Grading Scheme

Graduate students taking this course have a project. Undergraduate students are not required to do a project, but may choose to do so after consulting me.

ECE 453/CS 447

• Assignments: 35%
  • Assignment 1: 10%
  • Fuzz Battle: 5%
  • Assignment 2: 10%
  • Assignment 3: 10%
• Quizzes: 20%
  • Quiz 1: 10%
  • Quiz 2: 10%
• Final Exam: 45%

CS 647

• Assignments: 35%
  • Assignment 1: 10%
  • Fuzz Battle: 5%
  • Assignment 2: 10%
  • Assignment 3: 10%
• Quizzes: 20%
  • Quiz 1: 10%
  • Quiz 2: 10%
• Final Exam: 25%
• Project: 20%

Comments and caveats

All assignments, quizzes, and tests that are submitted online will be returned online. Submissions will be by pushing to gitlab.

I anticipate that the final exam will be in-person, and that quizzes will be in-class in-person, though there are no guarantees. If we go to online instruction again, then quizzes will be take home, open book, closed internet. Each online test will be time limited and must be completed within 3 days. That is, you can pick the best time to take the test, but once you start, you have to finish within the given time limit.

You must pass at least the two written tests and pass the assignments to pass the course. The undergraduate final grade is computed using the following formula; for the graduate final grade, the project is 20% and the final is 25%.

def grade(A, Q1, Q2, F):
    """Final grade calculation.

    A, Q1, Q2, F are grades for assignments, Quiz 1, Quiz 2,
    and the Final, respectively. Normalized to 100%.
    """
    tests_above_fifty = len(list(filter(lambda x: x >= 50, [Q1, Q2, F])))

    normal = 0.35*A + 0.1*Q1 + 0.1*Q2 + 0.45*F
    if tests_above_fifty >= 2 and A > 50:
        return normal
    else:
        return 47

Because there is still a pandemic going on, I reserve the right (at my sole discretion) to be more generous with grades than stated above. I may be lenient with those who declare their single allowed short-term absence at the same date as a quiz; we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. Contact me.

ECE 453/CS 447 students may opt into the CS 647 grading scheme upon consultation with the instructor.

COVID-19 Contingency Policy

At this stage, we can hope that Winter 2023 will proceed in person without COVID-related disruptions. In the case of a disruption to in-person classes, I will record lectures and post them on YouTube. In the case of a disruption to in-person final exams, the final exam will be take-home as well.

All other course work is already being conducted in a way that is compatible with online interaction and no change will be necessary.

If you get COVID, you can self-declare an absence (undergrads: [https://uwaterloo.ca/quest/help/students/how-do-i/self-declare-absence-undergraduate-students]; grads: [https://uwaterloo.ca/quest/help/students/how-do-i/self-declare-absence-graduate-students]) and we’ll shuffle things around to make things work.

If I get COVID, I will cancel lectures until I get better, and (after I get better), I will record lectures covering the relevant period. (I think we all hope I don’t get COVID.)

As much as we’d like it to be, the pandemic is still not over, and I urge you to think about the risks that you choose to take. You are probably not going to die of COVID, but you are definitely better off not getting it (or getting it again); every time you get it you run the risk of getting possible long-term aftereffects. An estimate by Dr. Katelyn Jetelina is that you have about a 1-in-180 chance of being unable to work following COVID. That is basically almost one person per Waterloo Engineering undergraduate class. Regardless of the eventual mask policy for the term, I strongly recommend the use of masks in class.

Course Policies

By registering for this class, students agree to the following class policies:

Independent work. All work turned in will be that of the individual student unless stated otherwise. Violations would result in zero credit to all students concerned. Policy 71 will be followed for any discovered cases of plagiarism.

Lateness. You have 2 days of lateness to use on assignment submissions throughout the term. Each day you hand in an assignment late consumes one of the days of lateness. If you consume all of your late days, assignments that are still late will get 0 marks. You can only hand in an assignment up to the time all assignments are returned. Missed assignments get 0 marks. For example, you may hand in A1 two days late and A2 on time, or you can hand in A1 one day late and A2 one day late.

Missed Quizzes. If you miss a quiz, you will receive 0 marks for the quiz. If you have a legitimate reason (at the discretion of the instructor) that you cannot take quiz, and obtain permission from the instructor a week in advance, the percentage for the quiz may be shifted to the final. No alternative quiz time will be provided.