Grading Policy

Homework assignments are to be completed individually. You may discuss the material with other students, but all written work, including code, must be your own. If you discuss the assignment with anyone, you must include your collaborators' name(s) in writing in the assignment you submit.

For spring 2010, the grading scale for homework assignments is as follows: S+, S, S-, U, and N. Assignments not received by the due date will receive a grade of N, which stands for “not turned in”.

Generally speaking, you should aim for a grade of S or better on the assignments. The occasional grade of S- or U will not hurt you very much. However, you should do your best to avoid getting a grade of N. This policy is designed to protect you: if you're really struggling with an assignment, it's better to turn in whatever you do have and get help from a member of the course staff who can catch any problems early and help you get up to speed before the next assignment is due. If you turn nothing in, we won't be able to help you.

Assignments that cannot be loaded into Scheme (for instance, due to an unmatched parenthesis error) will receive an automatic U. Note that load errors are different from runtime errors: a runtime error occurs while your code is being run, while a load error means that your code cannot even be read into Scheme. (Runtime errors are bad, but load errors are really bad.) If you receive an automatic U due to a load error, you are allowed one attempt to resubmit the assignment. Should you wish to resubmit the assignment, you should correct any errors that prevent the file from loading and resubmit to the AIs personally by email (not through Vincent). Make sure that all load errors are fixed before resubmitting, because only one resubmit attempt is allowed. Let the AIs know if you need help finding the error.

Students enrolled in H311 must complete all brainteasers on the assignments in order to receive full credit. C311 students are also encouraged, but not required, to complete the brainteasers.

• Q: Do you accept late assignment submissions?
• A: Typically, no. Even if you're not done with the assignment by the due date, you should turn in whatever you have. In the case of extenuating circumstances that prevent you from finishing an assignment by the deadline, check with us (well in advance of the due date) to see if we can make an exception for you.

• Q: What do I need to do to earn an S+ on an assignment?
• A: For each homework assignment, we typically give an S+ grade to a handful of submissions that are exceptionally good. Often this means giving a serious attempt at the optional brainteasers included with the assignments. Sometimes, it just means doing work that is above and beyond the basic requirements of the assignments.

• Q: Is an S a bad grade?
• A: Definitely not. An S is a good grade. If you earn an S on every assignment and do well on the exams, you'll do very well in the course. However, as many students have found, earning an S+ on some assignments can offset a not-so-good exam grade.

• Q: What is the relative importance of exams versus assignments in the calculation of grades?
• A: Assignments typically account for about half of your grade, so they are quite important. Moreover, if you work hard on the assignments, the exams tend to be easy, so it's worth your time to work hard on the assignments.