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CS 492

Course Syllabus

Table of contents

  1. Course Overview
  2. Course Outcomes
  3. Lectures
  4. Communication
  5. Textbooks
  6. Grading
  7. Assignments
    1. Late work policy
  8. Exams
  9. Academic Integrity
  10. Disability Accommodations
  11. Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Information

Course Overview

This course introduces undergraduates in their first or second year to CS research going on in the department, and CS research in general. We will cover several topics including the CS research process, graduate school, careers in research, and so on. Most class sessions will be dedicated to introducing students to the research conducted by a particular faculty member’s research group.

Course Outcomes

  • Understand why you should pursue research and an honors thesis
  • Understand research areas within CS
  • Understand topics researched by faculty in the CS department at IIT
  • Have a high-level view of the research process
  • Gain a basic understanding of how to conduct a literature review
  • Gain a basic understanding of how to read a research paper
  • Be introduced to several research-related career paths
  • Get an idea of how the graduate school application process works
  • Get an idea of how research in graduate school works

Lectures

There will be a few (short) lectures in this course given by me, but most of our time will be spent listenting to guest lecturers, usually faculty in the CS department talking about their own current research efforts. It is critical that you attend class sessions. Note that we will be in person; there will be no Zoom lectures for this course.

Communication

We’ll be using Discord (and I’ll periodically send emails on Blackboard) for course communication. I will post the Discord invite link on Blackboard in the first week of classes.

Textbooks

There is no required textbook for this course, but see the recommended reading on the main page.

Grading

This is a pass/fail course. Your grade will be computed according to these criteria:

  • 25% Attendance
  • 25% Participation
  • 50% Assignments

Assignments

There will be two assignments for the course. Both will be 2-page papers. I will make announcements about their due dates when appropriate.

Late work policy

Each day an assignment is late, it will incur a 10% penalty. If an assignment is more than 5 days late, it will not be accepted, and you will receive a zero.

Exams

There will be no exams for this course.

Academic Integrity

You are allowed to discuss your work with others in the class, but ultimately what you submit must be solely yours. Cheating, plagiarism, copying from other students, or any other sort of academic dishonesty may result in you getting a zero on the assignment, may impact your grade negatively, and may result in refurral to the Dean.

Please see IIT’s code of Academic Honesty here.

Disability Accommodations

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with documented disabilities. In order to receive accommodations, students must obtain a letter of accommodation from the Center for Disability Resources. The Center for Disability Resources (CDR) is located in Life Sciences Room 218, telephone (312) 567-5744 or disabilities@iit.edu.

Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Information

Illinois Tech prohibits all sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, and gender discrimination by any member of our community. This includes harassment among students, staff, or faculty. Sexual harassment of a student by a faculty member or sexual harassment of an employee by a supervisor is particularly serious. Such conduct may easily create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

Illinois Tech encourages anyone experiencing sexual harassment or sexual misconduct to speak with the Office of Title IX Compliance for information on support options and the resolution process.

You can report sexual harassment electronically here, which may be completed anonymously. You may additionally report by contacting the Title IX Coordinator, Virginia Foster at foster@iit.edu or the Deputy Title IX Coordinator at eespeland@iit.edu.

For confidential support, you may reach Illinois Tech’s Confidential Advisor at (773) 907-1062. You can also contact a licensed practitioner in Illinois Tech’s Student Health and Wellness Center at student.health@iit.edu or (312)567-7550

For a comprehensive list of resources regarding counseling services, medical assistance, legal assistance and visa and immigration services, you can visit the Office of Title IX Compliance website.