CSE 585: Graduate Seminar

Professor: Clinton Jeffery Lecture Meets: MWF 2:30-3:20 in Speare 19. The class is also run as an EO video (recorded) class.
Office: Cramer 230 Office Hours: TR 1:30-2:30, and by appointment.
Phone: 208-310-6773 Web: http://www.cs.nmt.edu/~jeffery/courses/585/
E-mail:jeffery@cs.nmt.edu  
Text: Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb, Williams, Bizup, and Fitzgerald. U. of Chicago Press, 4th ed., 2016
plus many assigned papers.

Course Description and Goals

This course is an introduction to the methodology and skills required for academic research with emphasis on computer science. Students will learn the skills involved in discussing technical ideas; articulating research problems; critiquing, writing, and defending research proposals; reading, reviewing, and presenting research articles with appropriate visual aids; and exploring ethical issues associated with research. Students are expected to attend all presentations by outside speakers in the CS Speaker Series during the semester.

Attendance and Grading

Attendance is required. There will be a lot of discussions in many class sessions. I may or may not take attendance each session. The grading will be proportioned as follows: 50% for homeworks/quizzes, 30% for papers, 20% for presentations. Expect course content to be added on-line as we go. Check the course web page for updates at least once a week.

Exams, Homeworks, and Quizzes

We will have exams and homeworks. Read the assigned text chapters. Exams test your mastery of concepts; homeworks allow you to demonstrate that you can put ideas into practice. Academic Honesty: New Mexico Tech's Academic Honesty Policy for undergraduate and graduate students is found in the student handbook, which can be found at: https://www.nmt.edu/studenthandbook/. You are responsible for knowing, understanding, and following this policy. While consulting many internet sites while preparing coursework is expected, all material that is not your own writing must be cited.

Reasonable Accommodations: New Mexico Tech is committed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals who require reasonable accommodations are invited to make their needs known to the Office for Disability Services (ODS) as soon as possible. They will describe the process by which you can request such accommodations for this course. To schedule an appointment, please call 835-6209, or email disability@nmt.edu.

Counseling Services: New Mexico Tech offers individual and couples counseling, safety assessments, crisis intervention and consultations through The Counseling Center. These confidential services are provided free of charge by licensed professionals. For more information, please call 835-6619, email counseling@nmt.edu or complete an Intake Form on our website at https://www.nmt.edu/cds/. All services are provided via phone or Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Respect Statement: New Mexico Tech supports freedom of expression within the parameters of a respectful learning environment. As stated in the New Mexico Tech Guide to Conduct and Citizenship: "New Mexico Tech's primary purpose is education, which includes teaching, research, discussion, learning, and service. An atmosphere of free and open inquiry is essential to the pursuit of education. Tech seeks to protect academic freedom and build on individual responsibility to create and maintain an academic atmosphere that is a purposeful, just, open, disciplined, and caring community."

Covid Statements

COVID-19 Safety Issues for Face-to-Face Instruction: As of the beginning of Fall semester, NMT classes are under the following constraints, which may change as COVID conditions and/or New Mexico Governor's orders change. Please check for daily updates of COVID constraints, posted on www.nmt.edu/covid19/.
  1. All vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals are required to wear a face mask indoors anywhere on campus. It is anticipated based on prior Governor's orders that, when conditions improve individuals who have not been fully vaccinated will still be required to wear a face mask and to social distance indoors. Vaccinated individuals, in contrast, would not be required to wear a mask indoors but are welcome to still wear a mask if they choose to, so please do not assume that individuals wearing masks are unvaccinated.
  2. Instructors and TAs will not ask for proof of vaccination. This, too, may change in response to changing conditions.
  3. Please note provisions on masks, vaccines or other possible requirements are subject to change as the situation evolves, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, the State of New Mexico, and university officials (i.e., the President and the Board of Regents).
  4. Students should not to come to class if they are feeling ill and to follow any quarantine guidelines that they are given in the event of exposure to COVID-19. If you do miss class, please contact the instructor for missed assignments, contact the Student Health Center, and consider getting tested for COVID-19.
For the most up-to-date guidelines, please consult NMT's COVID- 19 information page: https://www.nmt.edu/covid19/.

For everyone's safety, during lecture or lab individuals who are in violation of NMT's COVID-19 constraints as stated above or updated subsequently will be asked to leave the class. Remaining in class in non-compliance after such a request will be handled as a violation of the NMT student handbook section 10.7 and result in a call to campus police and referral to the appropriate dean for non-academic disciplinary action.

Title IX Reporting: Sexual misconduct, sexual violence and other forms of sexual misconduct and gender-based discrimination are contrary to the University’s mission and core values, violate university policies, and may also violate state and federal law (Title IX). Faculty members are considered "Responsible Employees" and are required to report incidents of these prohibited behaviors. Any such reports should be directed to Tech's Title IX Coordinator (Dr. Peter Phaiah, 216 Brown Hall, 575-835-5880 (O), 575-322-0001 (C), titleixcoordinator@nmt.edu ). Please visit Tech's Title IX Website (www.nmt.edu/titleix) for additional information and resources.