Welcome to CS 128! This course will help expand your programming knowledge through the C++ language and prepare you for future courses and careers in tech. It can be a challenging course but this section is designed to provide the support and structure to help you along the way. If you have any concerns please reach out to me at drschatz@illinois.edu.

Contact Information

Instructor

Professor Jule Schatz (you-la shots) she/her
Website: juleschatz.com
Email: drschatz@illinois.edu
Office: 2330 Siebel Center for Comp Sci

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, a successful student should be able to:

• Formulate, implement, and test algorithms to solve complex problems from simple specifications.
• Use object-oriented design to appropriately structure data and couple data and behavior.
• Organize, compile, and debug C++ projects.
• Understand the features of computer systems that make them useful for solving problems, including computation, memory, storage, and data access.

Components

Lecture

9 am - 9:50 am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in 1404 Siebel Center for Comp Sci.
See the course calendar for specifics and updates.

Lecture will include clicker questions via Disovery Clicker. This is a free web app for UIUC courses Provided by Professor Wade Fagen-Ulmschneider. All you will need is a phone or device that can read a QR code. Some clicker question points are based on participation, others on the correct answer (collaboration is allowed).

Lab

Lab is intended to give you an opportunity to work with your peers on a challenging coding assignment. Labs are collaborative but everyone needs to submit their own assignment to get credit. You will have until the following Tuesday at 11:59pm CST to submit the work.

Points will be awarded for attendance and the lab activity. To receive attendance points you must be present at the lab for at least 1 hour 05 minutes of the allotted 1 hour 15 minutes of class or until the TA has given you permission to leave.

Homework

Homework is there to give you practice with the material you just learned in lecture. This is a great way of assessing your own knowledge as well as solidifying your understanding. Homework is always released after lecture and is due before the next class. For example, homework after Monday’s lecture is due Wednesday at 8:59am. There is limited collaboration allowed on the homework assignments which means you can work together but everyone still needs to submit the assignment. See the collaboration policy below for more details.

MPs

There are two main goals of the MPs

1. To give you experience developing a bigger project. From planning, to writing, to testing.
2. To be a fun and cool application that you can show off to friends or family.

MPs have a no collaboration policy. See the collaboration policy below for more details. Exact deadlines and instructions can be found on the course website when MPs are released.

Exams

Exams are a way to test your knowledge in a proctored environment. There are three 50 minute exams during the semester in the CBTF. The CBTF is a proctored testing center with multiple locations on campus. You will need to pre-register for a time slot at one of their locations for each exam window. For more information see their website, https://cbtf.illinois.edu/students.

If you need accommodations for exams, please see the Students with Disabilities
Section of the syllabus and upload your paper work here https://cbtf.illinois.edu/students/dres, at least 5 business days before the exam.

Second Chance Exams
Exams are important but can also be scary! That is why if you don’t receive a score you are happy with you may take the second chance exam the following week. Your final grade for that exam will be 10% of your lowest score and 90% of the highest score. For example, if you take Exam 2 and get 65% and then take the second chance Exam 2 and get 89%, your final grade for Exam 2 is 86.6%. If you take Exam 2 and get 90% and then take the second chance Exam 2 and get 75% your final grade for Exam 2 will be 88.5%. If you take Exam 2 and get 87% and do not take the second chance Exam 2, your final grade for Exam 2 is 87%.

Note, you must register for a time slot for the second chance exams just like you do for a normal exam. The second chance exam will be on the same material as the original exam but with different questions.

Exam Schedule
Exams and second chance exams run from Tuesday - Thursday, except for the second chance Exam 3 which runs from Monday - Wednesday due to the end of the semester. Exams cover topics through and including that previous Friday.

Exam 1
50 mins in the CBTF 09/24 - 09/26
Content up through material covered on 9/20
Second Chance Exam - 50 Mins in the CBTF 10/01 - 10/03

Exam 2
50 mins in the CBTF 10/29 - 10/31
Content up through material covered on 10/25
Second Chance Exam - 50 Mins in the CBTF 11/05- 11/07

Exam 3
50 mins in the CBTF 12/03 - 12/05
Content up through material covered on 11/22
Second Chance Exam - 50 Mins in the CBTF 12/09 - 12/11

Grades

You have the opportunity to earn up to 1,000 points in the course. Based on your final number of points you will receive the following grade:

Points	Grade
930 - 1,000	A
900 - 929	A-
870 - 899	B+
830 - 869	B
800 - 829	B-
770 - 799	C+
730 - 769	C
700 - 729	C-
600 - 699	D
0 - 599	F

**Note your points will be rounded up to the nearest whole number and the cutoffs may change slightly in your favor.

How To Get Points

The table below describes how to get points for various components in the course. The max number of points per component is different from the available points for lecture, homework, and labs to allow for missed questions, assignments, and attendance. You cannot get more than the Max Points for any component.

Component	Max Points	Available Points	Points / Instance	Details
Lecture	100	129	3 points / Lecture	There will be at least 43 lectures. You receive points at each lecture depending on the clicker questions.
Homework	150	184	8 points / Homework	There will be at least 23 homework assignments over the semester.
Labs	150	175	5 points / Lab Attendance 10 points / Lab Assignment	There will be at least 11 lab sessions/assignments over the semester.
MPs	270	270	80 - 110 points / MP	MP 1 - Part 1 : 30 points MP 1 - Part 2 : 50 points MP 2 - Part 1 : 10 points MP 2 - Part 2 : 10 points MP 2 - Part 3 : 90 points MP 3 - Part 1 : 30 points MP 3 - Part 2 : 50 points
Exams	330	330	110 points / Exam	There are 3 exams total, but each has a second chance to increase your points for that exam.

Extension Policies

There are no extensions for homework or labs. However, as indicated in the table above, there is wiggle room for missing assignments or partial credit.

Each MP part is due at 11:59pm on the deadline indicated on the specifications for that MP. However, you may turn in any part 24 hours late for a 10 point reduction on that part.

*If you have extenuating circumstances please contact me. Unless you were unable to do so, you must contact me BEFORE the deadline to get any relevant accommodations for that assignment or exam.*

How to Get Help

Computer science is challenging but the 128 team is here to help! I'm happy to answer emails about policies or special circumstances but often you can get help faster by using the following resources first,

Office Hours

This is a space to come and ask questions and get clarification on course material and assignments. It is normal to come to office hours at least once a week and often more. They will be held virtually and in-person in the basement of Siebel Center for Computer Science. The exact schedule can be found on the course website under Support.

Discuss Online Forum

The link can be found on the Support page of the course website. This is a place where you can post questions, see updates, and interact with your peers. Feel free to post any quick questions you have on there from policies to content. However, do not post your answers for homeworks, labs, or MPs.

We will do our best to answer your questions as quickly as possible but do not expect an instant response. You may also contribute and answer questions! This is a great way to solidify your own understanding. However, remain respectful of everyone’s diverse backgrounds and abilities. We are all here to learn.

Meet with the Professor

If you are struggling in the course and are not sure how to proceed please reach out to Prof. Schatz via email. I can help you figure out what is going wrong and how to improve from there (I do this for students often).

Proffice Hours (Professor Office Hours)

Wednesday after lecture, 10 - 11 am in Prof. Schatz’s office 2330 Siebel Center for Computer Science. Come say “hi” and check out my lego collection! I’m happy to answer big picture questions about the course or CS in general or just get to know you a bit better. This is a great opportunity to make a connection with a professor at UIUC.

My office is a bit hard to find… There is a map above!

Collaboration Policy

Below are the definitions of the two collaboration policies I have for various components. Going against these policies is a violation of academic integrity. Please note it is also against the academic integrity policy to try and circumvent the autograder.

Limited Collaboration Allowed

This means you may work with others to complete the component. However, you must still submit your own work for grading.

I recommend implementing buddy programming. This is where everyone codes on their own computer but you may look at and discuss code together. This lets you work together while still forcing you to write the code for yourself. This is important for learning and doing well on the exams!

You may use AI systems for general conceptual questions but not for solutions or specifics. Remember why you are in this course as well as why you are furthering your education. Using AI to get answers may not be helpful for those goals.

Components this policy applies to: Lecture clicker questions, lab, and homework.

Collaboration NOT Allowed

This means you must complete the component on your own. You may NOT ask anyone besides a current course staff member for help. You may NOT use AI on these components. You may NOT look at another student's code NOR share your code with other students. Violating this policy is violating the academic integrity policy and will result in a FAIR violation. A violation can lead to a zero grade on the assignment and a full letter grade reduction in the course.

For exams you must follow the CBTF policy on what is allowed and what is not allowed. Deviations from this will result in an academic integrity violation.

Components this policy applies to: MPs, and Exams.

Academic Integrity

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Student Code should also be considered as a part of this syllabus. Students should pay particular attention to Article 1, Part 4: Academic Integrity. Read the Code at the following URL: http://studentcode.illinois.edu/.

Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade. Every student is expected to review and abide by the Academic Integrity Policy: https://studentcode.illinois.edu/article1/part4/1-401/. Ignorance is not an excuse for any academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this policy to avoid any misunderstanding. Do not hesitate to ask the instructor(s) if you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism, cheating, or any other breach of academic integrity.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Grainger College of Engineering is committed to the creation of an anti-racist, inclusive community that welcomes diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability status, class, age, or religious beliefs. The College recognizes that we are learning together in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices and contributions have largely either been excluded from, or not recognized in, science and engineering, and that both overt racism and micro-aggressions threaten the well-being of our students and our university community.

The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to Campus Belonging Resources (https://diversity.illinois.edu/diversity-campus-culture/belonging-resources/). Based on your report, Members of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion staff will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.

Students with Disabilities

To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids, students with disabilities must contact the course instructor as soon as possible and provide the instructor with a Letter of Academic Accommodations from Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). To ensure that disability-related concerns are properly addressed from the beginning, students with disabilities who require assistance to participate in this class should apply for services with DRES and see the instructor as soon as possible.

If you need accommodations for any sort of disability for Exams, please submit them directly to the CBTF as specified above in the "Exam" section. If you have other accommodations not related to exams, please speak to me after class, or make an appointment to see me or see me during my office hours. DRES provides students with academic accommodations, access, and support services. To contact DRES, you may visit 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, call 217-333-1970, e-mail disability@illinois.edu or visit the DRES website at http://www.disability.illinois.edu/. Here is the direct link to apply for services at DRES, https://www.disability.illinois.edu/applying-services.
Accommodations should be made known early in the semester and cannot be retroactively applied to assignments due before the time the accommodation was made known.

Statement on Mental Health

Significant stress, mood changes, excessive worry, substance/alcohol misuse or interferences in eating or sleep can have an impact on academic performance, social development, and emotional wellbeing. The University of Illinois offers a variety of confidential services including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, psychiatric services, and specialized screenings which are covered through the Student Health Fee. If you or someone you know experiences any of the above mental health concerns, it is strongly encouraged to contact or visit any of the University’s resources provided below. Getting help is a smart and courageous thing to do for yourself and for those who care about you.

Counseling Center (217) 333-3704 McKinley Health Center (217) 333-2700 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-8255 Rosecrance Crisis Line (217) 359-4141 (available 24/7, 365 days a year) If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

*This statement is approved by the University of Illinois Counseling Center

Emergency Response Recommendations

Emergency response recommendations and campus building floor plans can be found at the following website: https://police.illinois.edu/em/run-hide-fight/. I encourage you to review this website within the first 10 days of class.

Religious Observances

Illinois law requires the University to reasonably accommodate its students' religious beliefs, observances, and practices in regard to admissions, class attendance, and the scheduling of examinations and work requirements. Students should complete the Request for Accommodation for Religious Observances form should any instructors require an absence letter in order to manage the absence. In order to best facilitate planning and communication between students and faculty, students should make requests for absence letters as early as possible in the semester in which the request applies.

Disruptive Behavior

Behavior that persistently or grossly interferes with classroom activities is considered disruptive behavior and may be subject to disciplinary action. Such behavior inhibits other students’ ability to learn and an instructor’s ability to teach. A student responsible for disruptive behavior may be required to leave class pending discussion and resolution of the problem and may be reported to the Office for Student Conflict Resolution (https://conflictresolution.illinois.edu; conflictresolution@illinois.edu; 333-3680) for disciplinary action.

Sexual Misconduct Reporting Obligation

The University of Illinois is committed to combating sexual misconduct. Faculty and staff members are required to report any instances of sexual misconduct to the University’s Title IX and Disability Office. In turn, an individual with the Title IX and Disability Office will provide information about rights and options, including accommodations, support services, the campus disciplinary process, and law enforcement options.

A list of the designated University employees who, as counselors, confidential advisors, and medical professionals, do not have this reporting responsibility and can maintain confidentiality, can be found here: wecare.illinois.edu/resources/students/#confidential.