Introduction to Desktop Databases
IT 240

Marcus Schaefer

Latest additions

Week 9/10 presentations are up

hw8 is up

Final project requirements are up; second deliverable due 11/8

Homeworks and Examples

Assignments will be available through this webpage. Homeworks are due on the day of class. If you hand in the homework late 10% will be taken off the score for each day.

Questions and Answers

• To find out when and where to find lab tutors, check the  tutor page
• This class is available online, check out col.cdm.depaul.edu.
• I will collect links that might be of help to you on a links page.
• We will be working with Microsoft Access, which is available in the labs. For a free license, check out msdnaa@cdm.

Schedule

Classes and office hours

The class meets MW 10:50-1:20s in CDM 200.

My office hours are M 4:00-5:30 and MW 11:00-11:45. 

During that time you can find me in the CDM building, room 749.
If you want to set up an appointment at another time, or simply ask a question,

send email to mschaefer@cdm.depaul.edu.

Exams/Projects/Grading

Homework, quizzes: 40%, Midterm (10/18): 30%, Final project: 30%.

I will use the following grading scheme:

Throughout the quarter there will be extra credit problems; extra credit does not directly make up for points lost on homeworks or exams; instead it is added in with a weight at the end to adjust grades upwards.

The midterm will take place during class, date tba. No make-up exam.

Syllabus

The textbook for the class is

Concepts of Database Management, Sixth Edition by Phillip J. Pratt, Joseph J. Adamski, Thomson Course Technology, 2008. ISBN-13: 978-1-4239-0147-1, ISBN-10: 1-4239-0147-9.

For general information, see the class syllabus.

Academic Honesty

• The course adheres to the university guidelines on Academic Integrity:
  • Cheating is any action that violates university norms or instructor's guidelines for the preparation and submission of assignments. This includes but is not limited to unauthorized access to examination materials prior to the examination itself; use or possession of unauthorized materials during the examination or quiz; having someone take an examination in one's place; copying from another student; unauthorized assistance to another student; or acceptance of such assistance.
  • Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to the following: 
    • The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgment that it is someone else's. 
    • Copying of any source in whole or part with only minor changes in wording or syntax, even with acknowledgment. 
    • Submitting as one's own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency. 
    • The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgment.
• A charge of cheating and/or plagiarism is always a serious matter.  If proven, it can result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion.
• The use of others' web/publication content (text, graphics, codes) is regarded as plagiarism without giving credit (see the above description of plagiarism). 
• When you directly quote someone's work, you must put it in quotation marks. Without such quotations and reference, it is regarded as an act of plagiarism (see the above description of plagiarism).
• Using materials that the student prepared for other purposes (e.g., another course or for his/her work) needs the course instructor's prior permission.

Incomplete

An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.