Important Course Policies

Please read this page carefully: by taking part in this course you are expected to be familiar with the policies below.

Contact and email policy

See Contact for details.

Attendance and Excused Absences

Midterm exams, Discussion attendance and Homework can be excused only in accordance with the Student Code or for pre-approved accommodations. To maintain fairness, we will not deviate from this policy.

An EX enters your grade as the average of all non-EX grades of a type of assignment. Note that drops will be applied AFTER this average is calculated.

Submit documentation to request an excused absence at this link. This can include:

You are not required to (and please do not) disclose any personal medical information; only confirmation that you have sought medical attention is needed to excuse your absence. 

Academic Integrity

All activities in this course are subject to the Academic Integrity rules as described in Article 1, Part 4, Academic Integrity, of the Student Code.

Use of Generative AI

Generative AI tools can be a helpful aid for learning and for checking your own work, and I do not discourage using them as a "personal tutor" that helps you understand the lecture topics and the homework assignments. Keep in mind, however, that the largest part of your grade comes from the exams, where no such tools are available to you: using AI as a replacement for your own understanding is therefore against your best interest. Whatever you submit remains your own work and your own responsibility, including the correctness of any content that came from an AI tool. You should in particular be able to explain any assignments you hand in -- a few times during the semester, your TA will ask you to do exactly that. For general university guidance on these tools, see the Grainger College of Engineering's AI Guidance and Resources page.

Anti-Racism and Inclusivity Statement

The Grainger College of Engineering is committed to the creation of an anti-racist, inclusive community that welcomes diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability status, class, age, or religious beliefs. The College recognizes that we are learning together in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices and contributions have largely either been excluded from, or not recognized in, science and engineering, and that both overt racism and micro-aggressions threaten the well-being of our students and our university community.

The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART) (https://bart.illinois.edu/). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.