Instructor:      Jeffrey Horn,  email:     jhorn@nmu.edu
                            office:  1119 New Science Building
                            phone:  227-1607
Office Hours:   WF 4-5pm, Th 12-2pm,, are open office hours, no appt. necessary
                              M 9-10am, Tu 8am-2pm,  are by appointment only (email me!  and wait for my response)

Classroom:   LRC 107
Meeting Times:  3:00-3:50pm Thursdays
Prerequisites:
Our web page:   http://cs.nmu.edu/~jeffhorn/Classes/CS126/Fall2001

 (I will use the web page EXTENSIVELY, posting everything I can up there as soon as possible.  This includes all electronic forms of handouts, assignments, solutions, sample tests, etc.  Also I will post announcements, links to interesting, topic-related sites, etc.  So please check our page regularly!  At the very least, twice a week.  We will also have a WebCT page for posting grades, etc.  I will also use your NMU email address for some urgent notices, etc.)

"What is Computer Science?  Is it really a science?  Is it more like mathematics than engineering, or the other way around?  Is it just programming? "  These are some of the questions this course is meant to help answer, or at least to ask!  This 1 credit hour class is meant to welcome students to the discpline of CS, by bringing in a diversity of speakers, both local and external, both industry and academic, to present various various aspects of the field.  Students should develop a broad and deep understanding of the title, capabilities, career options, and future potential of the Computer Scientist.

Artificial Life

Computer Animation

Limits of Computation

etc.

This course is graded S/U (satisfactory or unsatisfactory; i.e., "pass/fail").

Students will receive an "S" grade if they accumulate at least ten (10) assignment grades of S.   Assignments will come in a variety of formats, and there will be more than ten.  Possible assignments include:

• attending a topic presentation and turning in a satisfactory write-up (< 1 page) withing a week,
• presenting a 20 minute talk on a topic approved by the instructor,
• presenting a 40 minute group presentation on a topic approved by the instructor,
• a three page write up on a topic approved by the instructor,
• leading a discussion on a topic "   "  "  "..

Note that write-ups of presentations are due one week after the presentation (by email please).  These might be turned back to the student with a grade of "U" and a chance to re-write and re-submit, but the original hand-in must be within one week of the presentation itself!