Attendance Policy

Class attendance is a course requirement. Students are expected to attend every class session. When circumstances prevent a student from attending a class, the missing student must report the reason for not attending to the course instructor, preferably before the class session itself but in no circumstance later than the class period following the absence. This reporting must be either in person or by phone. Each failure to report on an absence in a timely manner will result in the student's final grade in the course being reduced by one level, e.g. B to B-.

Independent Study Policy

Independent studies are usually arranged at the initiative of the student, who contacts the professor prior to or during the advising period. After the student discusses the proposed project with the professor, the professor must then agree to supervise the project and the student and professor determine the number of credit hours (either 1, 2, 3, or 4) to be earned. Next, the chair of the department must approve the independent study arrangement. With the professor's and the chair's approval, the student may then register for CSCI 490.

The requirements for an independent study include but are not limited to:

• The student will draft a statement during the first two weeks of the semester that includes the objectives of the project and a schedule indicating when individual milestones will be reached.
• The student will be expected to spend a minimum of three hours per week on the project for each credit for which she is enrolled. For example, if enrolled for four credits, the student is expected to spend at least 12 hours per week on the project.
• The student will meet with the instructor as per a schedule that is determined at the beginning of the semester. These meetings are commonly held weekly.
• The student must make a presentation on her project during a departmental colloquium at the end of the semester.
• The student's grade will be determined by the degree to which the student met her initial objectives and on the colloquium presentation.

Internship Policy

A student who wishes to complete an internship must make arrangements with the department's internship director during or before the advising period. The student, with the instructor's permission, may register for CSCI 491 for 1, 2, 3, or 4 credits. In order to qualify for an internship, a student must have a 3.0 grade point average in computer science courses, have taken a sufficient number of courses to prepare for the internship, and have the approval of the department. The director of internships will work with the student to find a suitable placement. While we will attempt to fill all requests, a placement for an internship cannot be guaranteed.

The following are the requirements for an internship:

• The student must identify a person at the sponsoring organization who will serve as the student's mentor. The mentor must be a computer scientist who has more expertise in completing the project than the student.
• The mentor must write a letter to the director of internships prior to the beginning of the internship. This letter will describe in detail the duties and activities that the student will be expected to perform. The director of internships must then approve the project.
• The number of hours that the student must spend on the internship each week is at least three times the number of credits for which she is enrolled. For example, a three-credit internship requires the student to work at least nine hours per week.
• At the conclusion of the internship, the student must submit a paper to the director of internships that describes the work done during the semester and describes how that experience benefitted the student. This paper must be submitted to the director of internships by no later than the last day of exams.
• Also at the conclusion of the internship, the mentor must submit a letter to the director of internship that describes and evaluates the activities of the intern during the semester. This letter must also be submitted by no later than the last day of exams. The intern is responsible for prompting the mentor to submit this letter on a timely basis.
• The grade for the internship will be based on the mentor's evaluation and the student's paper.

Prerequisite Policy

Whenever one computer science course is a prerequisite for another computer science course, a student must complete the prerequisite with a grade of C- or higher to qualify for enrollment in the next course.

Credit for AP courses

Advanced Placement Exam Credit Policy

EXAM	Score	Credit Awarded/Recommendation
Computer Science - AB Exam	3-5	Students receive credit for CSCI 225.
Computer Science - A Exam	4-5	Students receive credit for CSCI 225.