Instructor

Name Dr. Joel Coffman
Office Fairchild 6G-117
Phone 719 333-6803 (office)
Email joel.coffman@usafa.edu
Website https://joel-coffman.github.io/

Prerequisites

Comp Sci 210: Programming Fundamentals or Comp Sci 211: Introduction to Programming for Scientists and Engineers

Textbook

Gillenson, “Fundamentals of Database Management Systems,” 2nd ed., Wiley, 2011.

Policies

Academics with Honor

Classroom Standards

Laptops may be used in class as long as they are not distracting to other students. Phones should not be used in class with the exception of taking pictures of “board work” for future reference. Any other uses should be cleared first with the instructor.1

Assignments are due at the start of class unless otherwise indicated in the assignment description.

Meeting deadlines is important; please do not submit late work without prior coordination. Except for extraordinary circumstances, late work will be penalized 25% for each 24-hour period past the deadline. The late penalty is a cap on the maximum grade that may be awarded for the late work.

Grading

Final grades will be based on the following graded events:

Assessment Type Number Point (Prog) Points (Final)
Quizzes 15 80 150
Graded Reviews (GRs)2 3 250 375
Programming Exercises (PEXs) 3 150 225
Project   100 250

The project comprises multiple deliverables as outlined on the schedule. Please note that the exact number of quizzes and points by prog may vary slightly from this plan.

If you believe that an assignment has been graded incorrectly, you have one week from the date that assignment was returned to request a regrade. Your request must be accompanied by a detailed written explanation of why you believe you deserve additional credit. Requiring a written explanation saves time when regrading, demonstrates greater mastery of the material on your part, and improves your technical writing skills.

Final grades will be determined using the standard grading scale: ± will be assigned using ±2 thresholds – e.g., 92% will be an A- and 88% will be a B+.

Expectations

The following is a list of expectations for this course:

  • Come prepared for each and every class. Be ready to engage actively in class activities and discussions.
  • Work ahead of due dates. Like the real world, this course gives you the latitude to shoot yourself in the foot, particularly if you choose to wait until the last minute to work on assignments and in lieu of extraordinary circumstances. I reserve the right to decline extra instruction (EI) requests on the day that assignments are due.
  • Your honor is extremely important. Do not compromise your integrity by violating academic security or by taking unfair advantage of your classmates.
  • Seek assistance whenever needed. I am committed to helping you succeed.

  1. The impetus for this policy is research that suggests smartphones may be detrimental to learning: Chad C. Tossell, Philip Kortum, Clayton Shepard, Ahmad Rahmati, and Lin Zhong, “You Can Lead a Horse to Water But You Cannot Make Him Learn: Smartphone Use in Higher Education,” British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 713–724, July 2015 (press release). ↩

  2. The entry for GRs also includes an in-class SQL assessment. ↩