Contents

Grading policies

How your performance will be assessed

A+

Expect a rigorous course, where you will work and learn a considerable amount.

Grades are based on accurate, high-quality results, not on effort. Please do not argue for a better grade for an assignment because you poured a lot of effort into it.

Also, please understand that many errors are caused by 'small' flaws in the code: a missing space, a misplaced comma, or a misspelling. Please do not argue for a better grade because the flaw that caused the error is 'small'.

Your final grade will be computed as the weighted average of ten miniprojects, two tests, and overall participation:

  • MiniProject #1: SmallBank A 5%
  • MiniProject #2: ERD at Notflix 5%
  • MiniProject #3: SmallBank B 5%
  • In-class SQL test 15%
  • MiniProject #4: ERD for B2B 5%
  • MiniProject #5: Team ERD 5%
  • MiniProject #6: Pressly Ad 5%
  • MiniProject #7: REI_Not 5%
  • MiniProject #8: Acme Global 5%
  • MiniProject #9: Nolex 10%
  • In-class SQL test 15%
  • MiniProject #10: SQL 10%
  • Participation 10%
  • WINIT (optional, count as participation)

Detailed descriptions of these assignments will be posted on the class schedule as the class progresses.
UVA does not have an official scale to translate average points into lettergrades. Based on last year's outcomes, these are the thresholds for this class:

   100~96 = A
     96~93 = A-
     93~90 = B+
     90~87 = B
     87~80 = B-

If needed, I may lower these thresholds and therefore raise your grades. Scores lower than 80 will be decided on a case by case basis.

Late on submitting an assignment?

Check the attendance and lateness policies.

Can I use AI Tools?

I see substantive productivity benefits in the utilization of AI tools in business, and I expect that in your next job you will have access to these tools.  Thus, in this course you are encouraged to use GenAI such as ChatGPT and Copilot unless explicitly forbidden (for example in the in-class tests).  However, be warned that these tools sometimes produce incorrect or excessively complicated answers. This means that they are not valid reference sources. In other words,"The AI made me do it", or "That is what the AI said" are NOT valid excuses for incorrect answers or assignments. You are fully responsible for what you hand in.