Course Expectations
Complete the readings
Each class will have assigned readings. They will be posted on this website under the lecture for that day. I will assume you have done the readings before coming to class. I expect you to bring to class a basic understanding of the material and your questions about it. The general class structure is a mix of lecture and practice.
Attendance Policy
I do not take formal attendance (e.g., sign-in sheets), but I expect you to come to class. Please email me if you cannot make it to class. I won’t ask why unless it becomes a regular issue. It is OK for students to miss up to 1-2 lectures; it is not OK to miss several lectures unless this is due to health or other serious issues.
Ask questions
Asking questions is an important part of this class. You can ask questions during class time, Office Hours, and on Ed Discussion.
Ed Discussion is our preferred platform to use for written questions; we do not reply to coding questions by email. To ensure we can best assist you, please before posting read this guide on how to ask coding questions with tips and details on what information you should include in your Ed post.
Plagiarism and Academic integrity
Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University of Chicago Code of Academic Integrity. Under the provisions of the Code, anyone who gives or receives unauthorized assistance in the preparation of work at home or during tests in class will be subject to disciplinary action. A student’s name on any piece of work is our assurance that they have neither given nor received any unauthorized help in its preparation. Students may assist each other on assignments by answering questions and explaining various concepts. However, one student should not allow another student to copy their work directly. All University policies with respect to cheating will be enforced.
Collaboration in this course is encouraged (e.g., researchers usually collaborate with one another on projects, developers work in teams to write programs) but plagiarism is strongly discouraged. That is, you are expected to complete your own work:
- In your homework, we will ask you to mention the resources you used to complete it. For example:
- I collaborated with student First and Last Name
- I met with the TA (name) for question 1
- I consulted ChatGBT to solve part of question 2
- Never blindly copy from your peers
- Do not copy large chunks of code from the internet or generated by AI (but using these tools to debug programs is OK)
- Asking a classmate to help you debug your program is fine (the key phrase is help you, not do it for you)
The bottom line: if you don’t understand what the program is doing and are not prepared to explain it in detail, you should not submit it.
Statement on diversity, inclusion, and disability
The University of Chicago (as an institution) and I (as a human being and instructor of this course) am committed to diversity and rigorous inquiry from multiple perspectives. The MAPSS, CIR, and Computation programs share this commitment and seek to foster productive learning environments based upon inclusion in education, open communication, and mutual respect for a diverse range of identities, experiences, and positions.
Services and reasonable accommodations are available to persons with temporary and permanent disabilities, to students with DACA or undocumented status, to students facing mental health or other personal challenges, and to students with other kinds of learning challenges. Please, feel free to let me know if there are circumstances affecting your ability to participate in class.
If you have, or think you may have a disability, please contact Student Disability Services for a confidential discussion and for requesting accommodation: SDS. Once SDS approves your accommodation, it will be emailed to both you and me. Please, follow up with me to discuss the necessary logistics of your accommodations. If you need immediate accommodation, please speak with me after class or send an email message to me and SDS.
Any suggestions for how we might further such objectives both in and outside the classroom are appreciated and will be given serious consideration. Please share your suggestions or concerns with your instructors, your preceptor, or your program’s Diversity and Inclusion representatives: Darcy Heuring (MAPSS), Matthias Staisch (CIR), and Chad Cyrenne (MACSS). You are also welcome and encouraged to contact the Faculty Director of your program.
Some resources that might be of use include:
Health-related Policies
All students on campus are required to adhere to the University of Chicago guidelines. See UChicago Go Forward for the latest COVID-19 updates.