Instructor: Chand John
Semester: Spring 2020
| Teaching assistant |  Jeffrey Wang |
| Email address | wang@cs.utexas.edu |
| Office hours | Wednesdays 1:30-2:30pm, Thursdays 5-7pm in GDC 3rd floor lab Get in line |
| Discussion section(s) | Mondays 4-5pm and 5pm-6:30pm, GDC 2.506 |
ALL QUIZ ANSWERS (INSTRUCTORS ONLY -- DO NOT SHARE!)
Office hours
Get in line for office hours!
Contacting me
The best way to contact me is via email. Please ensure the subject line contains "CS 312"; it helps me a ton with making sure I get back to you. I check my email very often and respond as soon as I can.
You can also reach me via a private note on our class Piazza.
However, I don't use Canvas' messaging platform. Please don't use Canvas messages to reach me.
If you cannot make my office hours and wish to meet with me, please email me to make an appointment.
(FERPA regulations prohibit instructors and TAs from discussing grades over email. If you need to discuss about your grade, please visit me in office hours, create a private note on Piazza, or email me to set up an appointment.)
Reporting absences
In case you are unable to attend a discussion section to take a quiz, please send a message to the instructor first and foremost. You can CC me in the email/private Piazza note. Once the instructor gives approval and further instructions, I'll be able to help you.
Tutorials
Check out these tutorials on core CS 312 concepts.
Resources
Here's some resources I personally suggest you check out:
- Getting started with the UTCS lab machines - set up your CS account and familiarize yourself with the lab machines we have
Regrade policy
If you have me as your discussion section TA, I will also be your grader. Since I will be grading your assignments and quizzes this semester, I'll be your first point of contact in case you'd like to discuss a grade of an assignment.
If you would like to dispute a grade, you need to do so within five days of the grade being released, in writing, with clarifications, on a Piazza private note. Unfortunately, I cannot take these written requests in the form of emails, since that doesn't comply with FERPA.
Once you submit a request, I'll consider it. I may ask you for clarification on your reasoning. Unfortunately, I cannot consider arguments about the rubric itself, since I don't define the rubrics. I'll respond to your written request in a timely manner with a decision on whether to increase, decrease, or not change your grade.
Please keep in mind that regrades may result in a lower grade than expected, so please don't ask for one "just because". When I was taking my introductory CS classes, I was subject to the following policy: "Feedback and concerns about the course are always welcome; legitimate grading errors that are identified in a timely fashion will certainly be corrected, but whining is counter-productive and will only irritate those who evaluate your work to determine grades." Perhaps this could have been phrased in a nicer way, but it gets our point across: don't be a grade grubber. (Borrowed from Mike Scott and Calvin Lin's CS 312/314/314H syllabi.)
If any of my grading policies conflict with the instructor's policies, the instructor's policies will always dominate.
Ancillary information
All UT policies and the instructor's policies apply in my discussion sections and office hours, as applicable. Below are further policies that also apply to my discussion sections and office hours.
Mental health
Your mental health is of utmost importance to me and the rest of the teaching staff. If you ever need anything or feel like this class is detrimental to your mental health, please let me know. I am here to help. We are here to help. We will make things better, I promise.
You can always call the Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL) if you yourself need 24/7/365 assistance or are concerned about someone else.
Student Emergency Services: (512) 471-5017
Services for Students with Disabilities: (512) 471-6259
Behavior Concerns Advice Line: (512) 232-5050
Diversity in Computer Science
80% of UT Computer Science undergraduates are male. The racial composition of our department does not reflect that of the United States general population either. This can lead to an environment that is unwelcoming and uninclusive. Therefore, we ask that every student be aware of our demographics and despite it, to nonetheless act in an inclusive, non-discriminatory manner. As teaching staff, we will not tolerate any discrimination on the basis of race, sex, gender, age, nationality, origin, language, sexual orientation/identity, or any other protected class. Should we or you encounter such behavior, please report it to us—we will be your ally. Any instances of discriminatory behavior will not be taken lightly and will result in serious consequences related to this class if confirmed true.
Examples of real microaggressions that have occurred between CS students which should NEVER happen, in our class or anywhere else (borrowed from Alison Norman and others):
- "Excuse me, are you in the wrong building?" —A male CS major to a female CS TA.
- "Why do you eat such weird food?" —Someone to another person eating Indian food.
- "Well, Microsoft hires a lot of women."
- "Girls are good at design."
- "Men are just not good communicators."
- "That's so gay."
- "He's so articulate!"
- "It's just a joke!"
Any such behavior like the ones in the examples will require me to (1) ask you to leave the classroom/my office hours and (2) report you to the instructor and the university.
You might be wondering why this even matters. Lack of diversity and inclusion is a pervasive, highly relevant problem in computer science. This class is an introduction to the field of computer science. It would only be fitting to also introduce you to the real life issues concerning the field of computer science. Please take this seriously.
Additional resources on diversity and inclusion at UT Austin can be found at utexas.edu/about/diversity.
Language inclusivity notice
At the University of Texas at Austin, we embrace diversity and inclusion. We have a policy that allows teaching staff and students to communicate in languages other than English, even in professional contexts. I'm happy to say that you can communicate with me in either English or Mandarin Chinese. (I grew up in the United States, so my Mandarin isn't the best, but in the past, I've been able to communicate in Mandarin quite well with students. Please bear with me if my Mandarin is a bit slow!) When communicating with me, you're free to use whichever language you're more comfortable with. The only two cases when we'll have to use English are (1) when we're talking about important terminology/vocabulary specific to the class content and (2) when I am communicating to multiple students at once, I need to use a language that everyone is able to understand.
Anonymous feedback
I welcome anonymous feedback at any time from students. You can leave it at https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~wang/cs312/feedback.
In loving memory of Haskell, 19??-2001.