Participation
Attendance will not be taken in lecture. However, there will be in-class quizzes, and these can only be completed if you are in class. Please see the In-Class Quizzes section for more details on these quizzes.
Attendance will be taken in recitation. Attendance is necessary but not sufficient for participation credit. If you are in the meeting but not conversing with the instructor(s) or your classmates, we will make note of this. If it is a consistent problem, you can expect one of the course teaching staff to reach out to you about the issue. You will not be graded on how well you do on any work in recitation, just the effort you put in, since it is meant to be a learning experience where you can make mistakes and correct them.
Two recitations will drop. We do not track excuses for recitations; the two drops are intended to cover all absences, excused and unexcused. Please note that these drops will not be obvious on Sakai until near the end of the semester.
Most of the time, you must attend the recitation section to which you are assigned. However, if you have one or two times during the semester when you have a conflict, you must inform both sets of TAs in advance and they will be able to transfer your attendance credit.
We are aware that COVID-19 is still ongoing and that there are other long-term issues that might arise, so if you miss multiple days for an illness or other situation we am happy to work with you and your dean to figure out an appropriate resolution.
Religious Accommodations (University Policy)
Students are permitted by university policy to be absent from class to observe a religious holiday. Accordingly, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences and the Pratt School of Engineering have established procedures to be followed by students for notifying their instructors of an absence necessitated by the observance of a religious holiday. Please submit requests for religious accommodations at the beginning of the semester so that we can work to make suitable arrangements well ahead of time. You can find the policy and relevant notification form here: https://trinity.duke.edu/undergraduate/academic-policies/religious-holidays
The absences themselves will be covered by course drop policies, but it is still helpful for the course staff to be informed. If it impacts homework or exams, we will work with you!
In-Class Quizzes
Quizzes will not always occur at the same point in lecture, but will usually be near the beginning, so try to get to lecture on time!
The main goal of the quizzes is to show both you and me how well you understood the material of the previous day, and to encourage you to keep on top of the materials. To that end, these are closed-book quizzes.
Four quizzes worth of points (20 points) will drop. These can cover absences (like recitation, the drops are intended to cover all absences, excused and unexcused) or make up for incorrect answers throughout the the semester.
Since these are designed to be short and the time given will be flexible anyways, I do not plan to implement accommodations for these quizzes (such as one-and-a-half time). Please let me know if you have an accommodation and have any concerns about this policy. Of course, accommodations will be granted for the exams.
Homework
There will be about one homework per week, with about ten to twelve total; you can find the tentative due dates on the course calendar.
All homework must be typed and submitted as a PDF unless otherwise stated. LaTeX is preferred and strongly recommended, but not required. See the resources section for material on getting started with LaTeX, and feel free to ask if you have questions. One of the requirements for submitting is correctly labeling your pages on Gradescope. Only homework in the appropriate format will be accepted, and we reserve the right to deduct points for poor formatting.
No late assignments will be accepted without a STINF or dean’s excuse. However, there will be a small late period on Gradescope in case of unexpected delays such as an Internet outage. Submissions in this late period will be penalized with a 10% deduction of the final grade of that assignment. A submission will be considered late if the submission website (Gradescope) marks it as late.
You may work on an assignment alone or as part of a duo. You may change partnership from one assignment to the next, and are in fact encouraged to do so (we may have explicit requirements on this eventually). However, once you have started working on an assignment, you cannot change who you work with on that assignment. If you work with a partner then you must submit one document on Gradescope and use the group submission feature. Do not submit separate submissions of the same work or it may be flagged as plagiarism. For the sake of your learning, we encourage you to consider working fully collaboratively and ensure that you individually understand all parts of every problem, rather than splitting up the problems. The latter approach will reduce your opportunities to practice and learn and may result in your not being fully prepared for exams.
Academic Integrity and Collaboration
The Formal Version (used with permission)
All work for this course is to be done in compliance with the standards of conduct set by Duke’s Academic Integrity Council for both graduate and undergraduate students.
Using someone else’s material in your work without giving credit is cheating, and will result in a failing grade in the exam or assignment involved in any case, and a failing grade in the course for more serious cases. “Using” means copying, repeating verbatim, or even paraphrasing. This principle applies to anything you turn in. As the sole exception, class materials, including textbook, handouts, slides, and homework assignments need not be cited when they are used.
Consulting the web or other sources to clarify lecture materials or readings is fine. However, looking online or elsewhere for ways to solve assignment problems without citing this is cheating.
When one student helps another cheat, both students will be considered responsible and will face consequences.
Please find more details about integrity in this table.
The Detailed Version
- Assignments may vary in collaboration policy, and if there are any changes they will be clearly laid out at the time of release. However, when in doubt, ask.
- Collaboration is an encouraged part of the course, but only within boundaries that will ensure your learning and maintain academic integrity.
- You can discuss the assignment with a small group of classmates, with up to three individuals or pairs (i.e. at most six people total but only two or three final submissions can come from the group), but may not write anything down or otherwise record details. (Reasonable exceptions during the meeting are allowed, such as writing on a whiteboard to show your work, but after the meeting there should be no written record or audio recording.) Once you start writing your solutions, you may not discuss with classmates. You must note at the top of your assignment anyone you discussed the problems with.
- You may look up definitions, etc. online without citing, but not the specific question.
- TAs generally don’t have to be cited, though if you’re going so far as to effectively quote them, please do give them credit.
- Do not use any materials of any kind from past semesters of CS230 (especially solutions). Looking at previous semesters’ materials/solutions (without explicit permission) is considered cheating.
- Using materials from anywhere except previous semesters’ solutions — that means other people who haven’t taken 230 specifically, websites, ChatGPT and similar services, books, etc. — is allowed with full, detailed citations, but will usually result in partial credit, not full points even for a fully correct solution. (This partial credit warning does not apply to small group discussions with classmates as described above, but does cover discussions with classmates that go beyond the collaboration policy.) You should be clear about what is your work and what is not. If you do use materials, give a detailed citation, and rewrite anything you use in your own words.
- Some people find using others as sounding boards very useful when writing proofs. If you’re stuck, I encourage you to try talking through the proof with a parent/sibling/friend who has never written a proof, and that might help you come to a conclusion on your own! Of course, if there’s no direct help with the proof, this won’t impact your credit. It’s still polite to cite the person though!
- If you use ChatGPT or a similar service, please include the exact prompt(s) you used and the response(s) so we know the exact context. Unfortunately with something nondeterministic like this, we can’t find exactly what you saw without you!
- Unsurprisingly, there is no collaboration allowed on quizzes or exams. Please see the quiz section for details on in-class quizzes. Details will be announced in advance of each exam regarding allowed and disallowed resources.
- When in doubt, ask or just cite it!
Exams
There will be two midterm exams, in class on Wednesday 10/11 and Wednesday 11/15, and a final exam, on Thursday 12/14 in the 2-5PM slot. The exams will be in-person. No make-up exam will be given. If you miss a midterm exam, your missing score will be interpolated based on your performance in the other exams, but you must submit a STINF or dean’s excuse.
Unsurprisingly, collaboration is not allowed on exams. Appropriate announcements with regards to materials allowed during an exam will be posted on the class forum closer to the exam date.
If you have an accommodation, don’t forget to inform the instructor and teaching associate as early as possible! We are happy to help but need enough information to do so.
Readings
Please check the class calendar page to see optional reading and study material for each topic. All textbook readings are optional.
Grade Weights
| Participation, In-Class Quizzes, Surveys | 15% |
| Homework | 40% |
| Midterm Exams | 20% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
Duke Syllabus Boilerplate
None of these sections were written by the course staff; they are provided by the University for inclusion on syllabi. Even though they are not specific to our course, they are still important!
Community Standard
All students must adhere to the Duke Community Standard (DCS): Duke University is a community dedicated to scholarship, leadership, and service and to the principles of honesty, fairness, respect, and accountability. Citizens of this community commit to reflect upon and uphold these principles in all academic and nonacademic endeavors, and to protect and promote a culture of integrity.
To uphold the Duke Community Standard, students agree:
- I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors.
- I will conduct myself honorably in all my endeavors; and
- I will act if the Standard is compromised.
Regardless of course delivery format, it is the responsibility of the student to understand and follow Duke policies regarding academic integrity, (e.g., completing one’s own work, following proper citations of sources, and adhering to guidance around group work, and more). Ignoring these requirements is a violation of the Duke Community Standard. Any questions and/or concerns regarding academic integrity can be directed to the Office or Student Conduct and Community Standards at conduct@duke.edu.
Along with use of uncredited ideas and content created by persons, AI-generated content falls under the definition of plagiarism at Duke.
Inclement Weather Policy
In the event of inclement weather or other connectivity-related events that prohibit class attendance, I will notify you how we will make up missed course content and work.
Asynchronous catch-up methods may apply, and we may rely on Duke’s designated make-up days.
COVID Symptoms, Exposure, or Infection
Student health, safety, and well-being are the university’s top priorities. To help ensure your well-being and the well-being of those around you, please do not come to class if you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have possible symptoms and have not yet been tested. If any of these situations apply to you, you must follow university guidance related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and current health and safety protocols. If you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, contact student health (dshcheckin@duke.edu, 919-681-9355). Learn more about current university policy related to COVID-19 at https://coronavirus.duke.edu/.
To keep the university community as safe and healthy as possible, you will be expected to follow these guidelines. Please reach out to me and your academic dean as soon as possible if you need to quarantine or isolate so that we can discuss arrangements for your continued participation in class.
Rules for Video Recording Course Content
Student recording of lectures must be permitted by the instructor and shall be for private study only. Such recordings shall not be distributed to anyone else without authorization by the instructor whose lecture has been recorded.
Unauthorized distribution is a cause for disciplinary action by the Judicial Board. The full policy on recoding of lectures falls under the Duke University Policy on Intellectual Property Rights, available here (p. 15): https://provost.duke.edu/sites/default/files/FHB_App_P.pdf
Pronoun Usage
Pronouns are meaningful tools to communicate identities and experiences, and using pronouns supports a campus environment where all community members can thrive.
Please update your gender pronouns in DukeHub. You can learn more at the Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity’s website.
