Programming for Information Professionals

How to Succeed in This Course

Put in the work

Programming is something you do, not just something you know. To learn it, you need to spend time on your own, watching videos or reading tutorials and following along in your own editor. You should plan on spending around four hours per week doing this, outside of class time.

Attend class meetings

In our weekly meeting we will work together on the assignments. My expectation is that you should be able to finish the majority of each assignment in class. That is only possible if you attend class. Remember that missing a class in a course that meets once a week is missing a whole week of class. It’s far better to arrive late or leave early than to miss an entire class. That said, do not come to class sick.

Communicate about problems

If an unexpected problem arises for you during the course of the semester (serious illness, etc.), please let me know so that we can discuss an appropriate plan.

If you have a documented disability or medical condition, make sure to contact Accessibility Resources and Service.

If you are experiencing mental health issues, contact Counseling and Psychological Services.

If you are experiencing discrimination, harassment, violence or exploitation of any kind, see the resources listed here or https://safe.unc.edu/.

Evaluation & Grading

Course grades will be determined as follows:

15% Participation

85% Seven assignments

For graduate students, points will be converted to letter grades as follows: 100-95: H, 94-80: P, 79-70: L, < 70: F

For undergraduate students, points will be converted to letter grades as follows: 100-95: A, 94-91: A-, 90-88: B+, 87-85: B, 84-81: B-, 80-78: C+, 77-75: C, 74-71: C-, 70-68: D+, 67-60: D, < 60: F

See the UNC Catalog for definitions of these letter grades.

Participation

Participation in this course will be evaluated on the basis of:

• regular attendance at class meetings
• activity (asking and answering questions, contributing tips, making suggestions, etc.) in our Zulip chatroom

Communicating with me

Zulip chat is the best way to communicate with me outside of class.

If you have a question about course content (Python, VS Code, GitHub, etc.) or administration (deadlines, schedule changes, assignment clarifications, etc.), post your question to the appropriate Zulip stream, so that others can benefit from the answer (or can answer it themselves).

If you need to discuss a personal matter, send a direct message in Zulip, or email me.

If you want face-to-face assistance with understanding a concept or completing an assignment, make an appointment for my office hours.

If you have questions about how an assignment was evaluated, then you must make an office hours appointment. I will not discuss your grades or my evaluation of your work via email or direct message.

Honor Code

You are expected to know and respect UNC Honor Code. Collaboration, discussion, and seeking assistance from other students is encouraged in this class and is not inconsistent with the Honor Code. In the case of written work, all words drawn from others must be attributed appropriately.