above, in order to earn a C- or better in the course, a student is required to achieve a test average of C- or better. If the test average is below this level, the highest possible course grade is a D. The test average can be computed with the following formula:

  TestAvg = ((Test1 * 20) + (Test2 * 20) + (FinalExam * 30)) / 70

• Any averages shown in Canvas may not be an accurate representation of your actual grade in the course. I do not use Canvas calculations to compute the final grades. Always use the syllabus breakdown above to calculate your overall grade!
• Do not ask for your grade to be "rounded" or curved.
• Students will receive the grade they earned for the course.

Letter Grade Scale:

Tests:

Test Dates: (Test 1 and 2 tentative)

Incompletes

• The final exam is missed with an accepted excuse for the absence. In this case, the final exam must be made up within two weeks of the beginning of the next semester
• Due to an extended illness or other extraordinary circumstance, and with appropriate documentation, the student is unable to participate in class for a period affecting graded work, such that it is not possible to complete/grade the missing work before end of course.
• The missing work cannot constitute the majority of the work in the course, and the student must already be passing the course in their other coursework, for an incomplete to be considered
• In such a case, arrangements must be made to make up the missed portion of the course prior to the end of the next semester.

Recitation / Quizzes

Programming Assignments

• There will be a variety of homeworks and programming projects assigned. Some will be small and easy to complete in one sitting. Others will be larger programming projects. Assignment specifications will be posted on the course web page.
• Please note also that programming is a skill, and PRACTICE is the only way to learn a skill effectively. Please make sure to start assignments early enough to leave yourself time for appropriate practice, as well as testing and debugging! Waiting until the due date to start an assignment is a BAD strategy in this course, as it leaves you no time for meaningful practice.
• ALL ASSIGNMENTS IN THIS COURSE ARE TO BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY. Students are not permitted to share assignment solutions together, or with others who are within or outside of our course. Please see the Academmic Honor Code policies below.
• Turn in all assignments on time! Late assignments will be accepted one day after the due date, with the deduction of a letter grade (10%). Assignments more than a day late will not be accepted.
• Compiling -- Programs that do not compile are very tedious to grade, and they show a lack of testing, which is a large part of programming. There will be an automatic 5% point penalty for each compile error in a student's code that has to be fixed in the grading process, up to a maximum of 10 errors. After that, the grade will be an automatic 0. Make sure your code compiles before you submit it!!!
• Assignments need to be submitted using the appropriate submission process. Instructions will be provided before the first assignment is due. E-mailed files will NOT be counted as valid submissions.
• You can submit your file(s) as many times as you want up until the submission cut-off (the end of the late day). Resubmits with the same filename will simply overwrite any prior version, so make sure the LAST thing you submit is the version you want graded!
• Each student is responsible for ensuring that their program files were submitted correctly, and the correct version.
• Any concerns or issues regarding the accuracy of grades must be addressed first to the grader of the assignment in question, and also must be brought up within 7 days of the grade being posted

Excused Absence Policy

• Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness.
• It is the student's responsibility to notify me as soon as possible regarding any excused absences that affect graded work.
• A student will be allowed to make up a missed test if he or she has a notice of illness from the Student Heath Center or family physician. Any other excuses that are not medical or emergency related will be at the discretion of the instructor, and must be approved in advance. If you miss a test for any reason (without advance approval), you must notify me of the issue within 48 hours of the missed exam. Missed tests must be made up within 2 weeks of the test date, unless there is an extended long-term excused absence (e.g. hospital stay, etc)

Miscellaneous Policies:

1. The course web page is your friend -- check and refresh it frequently! It will be continually updated with essential course materials, such as assignments, examples, and notes outlines. It will also include other helpful supplements, such as instructions for using the compilers, suggested exercises, and other useful help materials. It is your responsibility to check the web page often for posted materials.
2. Students in the class should have a computer account from the Computer Science Department (sign up for one if you don't already have one), and this can and should be used to store project files and access one of the compilers used in the course.
3. Knowing the contents of this syllabus is each student's responsibiltiy. "I didn't know" in regards to a clearly stated course policy will NOT be considered a valid excuse for anything during the course
4. Please turn off cell phones, computer audio, Nintendo Switches, and any other things that beep and/or make noise in the classroom.

Academic Honor Policy:

ALL WORK IN THIS COURSE IS INTENDED TO BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY

In addition to this information, please be aware of the following:

• It is NOT APPROPRIATE to utilize websites such as: CHEGG.com, COURSEHERO.com, etc. DO NOT post our assignments to these websites to solicit answers, and DO NOT use/view/utilize the 'solutions' found on these websites. Doing so is in direct violation of the FSU honor policy.
• It is NOT APPROPRIATE to utilize AI Tools, like ChatGPT, to write assignment code for you.
• It is NOT APPROPRIATE to work on assignments with other students or to give or receive solutions to or from anyone before an assignment is due and handed in (by all parties).
• It is NOT APPROPRIATE to share any amount of code with your classmates. When you turn in code with your name on it, you are representing that work as your own. If your submission matches that of another student, this is considered a violation of the Academic Honor Code.
• It is NOT APPROPRIATE to copy/paste, or use any amount of code written by other people from any web sources, forums, etc. as your own solutions.
• It is NOT APPROPRIATE to post your code online in public view, where other students can copy it. If I find your code online (unapproved online compilers, text sites, blogs, help sites, etc...), no matter what the intent was in posting your code, this is automatically in violation of the Academic Honor Policy and the appropriate actions will be taken. If you are keeping code on repositories like GitHub, make sure your code is not searchable and viewable by the public
• Plagiarism detection tools, such as MOSS, will be used in the grading process.
• It IS APPROPRIATE to utilize examples found in the course textbook or in the course notes and examples, as long as the source is cited. This is appropriate, as some hand-in assignments will have structural elements that are based on examples we've done in class, or contain other code that is provided to you in the assignment specification.
• It IS APPROPRIATE to discuss solutions and techniques on assignments with other students AFTER the assignment has been graded and handed back.
• It IS APPROPRIATE to study general topics, ideas, and solve non-assigned-for-homework questions for practice with other classmates.
• If it is found that a student has violated the academic honor policy the student is not permitted to drop or withdraw from the course and must complete the course with the sanctions assessed via the policy. This is a UNIVERSITY policy.
• A first violation of the honor code will result, at minimum (but not limited to), a penalty of a 0 grade on the assignment or test involved, along with a reduced course letter grade for that term (-10 points off of the final course grade).
• If the violation is that of soliciting solutions on external web sites (Chegg, Course Hero, etc) -- which is also a violation of copyright -- the penalty will be an automatic F in the course, regardless of whether it is a first violation or not
• Any second violation of the honor code will result in an automatic F in the course, and possible proceedings before the FSU Honor Code Committee.

Americans With Disabilities Act

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:
(1) register with and provide documentation to the Office of Accessibility Services; and
(2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class.

This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:

Office of Accessibility Services
874 Traditions Way
108 Student Services Building
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167
(850) 644-9566 (voice)
(850) 644-8504 (TDD)
sdrc@admin.fsu.edu
https://dsst.fsu.edu/oas

Students approved to take exams at the OAS office are expected to take exams at the regularly scheduled time.  Any exception to this will only be granted with a valid documented reason and must be approved by the instructor a week before the exam.

Syllabus Changes

Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.