Schedule of presentations

Recommended reading: Advice for Computer Science College Students

Instructor Venita De Souza venita@ics.uci.edu Office: DBH 5204. Office hours Friday 11:00 - 12:00

• In-class writing sample. The first in-class writing sample is scheduled for Monday, October 1; if you don't pass the first sample, you will have another chance on Wednesday, October 3. The topic for each sample will be something designed to be easy to write about, so you can concentrate on your writing rather than the underlying ideas. In the 50-minute class period, we will ask you to write roughly 250 words; this should give you plenty of time to revise and rewrite your passage. To pass, your writing must have essentially perfect mechanics, grammar, and usage, and it must be reasonably clear and well organized. You may bring a dictionary or any other reference works. Being able to produce clear and correct writing is a requirement for completing lower division writing, so we expect everyone in the class to be able to demonstrate this ability. Graded Pass/Fail; must Pass to get a C or better in the course.
• Six assignments (five written, one oral), each with multiple parts:
• Writing Instructions (15%)
• Influencing Policy (20%)
• Changing the System -- Introductory Tutorial (15%)
• Changing the System -- Proposal (15%)
• Oral Presentation 1 (5%)
• Oral Presentation 2 (5%)
• System Promotion or Resume and Cover Letter (9%)
• Eight in-class peer editing sessions, 2% each. There is no way to make up a missed session as an editor.

Cheating: Be familiar with ICS policy and the definition of cheating, as well as the official policy on academic honesty. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reflected in the final grade because dishonesty devalues the learning experience for the whole class. Whether you turn in someone else's work as your own, or you help someone else do so, a single act of cheating will result in a grade of F for the quarter. You are encouraged to have a friend or relative proofread your papers, but don't let your proofreaders start rewriting your papers for you. A good strategy is to have the proofreader underline any words or phrases that might be incorrect or in need of improvement, and then you make the corrections yourself.
 

To-do list:

1. The web page Writing Assignment Requirements contains important advice that can affect your grade. Read it now and check it again every time you start a new assignment. There are also mechanical details for submitting assignments. Each major assignment is submitted in two ways: on paper (including all the previously submitted, edited versions) and electronically via Checkmate.
2. Register yourself on Checkmate for ICS 139W.
3. Always keep your own copy of each assignment, both electronically and on paper. If an assignment should get lost in the shuffle (or if a file server in the lab should crash, which has happened in the past), we'll expect you to be able to supply a replacement easily.

Course Outline and Schedule:

Communication: Read your UCI email account at least once a day. Refer to the course web page and syllabus,http://www.ics.uci.edu/~venita/2007/ics139W_Fall07 occasionally. If you send me email, please include "ICS 139W" in the subject line, and your name and student ID in the body of the message. 
 

Special Accommodations: Any student who feels he or she may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss his or her specific needs. Also contact the Disability Services Center at (949) 824-7494 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.

On Line Evaluations: The window for fall quarter online evaluations will open at 7pm on Friday, November 30 and close at 11:45pm on Sunday, December 9.