CSC 8520 Course Organization

Course Organization: At the end of each week, I will assign a set of reading for the following week or two. It is important that you keep up with the reading, as my lectures will assume at least a passing familiarity with the readings. Note that class participation in discussions of the reading will contribute to discretionary grade changes at the end of the semester!

In addition to the weekly reading, there will be a major LISP programming assignment (a Texas Hold'em Agent), 3-4 graded homework assignments with small programming projects, a midterm, and a final. The Texas Hold'em project will be a team project; all other course assignments are individual assignments that you must do on your own. Homework assignments cannot be handed in late, since we may discuss the answers in class the day they are handed in. If you think you can't get a homework handed in on time, send it to me via email as an attachment!

I will grade team projects as follows. Each project will receive a "team grade." This represents the maximum grade anyone on the team can get. With each project, the team members are required to email me with their assessment of the other team members' effort and intellectual contribution. Using this information, I will assign individual grades based on the "team grade."

Academic Integrity: All of the homeworks and all of the projects are team-based. This means that within each team you are strongly encouraged to share answers and help each other out. As long as what you hand in to me is the product of your own teamÕs thinking, or is properly attributed, you are maintaining academic integrity. WHEN IN DOUBT, consult me for help. ANY VIOLATION OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY WILL RESULT IN AT LEAST A GRADE OF ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. For more information, please check the Villanova web site's complete Academic Integrity Policy.