The grading scheme for the course is as follows:
| Component | Weight | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Syllabus quiz | 1% | Canvas |
| Assignments | 30% | Gradescope |
| Midterm | 19% | Canvas |
| Final | 50% | Canvas |
A score of at least 50% in the Final Exam is required to pass the course.
Assignments will contribute equally towards the overall Assignments grade. This may change only in case the last assignment ends up particularly short or long due to timing, in which case the weight will be changed accordingly. Furthermore, I will drop your lowest homework grade.
- All grading concerns and challenges must be reported on Piazza by posting it to the instructors.
- You must select the
grading_concernsfolder when you post your message. If you do not do it, we might not see your message. - Clearly state your name, student number, the assessment, and your concern.
If you perceive a problem with your homework or exam grade, you have one week to raise a concern from the time that your grades were posted. After that, your grade is final.
Grades are not perfect; some randomness in grading is normal, meaning that you'll generally get more than you deserve in some cases and less than you deserve in other cases. Thus, it is possible to exploit the system by consistently complaining when your grade is too low but not when it is too high. Unfortunately, this takes time away from the course staff which could have been spent on making the course better for everyone. Thus, in my view, students who overzealously contest grades are penalizing their classmates for personal gain.
Sometimes serious grading errors are made, for example when a grader did not see your answer to a question or completely deviated from standard grading practices for some unknown reason. Such situations can be quite frustrating for students, and we want you to feel that the course is fair. In these cases, it makes sense for the student to bring the error to our attention.
I encourage you to consider this information when deciding whether or not to contest a grade. Small grade differences (+/- 1 point) are to be considered normal and will not be considered for regrading. Students who repeatedly submit unreasonable regrade requests (e.g. to correct extremely minor points differences or to repeatedly contest the same issue once a decision has been reached) may lose the privilege to challenge grades for the remainder of the course. This policy applies to both assignments and exams.