Course Objectives:  

Students will gain an appreciation for data as an organizational resource. Students will learn to plan, model, implement, and administer a relational database for online transaction processing.  Students will explore the challenges of gathering, processing, protecting, and providing data in servers that support multiple systems. Additional topics include systems architecture, server-side programming constructs, performance tuning, data protection, transactions, concurrency issues, and data warehousing.

Course Procedures:

You are required to have a current UNCW computer account and you should frequently check your email on that account. Also, check this document (this web page) regularly.

 I will also be using a system called  Entropy  to keep your grades. You need to register with this system.

Exam dates are on the Class Schedule. If you must miss an exam, contact the professor immediately. In an emergency, contact the professor as soon as possible. If the professor is unavailable, leave a message to document your attempt. Make-ups are at the professor's convenience and discretion. The form of the make-up may be oral, written, or a combination.

In addition to assignments, there are suggested exercises that you are expected to complete. These will not be graded, but will be essential to learning the material.

Any student caught cheating will be subject to the disciplinary provisions in the Student Handbook and Code of Student Life. Plagiarism is considered cheating. I encourage you to help your peers and seek help from them. However, you must not exchange files. Please READ this ethics statement.

Grading Policy:

Graded items are shown on the Class Schedule, and the actual assignments will be posted as links off of the Class Schedule.  Homework must be handed in at the beginning of the class period, and you must personally hand in your homework (you must attend to get credit.) Due dates will be posted on the Class Schedule. Quizzes may or may not be announced.  The number of quizzes and presentations is not set, but the percentage of your grade will not change.

Grading Scale:

The grading scale for the class is shown in the table below. Note that the +/- system of grading is not used. Your grade will not be rounded up or down. In other words, 79.99% is a C. Perform on the graded items to achieve the grade you desire.

Attendance Policy:

Attendance will be taken daily. It will not directly affect your grade, but there is a strong correlation between attendance and performance in the course.

Participation:

Students are expected to participate to the level needed to perform well in the course. This includes class attendance, discussion and questions in class, interaction with other students, and seeking assistance when necessary to perform in the course.

Late Projects:

Projects must be uploaded before class begins. Projects up to 24 hours late will have a 30% penalty. Projects more than 24 hours late will receive a grade of zero.