Course Policies
CSE 373: Data Structures and Algorithms
The University of Washington, Seattle, Autumn 2008
Effective learning requires that each student be actively engaged in the subject matter and activities of the course. The course is structured to foster that engagement in several ways, including working together as a community on in-class activities, involvement in laboratory activities, and appropriate challenges in assignments and the project.
 
All the students in CSE 373, the teaching assistant, and the instructor form a community. As a community, we can work together to help each other learn. The first step in allowing this to happen is for each person to be present at class meetings. Regular attendance in class is required, and systematic absences will have a direct effect on the class-participation part of the course grade.
 
As for most three-credit courses at the University of Washington, students are expected to devote approximately 9 productive hours to the course per week. Actual demands will vary with the material and individual student. Each student is required to stay up to date with assignments, in order for the class to work as a community.
 
Assignments must be completed by their due dates in order to be graded and receive credit. Except in rare circumstances, assignments turned in after the time due will not be graded and will not receive credit. This makes it essential that assignments involving programming be started early, so as to leave plenty of time to resolve computer issues or programming problems.
 
Each student will have an opportunity to work in a partnership on a miniproject to create a program that demonstrates a technique involving data structures and algorithms. Guidelines and a list of available options will be provided.
 
Except when explicitly permitted, students are expected to turn in their own individually produced solutions to homework problems. Turning in the work of another as one's own is considered as a serious form of academic misconduct. The University has strict rules and penalties that apply when evidence of such misconduct is found.
 
The following is a tentative formula for weighting the various course components for computing final grades:
  • Assignments: 30 percent
  • Project: 20 percent
  • Midterm: 15 percent
  • Participation: 10 percent (including, quizzes, peer evaluations selected class activities
  • Final exam: 25 percent

updated Sept. 24, 2008.