ClassInfo

CSC 373 Computer Systems I

Fall 2012-2013
Class number: 14484
Section number: 710
-
Online Campus

Summary

A course on computer systems topics, focusing on machine-level programming and architecture and their relevance for application programming. Information representations, assembly language and debuggers, processor architecture, program optimization, memory hierarchy and caching.

Course homepage: http://condor.depaul.edu/slytinen/373f12




Texts

Computer Systems: A Programmer's Perspective, 2nd edition, by Randal E. Bryant and David R. O'Hallaron. Prentice Hall, 2011, ISBN 978-0-13-610804-7 (http://csapp.cs.cmu.edu)

Also, System Programming with C and Unix by Adam Hoover. Pearson Education, 2010, ISBN 978-0-13-606712-2

During the majority of the course, we will be using the Bryant and O'Hallaron text.




Grading

The grade breakdown will be as follows:

5-6 Homeworks 45%
Midterm 25%
Final Exam 30%

The grading scale will be determined by a curve. The cutoffs will be no higher than the following: 90-100, A; 80-89.99, B; 70-79.99, C; 60-69.99, D; 0-59.99, F. Plusses and minuses will be given at the high/low ends of each grade range (no A+'s or D-'s).




Late policy

To be considered on time, an assignment must be turned in by the beginning of class on its due date. Late submissions may be turned in up to 1 week late; however, late assignments will be penalized 1 point (out of 100) for each day that they are late. Late submissions will not be accepted beyond the beginning of class one week after the due date.




Policy on working together

You may feel free to discuss assignments with other students or with a tutor at a general level. However, when it comes to actually writing answers to written problems, or writing code, you may not work with others, with the exception of asking the tutors (or me) for debugging help. It has been my experience that if you write code or homework solutions together with another student, or copy from a friend's old assignment, or if a tutor writes your homework for you, you will be caught. Any violations of this policy will be dealt with very seriously.




School policies:

Changes to Syllabus

This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.

Online Course Evaluations

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism

This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.

All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.

Academic Policies

All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.

Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296