Assignments

Assignments are always due at 11:59PM on the listed date. That is, if an assignment is due on September 20, once we get to September 21, you're late.

Why midnight? Because we want you to attend class and to be reasonably alert when you do so. Past experience indicates that making assignments due at the start of class leads to a largely somnambulist audience that day. Those classes are fun for neither the student nor the professor.

Turning in Assignments

For assignments, you should use the electronic handin program. From the directory containing the files for the assignment you wish to hand in, execute

/course/cs173/bin/cs173handin asgn-name
where asgn-name is specified in the table on the assignments page.

Written Assignment Guidelines

Late Assignments

We will not accept late assignments. Assignments are often timed to be due for a classroom discussion on the assigned material because you can better follow a difficult topic if your struggles are fresh in your head. The class will sometimes even discuss solutions to the homework problems. Once we do this, we can no longer accept your solution.

If you really need or want to turn in an assignment late, you must get the professor’s permission to do this at least 27 hours before the assignment deadline. (Why 27? Because the professor is unlikely to read email past 9pm.) When we do accept a late submission, we will use this formula to compute your net grade:

(define (net-grade gross-grade number-of-penalty-units)
  (* gross-grade (expt 0.9 number-of-penalty-units)))
	

A penalty unit is a 24 hour period or part thereof after the due time. Even a minute after the due time incurs a penalty unit. So if you have permission to handin late, relax; sleep; attend class; and submit something polished later in the day.