General Information

Instructor:

Geoffrey Towell
259 Park Science Building
526-5064
gtowell at brynmawr dot edu
http://cs.brynmawr.edu/~gtowell

Class:

Lecture Hours Tuesday / Thursday 9:55-11:15
Room Park 336
Lab Thursday 11:25 -- 12:45
Room Park 231
Office Hours Monday 10AM - Noon. Tuesday 1pm-2pm
Also by appointment.
Zoom Meeting code: 232 840 6920. Password: given in class
Course Description An introduction to the fundamental data structures of computer science: lists, stacks, queues, trees, Binary Search Trees, graphs, sets and their accompanying algorithms. Principles of algorithmic analysis and object reasoning and design will be introduced using mathematical techniques for the notions of both complexity and correctness.

In addition, there will be a significant discussion of Object-Oriented programming and the implementation of object-oriented programming in Java.

Computer LabPark 231
Instructions for using the lab computers
Remote accessible lab computer status

Text

Data Structures and Abstractions with Java (fifth edition)
by F. Carrano and T. Henry

Important Dates

TA Hours

Most weeks, TAs are available at the following times in Park 231
TAs hours have started (as of Aug 30)
Sunday6pm-10pm
Monday6pm-10pm
Tuesday6pm-10pm
Wednesday6pm-10pm
Thursday6pm-10pm
FridayNO TA hours
SaturdayNO TA Hours

Assignments

There will 9-10 weekly homework assignments. Homework will be electronically submitted. All work must be turned in by the due date or it will not be considered. There are two exceptions to this rule:
  1. 2 (two) 24 hour late passes. These are to be used at your discretion during the semester. To use a late pass you merely have to send me an email saying that you intend to use a late pass. You do not need permission, this is merely to inform me that you are using a late pass. This email MUST be sent prior to the due date. (I have received email with time stamps less than one minute before the due date.) I repeat, approval is automatic. You may use both late passes on a single assignment. These late passes are intended to give you a little scheduling flexibility.
  2. For major issues (requiring more than 24 hours), talk to me. For such issues, you must talk to be more than 48 hours prior to the due date.
Work submitted 24 or more hours in advance of the due date will receive a 3 percent bonus.

Homework assignments are intended to take under 10 hours to complete. That said, some people will require far more that that on some assignments. I strongly encourage everyone to start early. Work some on the assignment. Then go get something to eat, take a nap, etc. Often with programming, getting away from the problem for a while is important.

Despite my best efforts, homeworks may have sections that are not quite correct. If you find an error, let me know. If I agree that the issue is an issue and you have told me of the issue at least 48 hours prior to the due date then I will give bonus points as follows: 

3 points for the first issue reported
2 points for the second issue reported
1 point for the third issue reported
Ordering is based on date of email receipt. One bonus per person per assignment.

All assignments must abide by the following standards

Posted code samples will -- always -- adhere to these standards. (Code shown in class usually will not so that it can fit on screens. Code I write in class definitely will not so adhere.)

All assignments must be accompanied by a README file. I will read, and often will respond, to all README text. See the file for a description of the expected contents.

Homework 1
Due Wednesday Sep 7, before 11:59:59 pm
Homework 2
Wednesday Sep 14, prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 3
Due Wednesday Sep 21, prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 4
Wednesday Sep 28, prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 5
Due THURSDAY October 20 Friday October 21, prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 6
Due WEDNESDAY October 26, Thursday October 27 prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 7
Part 1 due Wednesday Nov 2 prior to 8am; Part 2 due Wednesday Nov 9 prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 8
Due Wednesday Nov 16, prior to 11:59:59 pm
Homework 9
Due Thursday Dec 1, prior to 11:59:59 pm

Labs

Labs are best done in the lab session. If I request an email at the end of the lab (this is typical), I must receive that email by 11:59:59 on the day of the lab (unless prior arrangements have been made).

Lectures

I intend to post lecture notes here before every class. If you do not see them it is a mistake on my part. Tell me before class starts.

Course Policies

Communication

Attendance and active participation are expected in every class. Participation includes asking questions, contributing answers, proposing ideas, and providing constructive comments.

Please stay in touch with me, particularly if you feel stuck on a topic or assignment and can't figure out how to proceed. Often a quick e-mail, or face-to-face conference can reveal solutions to problems and generate renewed creative and scholarly energy. It is essential that you begin assignments early.

Grading

Grades will be awarded based on the number of points earned and according to the percentage breakdowns shown.
Homework 45%
Lab 5%
Midterms (2) 32%
Final exam 18%

Mid-terms will be in class (or possibly take-home). If take-home then the time to complete will be 80 minutes (1 class period). All exams, whether in-class or not, will be open everything. The only restriction is that you may not discuss the exam, in any way, with anyone until 24 hours after the exam (unless you are told otherwise).

Incomplete grades will be given only for verifiable medical illness or other such dire circumstances. Incomplete grades must be approved through the Dean's office.

ALL work submitted for grading should be entirely YOUR OWN (except for labs). Sharing of programs, code snippets, etc. is not permitted under ANY circumstances. That said, I encourage you to discuss assignments at an algorithmic level with other students. That is, talk about the problem, and general approaches to problems. Do not share or discuss actual Java code. There are two exceptions to this policy. First, you may freely show and discuss your code with TAs. Second, you may discuss very specific bugs with your classmates. When debugging DO NOT simply copy code in the "well my code works for this issue ..".

Links

Learning Accommodations

Students requesting accommodations in this course because of the impact of disability are encouraged to meet with me privately early in the semester with a verification letter. Students not yet approved to receive accommodations should also contact Deb Alder, Coordinator of Accessibility Services, at 610-526-7351 in Guild Hall, as soon as possible, to verify their eligibility for reasonable accommodations. Early contact will help avoid unnecessary inconvenience and delays.

This class may be recorded.

Creating a Welcoming Environment

All members of the Instruction Staff are dedicated to the cause of improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of computing, and to supporting the wellness and mental health of our students.

Diversity and Inclusion

It is essential that all members of the course community – the instructor, TAs, and students – work together to create a supportive, inclusive environment that welcomes all students, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexuality, or socioeconomic status. All participants in this course deserve to and should expect to be treated with respect by other members of the community. Class meetings, lab sessions, office hours, and group working time should be spaces where everyone feels welcome and included. In order to foster a welcoming environment, students of this course are expected to: exercise consideration and respect in their speech and actions; attempt collaboration and consideration, including listening to opposing perspectives and authentically and respectfully raising concerns, before conflict; refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior and speech.

Wellness

Additionally, your mental health and wellness are of utmost importance to the course Instruction Staff, if not the College as a whole. All members of the instruction staff will be happy to chat or just to listen if you need someone to talk to, even if it’s not specifically about this course. If you or someone you know is in distress and urgently needs to speak with someone, please do not hesitate to contact BMC Counseling Services: 610-526-7360 (610-526-7778 nights and weekends). If you are uncomfortable reaching out to Counseling Services, any member of the Instruction Staff will be happy to contact them on your behalf. We understand that student life can be extremely difficult, both mentally and emotionally. If you are living with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or other conditions that may affect you this semester, you are encouraged to discuss these with the Instructor. Although the details are up to you to disclose, the Instruction Staff will do their best to support and accommodate you in order to ensure that you can succeed this course while staying healthy.

Created August 2022. Subject to constant revision.