CMSC 386 Capstone

Course Details

  • Course title: CMSC Capstone
  • Catalog course description: Students must work on either a significant research project, a significant software development project, or a development project as part of an internship. This is a one credit version of 385 for when a student is working on an internship or project in combination with another major that does not require an additional four credits of load. Prerequisite: Completion of at least one 300-level CmSc or CIS course, submission of a proposal, and senior standing. One credit. Offered every semester.
  • Course level student learning objectives (SLOs):
    • Course SLO #1: Graduates with a B.A. in Computer Science will be able to design, implement, and analyze computational algorithms.
    • Course SLO #2: Graduates with a B.A. in Computer Science will be able to design computer systems, implement algorithms as part of those systems, and create well-written and documented programs.
    • Course SLO #3: Graduates with a B.A. in Computer Science will be able to design, implement, and modify normalized database systems. Graduates will also be able to write software that uses a database.
    • Course SLO #4: Graduates with a B.A. in Computer Science will be able to demonstrate how the features of the hardware system support software organization and performance.
  • Textbook: None

Instructor

Schedule

There is no formal meeting time for CIS 386. Class is conducted on-line.

Academic Calendar

Summer Semester 2020 Date
First Day Jun-01
Last Day of Class Aug-23

Student Assessment

Assignment Submission

Assignments must be submitted on-line via Simpson’s Scholar website.

Assignments are not accepted via e-mail.

Grading

Grades will be calculated on a percent scale. The percentage is calculated by total points earned, divided by total points possible. If there is an attendance penalty, then that is subtracted next.

Danger

Simpson’s Scholar/Moodle site shows can show the wrong grade, for the two reasons below.

  • Scholar will not show any attendance penalty. You can look up your attendance on Scholar.
  • If there is a missing grade that hasn’t been set at zero, then Scholar will not show that in the average. For example, if there are 10 assignments, each worth 100 points, but one is missing, Scholar will show your average as 100 instead of 90. I do try to go back and enter zero on missing assignments so Scholar shows the correct grade, but sometimes that isn’t practical.

If you want to calculate your grade, total up your points, divide by the total possible. Then take into account any attendance policy penalty. See the attendance policy.

Appealing an assignment grade: Please do this within a week or two of the grade being posted. Please regularly check for missing assignment grades. After final grades are posted, I’ll only re-examine assignments turned in during finals. I’m not going back to look at early assignments. Turning in tech assignments can be more complex than turning in a paper, so it is critical to notice right away if you are missing a piece.

Appealing your final grade: If you believe your final grade is in error, please go through the effort of calculating the grade yourself. Total up points earned and the total points possible. Calculate the percentage. Check your attendance. Include that information when contacting the instructor.

Grading Scale

Grades are not rounded. For example, 92.99% is considered an A-, and 93.00% is an A.

Percent Grade
100-93% A
92-90% A-
89-87% B+
86-83% B
82-80% B-
79-77% C+
76-73% C
72-70% C-
69-67% D+
66-63% D
62-60% D-
59-0% F

Late-Work/Make-up Work Policy

  • All work must be turned in on-time.
  • Late work is usually not accepted, unless approved ahead of time by the instructor. (If it is just a few minutes or hours late, you might be ok. Depends on when I check.)
  • All work must be turned in by the end of the time scheduled for the class final. No extensions beyond this date/time are given unless you have a form filled out and signed for an “incomplete.”
  • Extra-credit / make up work is not offered.
  • If you need to use the lab for doing work, make sure to understand when the lab is open. The McNeill lab is usually closed on Sunday nights, and if an assignments is due Monday morning that can be bad. Not knowing when the lab is open is not accepted as an excuse.

Attendance/Participation Policy

Assignments

  • Monday, 6/8 at 8 am: Report 1
  • Monday, 6/15 at 8 am: Report 2
  • Monday, 6/22 at 8 am: Report 3
  • Monday, 6/29 at 8 am: Report 4
  • Monday, 7/6 at 8 am: Report 5
  • Monday, 7/13 at 8 am: Report 6
  • Monday, 7/20 at 8 am: Report 7
  • Monday, 7/27 at 8 am: Report 8
  • Monday, 8/3 at 8 am: Report 9
  • Monday, 8/10 at 8 am: Report 10
  • Monday, 8/17 at 8 am: Report 11
  • Monday, 8/23 at 8 am: Report 12 - Final Report

Course Assessment

Engaged Citizenship Grids

This course does not have any ECC designations.

Student Learning Outcomes for the Major

CMSC Major SLO #1: Design, implement, and analyze computational algorithms.

CMSC Major SLO #2: Design computer systems, implement algorithms as part of those systems, and create well-written and documented programs.

CMSC Major SLO #3: Design, implement, and modify normalized database systems. Graduates will also be able to write software that uses a database.

CMSC Major SLO #4: Demonstrate how the features of the hardware system support software organization and performance.

Contact Hours and Learning Time

When doing a capstone as a 386 class instead of a 385 class, students should be spending 10 or more hours per week with a supervisor performing work related to their degree. Another option is to work with a different professor and do 10 or more hours per week on related research.

The reports should take approximately 30 minutes to write each week. With 14 weeks in the course, the total number of hours involved should be approximately 146 hours.

Policies and Procedures

Course Continuity Plan

Should the normal instructional activity on the campus be shortened or interrupted by a campus-wide closing, students will receive information from the instructor or other representative of the college about when and if the course might be continued or completed via Internet, telephone, or United States mail.

Academic Integrity

Simpson’s Statement: In all endeavors, Simpson College expects its students to adhere to the strictest standards of honesty and integrity. In keeping with the College’s mission to develop the student’s critical intellectual skills, while fostering personal integrity and moral responsibility, each student is expected to abide by the Simpson College rules for academic integrity. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to) any form of cheating, plagiarism, unauthorized collaboration, misreporting any absence as college-sponsored or college-sanctioned, submitting a paper written in whole or in part by someone else, or submitting a paper that was previously submitted in whole or in substantial part for another class without prior permission. If the student has any questions about whether any action would constitute academic dishonesty, it is imperative that he or she consult the instructor before taking the action. All cases of substantiated academic dishonesty must be reported to the student’s academic advisor and the Dean for Academic Affairs. For further guidance on these rules and their sanctions, please see the college catalog.

My addition: Students are strongly encouraged to work with one another on homework; however, blatant copying of assignments will be considered cheating.

If I get two assignments that are the same thing, both people will get zeros. Guard your homework carefully, so it is not used as a source for cheating. Don’t e-mail it to a friend so they can ‘use it to learn’ or ‘as a template’. Don’t allow someone to simply read off what you have on your computer screen. By allowing someone to cheat, that will allow the person to get behind in what they understand, and they will never catch up.

A student caught cheating will either get a zero for the assignment, have his/her over-all letter grade reduced, or be flunked from the course. Cheating students may be required to do extra work.

The instructor keeps a database of prior assignments and assignments commonly found on the Internet. The instructor will periodically run scans to look for duplicate assignments. We catch students cheating every. single. year. Don’t do it.

Regardless, cheating is like paying for a gym membership, and then sending someone else to work out for you. It doesn’t make sense. You aren’t going to get stronger that way.

Inclusive Explanation Statement

In this course, each voice in the classroom has something of value to contribute. Please take care to respect the different experiences, beliefs, and values expressed by students and staff involved in this course. We support Simpson’s commitment to diversity, and welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds, citizenships, disabilities, sex, education, ethnicities, family statuses, genders, gender identities, geographical locations, languages, military experience, political views, races, religions, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and work experiences.

Accommodations for Students with Accessibility Needs

I want everyone in this class to be successful. If you have a physical, sensory, learning, or psychological disability that can interfere with your learning, I want you to receive the accommodations to which you are entitled by law. In order for me to do provide accommodations to a student, the student’s disability must be documented with the Student Accessibility Office. I cannot assist a student with accommodations that I don’t know are needed, so if you need something, please make sure that you either contact me or that you ask Simpson’s Student Accessibility Coordinator, to do so on your behalf. If you have any further questions on the policies and services for students with disabilities, please refer to the academic catalog or go to http://simpson.edu/academics/student-accessibility/

Inclusive Explanation Statement

In this course, each voice in the classroom has something of value to contribute. Please take care to respect the different experiences, beliefs, and values expressed by students and staff involved in this course. We support Simpson’s commitment to diversity, and welcome individuals of all ages, backgrounds, citizenships, disabilities, sex, education, ethnicities, family statuses, genders, gender identities, geographical locations, languages, military experience, political views, races, religions, sexual orientations, socioeconomic statuses, and work experiences.

Sexual and Relationship Misconduct

Simpson College strives to create an environment free from sexual or relationship misconduct of any kind; and in which those who have experienced sexual misconduct get the help and support they need. Simpson’s Sexual and Relationship Misconduct Policy outlines expectations the college has students and employees, including faculty. In order to do all that we can to maintain a safe campus community, and in compliance with Federal law, all employees of the college are expected to report knowledge of alleged sexual misconduct to the Title IX Coordinator. Therefore, if you reveal to me, in conversation, writing, class discussion, or in any other manner, that you have experienced sexual misconduct it is my obligation to share that information with the Title IX Coordinator on our campus. Please know that if this is a step that needs to be taken, I will do my best to involve you in that process so that you know what to expect as a result of the communication with the Title IX Coordinator. To learn more about the expectations the college has of you with respect to sexual misconduct, you can find the full policy here:

http://simpson.edu/sexual-and-relationship-misconduct-policy/