CS 105: Computer Systems

Lectures take place on Mondays and Wednesdays 2:45-4:00 in Edmunds 101. See the schedule for details.

Labs will be Mondays 7:00-8:15pm in the Edmunds 219/229.

There will be seven assignments in CS 105. These assignments are supposed to be fun and challenging; they really are the core of the class. Most assignments will be due at 5pm on Fridays. See the assignment page for details. The assignments are done in a pair programming paradigm. Adequate performance on all the assignments is required to get a passing grade in the course.

Assignments will be started in the laboratory sessions. It is your responsibility to complete the assignments and turn them in on time. You get seven late days that may be used at your discretion to submit assignments after the deadline with no penalty. Both you and your partner must spend a late day available to use one. Further extensions after you have exhausted all your late days will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. Note: Weekends only consume one late day, so anything submitted after 5pm on Friday but before 5pm on Sunday will be considered one day late.

All laboratory exercises will be done—and graded—on pom-itb-cs2.campus.pomona.edu, a machine configured for this class. Everyone registered should have an account when classes begin. Many assignments will not work on other machines. Some assignments might seem to work, but will break when we try to grade them. Unless explicitly told otherwise, do all your work on this machine. You have been warned.

There will be one midterm exam and one final exam in this course. The midterm will be held in class on March 11. Details of the final exam TBA.

Finishing all the assignments successfully is required to pass the class. After that, grades are computed on a point basis, as follows:

Assignments: 45%
Midterm: 20%
Final Exam: 30%
Participation: 5%

In general, collaboration is encouraged in this course. This means that you may discuss approaches to solving problems with anyone in this class, including faculty and TAs. As specified in the department policy, you may help, or receive help, in using systems and tools, in debugging code, and in working with high-level design issues. However, using material from any external source—web page or person or book—is forbidden. The actual solutions to the laboratory exercises and the code you submit must be your own and your partner’s. Except for material from the textbook or lecture, you may not copy, retype, view, or share a copy of any file. If you have any questions about what is appropriate or inappropriate collaboration, please speak with the instructor. When in doubt, credit your sources.

Course materials provided to you, including graded papers and exam summaries, are for your use in the course. You are encouraged to use them to the fullest extent, but you are not to publish them or distribute them to other people or organizations.

There will be stringent penalties for violations of academic honesty, up to failure in the course.

Pomona College is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services and activities. Requests for accommodations may be made by contacting the Disability Coordinator on your home campus. At Pomona College, that person is Associate Dean of Students Jan Collins-Eaglin. Pomona College’s policy on disability accommodations can be found at the Dean of Student’s website.

Accommodation forms must be submitted and accommodations agreed upon by the last day to add classes, or within five days of the date on which the form was signed by an appropriate dean, whichever comes later. Many accommodations will be handled through the Student Disability Resource Center in the Tranquada Student Services Center.