CSE 141 (Winter 2007) - Course Syllabus

Course Topics

Computer System Performance
Single-Cycle Processors
Multi-Cycle Processors
Pipelining
Caches

Grading

Your grade will be based on the weighted average of your scores on written homework, quizzes, one midterm and one final.
The final grade will be weighted as follows:

Homework - 10%
Quizzes - 20%
Midterm - 30%
Final - 40%

I will grade on a 90%,80%,70%,60% scale. "Plusses" and "minuses" are given out only at my discretion.

You have exactly 7 days after the return of a graded work to protest that grade. After 1 week all grades are fixed.

The Book

The book useful and easy to read (though verbose). YOU SHOULD READ APPROPRIATE MATERIAL BEFORE ATTENDING CLASS. I do not promise to lecture on ALL material presented in the book. I will assume you read for basic comprehension and focus my lectures on helping to clarify the difficult material. All book material in the chapters we cover is fair game for homework and exams.

Quizzes

Quizzes will be given weekly on WEDNESDAYS (except week2 will be Friday) at the beginning of class and will take 10 minutes. Quizzes are designed to help you check whether you are grasping material presented in class. They will cover material already discussed in class or assigned on homework.

Homework

A very small number of written (usually non-coding) homework will be assigned, mostly from the questions following each chapter. Please (legibly) hand-write your answers. While you must solve the assigned problems ON YOUR OWN, I highly encourage you to work on and discuss non-assigned problems with others in the class. There will be, on average, one homework assigned per week. Doing just the assigned problems will probably not be sufficient to prepare you for the quizzes and tests. You should plan to do all the suggested problems as well to ensure that you are prepared.

Exams

The midterm will be held Monday Feb 12th in a room TBD. The final will be Monday March 19, 3pm-6pm in a room TBD. Exams will be inclusive of all course material--including material presented in class but not in the book. Exams will be closed book, closed notes.

Academic Integrity

You must work independently on your homework and exams.

However, you are HIGHLY encouraged to study in groups. Explaining problems to others is one of the best ways to learn. I know. I do it for a living.

Use of solutions manual and/or web or others' material:
A solutions manual, meant only for instructors, exists for this text. Obtaining or using this or other materials (such as other faculty's posted solutions to book problems) IS CHEATING. We know what the solution manuals' answers look like. We will be able to tell if you copy them or use them to guide your answer. Don't. Homework is only 10% of the grade and only exists to help you study for tests and quizzes.

Cheating WILL be taken seriously. It is not fair to honest students to take cheating lightly, nor is it fair to the cheater to let him/her go on thinking that is a reasonable alternative in life.

Penalties: Anyone copying information or having information copied during a test will receive an F for the class and will not be allowed to drop. They will be reported to their college dean. If you can prove non-cooperative copying took place, your grade may be restored, but you must prove it to the dean--I don't want to be involved. Anyone caught cheating or falsely representing the work of others on the homework will not be allowed to turn in further homework. Your grade will be based exclusively on the tests with a penalty of 25% OR GREATER applied.