Course Policies and Expectations

Some text for this course's policies is based on material by Monica Linden, Neuroscience, Brown University and David Malan, Computer Science, Harvard University.

General

• We expect that you will do well in this course! 😀
• We expect all students to stay up to date on the course material, either by reading the lecture notes and/or by watching the lecture video, as the assignments are based on material covered in lectures.
• We expect you to look after yourself: sleep, eat, and keep well.
• We expect you to reach out to course staff if you are having any difficulty in the class, whether it is about understanding the material, staying up to date on the material, external circumstances, or anything else that is affecting your engagement or performance in the course.
• We expect you to read the syllabus, be aware of course policies, and follow them.
• We expect you to engage in the course and make use of the course resources as needed, including sections, office hours, the discussion board, practice problems, etc.
• I very much appreciate the opportunity to get to know each of you during the course! Please try to stop by my office hours, or arrange a coffee or a meal, to get a chance to talk.

Attendance

All students are expected to attend lectures or to catch up. We plan to record lectures. All students can watch lecture videos on demand, which are typically available within 24 hours of the lecture.

Devices in class: I appreciate that different people learn differently. For some students, using a device in class can be an effective learning aid (for example, to take notes). However, for many students, laptops and smart phones are a distraction. I encourage you to bring or use electronic devices with you to class only if you think it will improve your learning. We will have part of the lecture room reserved to be device free.

Attendance at office hours and section is encouraged but not required.

Late minutes, Penalties, and Extensions

Each student has 14,400 "late minutes" (which is the number of minutes in 10 days) which can be applied to any of the homework assignments. A late minute extends the due date/time by 1 minute. At most 4,320 late minutes (= 3 days) can be used on any single assignment. (This allows us to grade your assignments and return them to you within a reasonable period.)

Late minutes are intended to help you manage your time effectively. They are not meant to be a substitute for starting assignments early. If you exhaust your late minutes, a 10% penalty will be applied per day, up until the solutions are released; after the solutions are released, no assignments will be accepted.

Late minutes are not meant to be used for medical emergencies or extenuating circumstances. In those situations, please have your senior tutor contact the instructor.

Collaboration and Academic Integrity

Discussion and the exchange of ideas are essential to doing academic work. For assignments in this course, you are encouraged to consult with your classmates as you work on problem sets. However, after discussions with peers (or course instructional staff), make sure that you can work through the problem yourself and ensure that any answers you submit for evaluation are the result of your own efforts. In addition, you must cite any books, articles, websites, lectures, etc that have helped you with your work using appropriate citation practices. Similarly, you must list the names of students with whom you have collaborated on problem sets.

Do not pass solutions to problem sets nor accept them from another student. Do not post course materials (including problem sets, solutions, exams, etc.) to websites or course-content archives. Also, it is never okay to look up solutions to homework problems in this class, i.e., don't look on the web for solutions. If you are ever in doubt, ask the course staff to clarify what is and isn't appropriate.

College students: Please see the Honor Code.

Timely Feedback

Course staff will aim to return graded assignments, with solutions, to students within 10 days of when the assignment is turned in. That is, within one week of when the last assignment might be turned in (and a student may use up to three days worth of late minutes on an assignment).

Diversity and Inclusion

I would like to create a learning environment that supports a diversity of thoughts, perspectives and experiences, and honors your identities (including race, gender, class, sexuality, religion, ability, etc.) To help accomplish this:

• If you have a name and/or set of pronouns that differ from those that appear in your official Harvard records, please let me know!
• If you feel like your performance in the class is being impacted by your experiences outside of class, please don't hesitate to come and talk with me. I want to be a resource for you. If you prefer to speak with someone outside of the course, members of the SEAS Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging are excellent resources.
• I (like many people) am still in the process of learning about diverse perspectives and identities. If something was said (by anyone) in class, office hours, section, or the Ed discussion board that made you feel uncomfortable, please talk to me about it.
• As a participant in course discussions, office hours, and group projects, you should also strive to honor the diversity of your classmates.

Inclusive Learning and Accessibility

Your success in this class is important to me. We will all need accommodations because we all learn differently. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let me know as soon as possible. Together we'll develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course.

I encourage you to visit the Disability Access Office to determine how you could improve your learning as well. If you need official accommodations, you have a right to have these met. There are also a range of resources on campus. The Academic Resource Center provides many resources, including academic counseling and peer tutors.

Mental Health

If you experience significant stress or worry, changes in mood, or problems eating or sleeping this semester, whether because of CS152 or other courses or factors, please do not hesitate to reach out immediately, at any hour, to any of the course staff to discuss. Everyone can benefit from support during challenging times. Not only are we happy to listen and make accommodations with deadlines as needed, we can also refer you to additional support structures on campus, including, but not limited to:

• The CAMHS Cares line 617-495-2042 is a 24/7 support line for Harvard students who have mental health concerns, whether they are in immediate distress or not, on-campus or elsewhere.
• Room 13, 617-495-4969

Financial Aid

We do not require that students purchase any books, hardware, or software. While not required, having one's own laptop is helpful. Students without their own laptops are encouraged to reach out at the start of the course to discuss possibilities.