Grading Policy

Grades for this course will be based on a 100 point system as described below:

12 Weekly Assignments -worth 3 points each for a maximum of 36 points

Midterm Project -worth a maximum of 14 points

Final Semester Project -worth a maximum of 24 points

Bonus Points for Creativity -worth a maximum of 10 points

Final Project Report & Presentation -worth a maximum of 16 points

Letter Grade Assignments

Other Grading Issues

Factors that May Affect Your Grade
The punctuality with which you complete assignments is a considerable factor in your grade for this course and assignments are expected to be completed on time and submitted by the due date as indicated on the weekly class web pages. Penalties for late assignments will be assessed and students should be advised that the instructor will not continually prompt you to catch up if you fall behind.

Feedback from the Instructor
During the semester, the instructor will offer feedback on submitted assignments. Some of the feedback will be in person, via e-mail, or in some cases, as part of the in-class discussion. Some of this feedback will be through general observations about the material submitted by everyone. Other feedback will be more individualized, and will principally be in response to each students or student team's work on their project component. In addition, students are invited to request additional feedback when questions or difficulties with your project arise or if you have any questions or concerns about the course.

Problems that May Occur in the Course

• Students do not follow the assignment instructions. Please read the assignment instructions carefully. If you have any questions about what is required, please contact the instructor for clarification.
   
• Students find it difficult to catch up if they fall behind. Keep in mind that the semester may seem long, but in reality the time goes by very quickly. This course is based on real work for real clients with real deadlines. It will require a great deal of work on your part as do many graduate level courses.
   
• Work that is submitted at the last minute usually negatively impacts the quality of the work and, thus negatively affects the grade.
   
• Unanticipated events occur that may limit the amount of time a student can spend working on assignments. If this occurs, students should communicate with the instructor as soon as possible to determine a workable solution.
   

Incomplete Grades
IMPORTANT NOTE: Incomplete grades are only supposed to be given under extenuating circumstances. It is expected that all work negotiated with the client and approved by the instructor, will be completed by the end of the semester.

Occasionally, students enter a course thinking that they can take an "incomplete" if they decide they will not be able to complete the course requirements on time. Keep in mind the University of Houston guidelines regarding a grade of incomplete, state: “The grade of ‘I’ is a conditional, temporary grade given when the student is passing a course but, for reasons beyond his or her control, has not completed a relatively small part of his or her requirements.” A more complete description of these guidelines can be found at the back of each semester's class schedule booklet. Please remember that after one year, a grade of "I" in a course automatically becomes an "F" if the unfinished work has not been completed. If you have any questions, please contact the instructor for more information.

Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
All students in this course must abide by the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy, which is described in the University of Houston Student Handbook at: http://www.uh.edu/dos/hdbk/acad/achonpol.html

This policy defines academic dishonesty as "Employing a method or technique or engaging in conduct in an academic endeavor that the student knows or should know is not permitted by the university or a course instructor to fulfill academic requirements."  Students are expected to do complete and submit own original work. Plagiarism is a serious offense and students in this course, as in all IT courses, face serious consequences if they submit work that is not their own. If you are uncertain about what does or does not constitute as plagiarism, please discuss your concerns with the instructor.

The University of Houston currently has an institutional license for Turnitin.com, a plagiarism detection software program that may be used by the instructor in this course. Turnitin.com assists faculty in detecting work that has been plagiarized from Internet sources or from other student's enrolled in the same course. More information about Turnitin, is available online at: http://www.turnitin.org/static/tour/tour_master.html 

Violations of the University of Houston Academic Honesty Policy may result in failure of an individual assignment and/or referral to the department chair for consideration of additional action, which may include failure of the course and suspension from the university.