Class Policies

The syllabus is the source of truth for class policies. You can find the syllabus for your course in D2L in Content -> Syllabus. For your convenience, my class policies are listed below.

Grading

90 – 100% = A
80 – 89% = B
70 – 79% = C
60 – 69% = D
Below 60% = F

There are no plus or minus grades.

This course is graded entirely by the numbers.  When we come to the end of the semester, if your percentage is close to the next grade threshold you may want to do some extra credit work to meet a grade threshold. You may turn in up to 25 points of extra credit work. 

If you score 97% or above I will create a Certificate of Excellence for you. The certificate is from me (not the college), and something that you can mention on your resume.

Class Participation Required (for SPC)

In accordance with school policy, students are required to “participate” in the course. Instructors are required to monitor participation and enter withdraw grades (FN or FW) if a student is not attending and/or participating.

Here is a quote from 03.06.01.0 – Class Attendance and Participation policy:

Students are expected to attend all classes and are responsible for all instruction and coursework. In an online or hybrid class, this includes log-in and engagement as outlined in the syllabus. In case of absence, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the faculty. Whenever possible, arrangements to make up work should be made in advance.

For in-person classes, participation requires attending class and turning in homework.

For online classes, participation requires turning in homework every week. More specifically, there is a quiz and lab assignment each week for this course. If you don’t turn in one or the other every week, I am required to submit an FN or FW grade.

If a student doesn’t participate in the first week of class, I will turn in an FN (Failure for Non-Attendance) grade.  If after initial participation a student does not participate in an course for a week, I will submit a Failed to Withdraw (FW) grade.

Because of the school’s Class Attendance and Participation policy, it is very important to turn in homework every week and to make arrangements if you are not able to turn in homework on time.

Late Quiz and Assignment Policy

Quizzes must be completed by the due dates shown in D2L. No extensions will be given; however, there will be opportunities for extra credit to make up for missed quizzes.

Lab assignments may be submitted up to one week late for up to 60% credit. Students who submit a genuine attempt by the due date are eligible to revise and resubmit for full credit based on instructor feedback. All submissions and resubmissions must be received before the assignment folder closes 7 days after the due date.

If there is a situation outside of your control and you need to submit a lab assignment late, include an explanation in the D2L assignment folder so I can consider an exception. Students with ongoing medical or disability-related needs are encouraged to contact the college’s disability services office for formal accommodations.

The final project must be submitted by the due date.

Academic Integrity Policies for this Course

If I find code in your assignment that was not covered in class materials and is not properly attributed, you will not receive credit for that assignment and the matter will be referred to the Director of Student Conduct.

Working Together on Class Labs Assignments

I encourage you to work with others to complete the lab assignments. When you are working together on an assignment, you may show another student how you solved a specific coding problem or help another student find a coding bug. 

However, each student must complete their own lab assignments. 

  • Do not provide a copy of your lab assignment to another student for any reason. If a student approaches you because they lost their lab work, direct them to me. I can provide them with their latest submission.
  • Do not share your code in such a way that another student can copy your code.

Open Book Quizzes

The quizzes are a tool for learning the course material. In writing the quiz questions I have chosen the most important concepts for you to comprehend before you begin the corresponding lab assignment.

All quizzes are open book with no time limit. The quiz questions are based on material in the textbook and slideshows, and the textbook and slideshows are the “source of truth” for the quiz answers.

  • You may use search tools to find answers to the quiz questions, like searching the text book or slideshows.
  • You may search the Internet for answers to individual quiz questions, although the class material is the source of truth for the answer to each quiz question.
  • You may not work with another person or use any resource that provides answers to the quiz questions. 

AI Usage Policy

Code Assignments – AI NOT Permitted. You must write all code yourself using the class materials and lab instructions. The use of AI tools to generate code is not allowed – this includes ChatGPT, other AI assistants, and AI-powered search engine results. Retyping AI-generated code is also a violation of this policy. The goal of these assignments is for you to develop coding skills through practice, not to produce a finished product by other means.

Writing – AI Encouraged. You may use AI tools to help write, edit, and polish text on your portfolio website – for example, a personal summary or résumé. AI can be a great tool for improving clarity, fixing typos, and refining your writing. However, all content must accurately reflect your own real experience and background. Do not use AI to fabricate or exaggerate anything about yourself. Since your portfolio will be published on the web, accuracy and authenticity matter.

Images – AI Permitted. You may use AI tools to generate images for your projects, such as a custom logo or design elements that fit your website’s aesthetic.

Using Code You Find on the Internet

Referencing and borrowing small code snippets from the internet is a normal part of professional development. In this course, however, it must be limited to a specific feature – not used as a substitute for completing the assignment yourself. Pre-made website templates are not permitted under any circumstances.

When you include code from an outside source, you must:

  • Credit the original developer in the footer of your website
  • Explain the feature in the D2L assignment submission notes

Bootstrap Classes Starting in Module 11, we will use Bootstrap. Any time you use a Bootstrap class beyond the ones covered in class (container-fluid, row, col-sm-xx, img-fluid), add a code comment explaining what the class does and why you chose it.

Deadlines at 10PM

Homework deadlines are set for 10pm rather than at midnight in D2L. I set class homework deadlines at 10pm  because I do not want you to stay up late to complete homework assignments for this class.

Copyright of Images

Because websites are published on the Internet, it is important to have permission to publish any images you use in the Lab Assignments. The images I am providing will all have that permission. Images you find on Google do not have that permission. 

You can publish images that you take yourself as well as images that are free to use and royalty-free (like from Pixabay.com).

I can’t stress enough how important this is. There are copyright trolls scanning the Internet to see if their image has been used without permission.