Syllabus
Location and Times
- Course Title: Intro to Computing for Engineers and Scientists
- Rubric: CS 101
- CRN: 35879
- Dates: August 21, 2023 – December 6, 2023
- Lecture Times: Monday and Wednesdays 10:00 – 10:50
- Location: Foellinger Auditorium
- Instructor: Mattox Beckman
- Prerequisites: One of MATH 220 or MATH 221 or MATH 231 or MATH 241.
Labs and Office Hours
- In-Person Labs — Per-section, see below; L416 Digital Computer Laboratory
- TA Office Hours :: see below; 0224 Siebel Center for Computer Science
- Class URL :: https://courses.cs.illinois.edu/cs101
- Enrollment :: Course catalog
- Campuswire Forum :: Coming Soon
Communication
We have many modes of communication in this class. If you pick the right one for what you need to do it will make things more efficient.
Staff Email — To email your staff, email either your lab TA or else the professor (mattox@illinois.edu). This should be used for things such as grade corrections and rescheduling missed exams. Other questions are best posted on campuswire.
This will email the instructor and head TAs. This is for things that require individual responses such as DRES accommodations, asking about your grade, or informing us that you missed an exam.
If you miss a lab you can make it up the following week. Use this form to request a makeup.
If you need an extension, you can get one more week, no questions asked. You must request the extension before the assignment is due!
This is for questions about the course content. If you have a question about something, odds are good that several other students have the same question. Odds are also good that one of your fellow students knows the answer and would enjoy being able to answer the question. The forum is set to allow students to be anonymous to other students, but instructors will always be able to see your real name. Please see our expectations about communication. One or more of the course TAs will monitor this and help answer questions.
You should have been auto-added to this if you were registered at the start of the semester. If you registered late, use code 0799.
Expectations
We expect all communication in this course to be courteous and civil. Abusive, harassing, or aggressive comments will be deleted, and could result in the offender being removed from course communication platforms. We usually don’t have any trouble of this kind.
If you post a question to the staff email or campuswire, please allow 24 hours to hear a response during the work week, and 48 if it is over the weekend. Sending multiple emails will only slow things down.
Software & Textbooks
Required
These are the languages we will be using in the course. It is not actually necessary for you to install these, since workspaces will be available on Prairielearn for you. But… your life will go more smoothly if you can install these languages on your own computer; you are going to use them in your future classes after all!
Python (version 3.7 or higher). We recommend installing Anaconda Python as it comes with all necessary libraries.
MATLAB (any modern version, post-2010) or Octave (a free open-source implementation, which will be adequate for CS 101).
Optional
In addition to the lesson notes, we refer you to two textbooks throughout the semester. These are optional, and I recommend getting the PDF through the library link rather than buying a hard copy.
Hans Petter Langtangen, A Primer on Scientific Programming with Python, 5th ed. (2016). ISBN: 9783662498866.
- Library access to PDF copy (Please note that you can purchase a hard copy through SpringerLink website at a reduced price if desired.)
- Book website
Stormy Attaway, MATLAB: A Practical Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving, 5th ed. (2018) ISBN: 9780128154793
Grading
There are five components to your course grade: lessons, homework, labs, exams and feedback surveys. Occasionally extra credit will be offered.
| Component | Value per Assignment | Total Value | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lessons | 1% | 30% | There are 28 lessons total; the lowest three grades are dropped. (Lessons are due the week after they are assigned on Friday at 23:59.9999 CT.) |
| Homework | 2½% | 30% | There are seven homeworks total; the lowest two grades are dropped. Homeworks will be due two weeks after they are released. |
| Lab/Discussion | 2½% | 25% | There are eleven labs total; the lowest grade is dropped. |
| Exams | 5% | 15% | There are three midterms. |
| Final Exam | (7.5%) | (7.5%) | The final exam is optional; if you take it, the score is averaged in to each of your midterms. |
| Feedback surveys | 1% | 2% | Two Surveys. |
Note that it is possible to get more than 100% in this course.
Because we automatically drop several assignments in each category, CS 101 does not excuse absences or failure to complete assignments. Please plan to complete assignments early or before necessary travel. Missed Labs may be made up during the next week, and extensions are available if you plan ahead.
Here are the cutoffs for different letter grades. We do not round scores up or bump them if you are near a cutoff. (You wouldn’t believe how many people asked me to give them the next highest grade because their score was close to a cutoff. I’ve been less than a point below a cutoff before too, so I know how that feels, but in a class this size there will alwasys be a significant number of students in this situation no matter what cutoffs we choose.)
| Letter Grade | Range |
|---|---|
| A+ | 97+ |
| A | [93,97) |
| A- | [90,93) |
| B+ | [87,90) |
| B | [83,87) |
| B- | [80,83) |
| C+ | [77,80) |
| C | [73,77) |
| C- | [70,73) |
| D+ | [67,70) |
| D | [63,67) |
| D- | [60,63) |
| F | [-$\infty$,60) |
Students with Disabilities
To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor as soon as possible. To insure that disability-related concerns are properly addressed from the beginning, students with disabilities who require assistance to participate in this class should contact disability resources and educational services (DRES) and see the instructor as soon as possible. If you need accommodations for any sort of disability, please speak to me after class, or make an appointment to see me, or see me during my office hours. DRES provides students with academic accommodations, access, and support services. To contact DRES you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 333-4603 (v/tdd), or e-mail a message to disability@uiuc.edu.
Emergency Response Recommendations
The university police have posted some emergency response recommendations. I encourage you to review this website and the campus building floor plans website within the first 10 days of class.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Any student who has suppressed their directory information pursuant to family educational rights and privacy act (FERPA) should self-identify to the instructor to ensure protection of the privacy of their attendance in this course. see the FERPA site for more information.
Mental Health
Diminished mental health, including significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, substance/alcohol abuse, or problems with eating and/or sleeping can interfere with optimal academic performance, social development, and emotional wellbeing. The University of Illinois offers a variety of confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings at no additional cost. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above mental health concerns, it is strongly encouraged to contact or visit any of the University’s resources provided below. Getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do – for yourself and for those who care about you.
Counseling Center: 217-333-3704, 610 East John Street Champaign, IL 61820
McKinley Health Center:217-333-2700, 1109 South Lincoln Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801