This is NOT really a harsh policy. If you attend the labs, follow the instructions given there, put some time into the writeups required for most labs, and engage your mind during the laboratory periods you should have no trouble passing the lab portion of the course. In fact, most students generally do better in the lab part of the course than in the classroom part. (HOWEVER: Read the Attendance Policies carefully!)
The laboratory period will be 80 minutes long twice a cycle. Generally, you are expected to attend during your time but if an emergency comes up we can usually arrange for you to do the lab at some other time. Please arrange such changes ahead of time with your instructor so that you are not counted absent!
The instructor and one or two student teaching assistants will be in the lab during your lab period to help you when you get stuck. Don't be afraid to ask them anything about the lab, but, also, don't get frustrated if the answers they give are not direct instructions but hints. The answers to problems you figure out yourself are always most useful.
The Computer Science Laboratories on the second floor in P. Engel Hall at SJU and machines in the libraries on both campuses run Linux (our default operating system) and are open in the evenings so that you can go in and work on your projects. The student workers you find in the P. Engel hall laboratories are CSCI TAs who are there to help you if you have problems. Don't worry about disturbing them if they seem busy on a project of their own - they are being paid to help you. However, they, like the TAs during the lab sessions, have been instructed not to do your work for you. You should only expect hints and guidance. They will not do your lab for you.
To find when the two laboratories are open, click on the CSB/SJU CSCI TA Home Page.
In all work in this class, you must follow proper procedures to
avoid
being accused of plagiarism. Plagiarism includes not only copying the
ideas
and the written and spoken words of others, but also copying and
appropriating
their computer files as well. We encourage you to talk to other
students
in the lab, but the final work you turn in must be your own. YOU HAVE
BEEN
WARNED: If several of you turn in identical or nearly identical lab
reports
or even portions of a lab assignment, I will be forced to report this
to
the Academic Dean. Generally, punishment for this can be very
severe with minimum penalty a failing grade on the assignment in
question
and much more severe penalties for repeat offenses.
This does not mean that you will be working alone. In fact, many of
our labs will use the modern methodology called pair programming where
two people work together on a lab. In these cases, the work will be
turned in as joint work - i.e., one set of program files since the work
itself will be joint.
Recall the penalties for late labs. 20% for 1 day late, 60% for two
days late, and a grade of 0 for more than two days late.