CS 2733/2731 Computer Organization II
Grading Policy, Fall 2004

Factors Determining Grade (with tentative percentages)
1. Recitations (<= 14, none dropped): >= 25% (>= 2% each)
2. Quizzes (<= 8, lowest dropped): <= 10% (<= 1.5% each)
3. Two in-class exams (no make-ups): >= 35% (>= 17.5% each)
4. Final exam (comprehensive): >= 25%
5. Attendance (< 20 recorded): <   5% (< 0.25% each)
Notes:
  1. Course Grade: I do not use a predetermined precentage of total points for each grade, but I determine the percentage at the end of the course based on my assessment of how hard the different parts of the course were. Generally, however, I draw the C/D line somewhere around 65-70% of total points.

  2. Recitations: There will be at most 14 recitations, each described on a separate web page. Except for Recitation 0 (a "trial run"), all recitations will be counted for credit. As described in the page on submission of recitations (submission of recitations), recitations after the first due time are worth only 75% maximum, and recitations after the second due time are not counted. Recitations are not like homework in a math class, but more like laboratories in an engineering class -- you must complete a majority of them to pass the course, and a student with adequate exams and no recitations will likely fail the course.

  3. Quizzes: There will be at most 8 quizzes, each given during a recitation. The lowest grade will be discarded, so that only at most 7 will count. There will be no make-up quizzes, so you should be careful about missing a quiz.

  4. Exam Seating: I may use assigned seating for exams, either alphabetic or reverse alphabetic order, or some other assigned order. In general I don't give makeup exams, but just count the other course elements for greater credit.

  5. Final Exam: The final exam will be comprehensive, with greater emphasis on material after the second exam.

  6. Attendance: Attendance may be monitored by recording those taking a quiz and by those picking up a quiz that is handed back. This should involve at most 20 class periods that will count for attendance.

  7. Recitation Grade: The recitation instructor and I will consult with one another about grades. It is possible to get different grades for the lab and for the course, but this is rare. In no case will a grade >= C be assigned to one part, with a grade < C to the other part.

  8. Grade Distributions: I do not provide information to students about the performance of other students. In particular, I do not give exam averages or distributions, since such information is irrelevant -- you are not competing with other students for a limited number of good grades, and a single course is too small a unit in which to expect a normal distribution of grades.

  9. Exam and Quiz Grading: If you have questions about the grading of one of the two hour exams or one of the quizzes, you should write your concerns on the exam or quiz itself, indicating each problem and the reasons for concern. Then I will regrade the entire exam or quiz. You are expected to list all concerns at one time, so that only one iteration is needed.

  10. What your grade will be: I do not answer questions of the form: "What grade do I need on the final to make X grade in the course?" There are too many variables for me to speculate in this way, and I can only recommend that you try hard, consistent with keeping good grades in other courses (and staying sane).

Revision date: 2004-06-19. (Please use ISO 8601, the International Standard Date and Time Notation.)