Lab Policies, CISC105, Fall 2004

1. Lab attendance is mandatory.
   
   Attendance will be recorded. Be sure to sign the attendance sheet and return it to the TA before leaving your lab session.
   
   Lab attendance is reported on WebCT as, for example, LA0901 (lab attendance for 09/01/04.) Grades are marked as P, A, E, or U for "Present", "Absent", "Excused", or "Unknown". You must at least make an appearance to be counted present.
   
   If you choose to come late, or not stay for the entire lab, that's your decision: you are an adult, but you must at least stop by. Attending a lab other than the one to which you are assigned will not meet your lab attendance obligation, unless you have advance permission of the TA by email (this will be granted only in unusual circumstances, at the TAs discretion, and Prof. Conrad must be cc'd on the email.)
   
   Each missed lab counts as an unexcused absence towards the attendance policy for the course. Three unexcused absences will result in automatic failure of the course.
   
2. Due dates: Labs will generally be due (unless otherwise noted, and pay careful attention to any exceptions!) on paper in class one week after the lab is assigned, or by WebCT electronic submission, at 11:55PM, one week from the day they are listed on the course calendar. For example, Lab01 is listed on the course calendar for 09/08. Therefore, it will be due in lab on paper, or by electronic submission at 11:55PM on 09/15. Late penalties acrue from that due date (9/15) for students who do not submit their work on time.
   
   (Note: Lab00 is an exception because some students may add the class late; it will be accepted without penalty through 11:55PM 9/15; zero credit after that. Any labs near the end of the semester might also be an exception, since ALL work , late or otherwise, must be turned in on or before Dec 8, 2004, so that the TAs can complete their grading for the semester. There will be no extensions of any kind beyond that date except in extreme cases where there is a note from the Dean's office (e.g. death in family, illness requiring hospitalization, etc.)
   
3. Late penalties accue from the applicable due date, at the rate of 2 raised to the power of the number of days late. The clock ticks at 11:55PM each night. (This is adapted from a policy suggested by Dr. Bob Caviness.)

Example: Student attends lab01 on 9/8. Lab is due by 11:55PM, 9/15. If the lab is turned in late, here are the penalties that apply:

Note that even if you do not get any credit for the lab, you still need to complete it (if you hope to learn the material well enough to earn a decent grade on the exam.) Exam questions will often be based on lab material.