Section Syllabus
Subsection General Information
- Instructor
- Geoffrey Cox PhD (LTC)
- Office
- MA 425
- Office Hours
- MWF: 1330-1500
By Appointment
- Course Description
- This course is a continuation of MA110 (Introduction to MATLAB). It introduces more advanced programming techniques and structures in MATLAB, emphasizing logical reasoning, debugging, and algorithm development through hands-on problem solving.
- Meetings
- MH 212
MWF 1100 - 1150 - Prerequisite
- MA 110 with a grade of C or better.
- Department Head
- COL Troy Siemers
Subsection Course Materials
The following resources will be used in this course:
MATLAB.
The MATLAB syntax and functions are thoroughly documented within the MATLAB interface and at the MathWorks website. You must download and install MATLAB. Your VMI affiliation grants you a free copy through a MathWorks account registered with your VMI email address.
- MATLAB Docs
- MATLAB Help Center
- MATLAB Download
- MathWorks
- Online MATLAB IDE
- MATLAB Online
Class Notes, Handouts & Demonstrations.
Notes, handouts, and supplementary materials will be provided in class or posted on Canvas. These resources are designed to prepare you for current programming assignments. Since we will program in almost every class, you must bring a working and fully charged laptop.
Canvas.
Canvas will serve as the central hub for course communication and materials. Announcements, assignments, and supplemental resources will be posted here. It is your responsibility to check Canvas regularly and read announcements in a timely manner.
- URL
- Canvas
Subsection Coursework and Grading
Your grade in this course is based on programming assignments, coding comprehension quizzes, and a final assignment. Each component is designed to assess different aspects of programming skill: correctness, clarity, debugging ability, and independent problem solving.
Programming Assignments.
Coursework will consist primarily of programming assignments. These must be completed individually: you may discuss logic and pseudocode with classmates, but you may not share or copy code. Assignments will be graded using multiple test cases, some provided and some hidden. Debugging is an important part of the process: one resubmission is permitted per assignment for partial credit.
Coding Comprehension Quizzes.
Quizzes serve as checkpoints during the semester to assess your individual coding ability. They may include handwritten or computer-based components and will focus on coding practices related to recent assignments, course concepts, or algorithms.
Final Exam.
There is no final exam in this course.
Final Assignment/Project.
At the end of the semester, there will be a larger, more involved project-style assignment worth significantly more than previous assignments. This serves as your culminating demonstration of programming skill.
Final Grade.
Your final grade will be determined by the following weighting and grading scale:
| Coursework Item | Weight |
| Programming Assignments | 50% |
| Coding Quizzes | 20% |
| Final Assignment | 30% |
| Grade | Minimum Final Score |
| A | 90%+ |
| B | 80%+ |
| C | 70%+ |
| D | 60%+ |
| F | Below 60% |
Subsection Class Policies
The following policies clarify expectations for submitted work, collaboration, AI usage, and classroom behavior. Read them carefully and ask questions early if anything is unclear.
Subsubsection Coursework Policies
Programming Assignments.
Programming assignments form the core of the course. They must be completed individually. While you may discuss logic and strategies with classmates, you may not share or copy code. The following policies apply:
Late Work.
Late work will be accepted with a 10% deduction per day, up to 5 days late. Work submitted more than 5 days late will not be accepted.
Resubmissions.
Each assignment may be resubmitted once for partial credit (up to 80%). Resubmissions are due three days after graded work is returned. Additional rules:
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Submit to the separate resubmission assignment page (not the original).
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Programs not submitted on time originally are not eligible.
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Incomplete or low-effort submissions are not eligible.
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Only resubmit programs you have modified and want regraded.
Getting Help.
Programming is difficult and seeking help is part of learning. Acceptable sources of help are listed below. If it is not listed here, it is forbidden.
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Instructor: I am your primary resource. I know your problems, can guide you toward understanding, and ensure the code is your own. Nothing raises a red flag faster than a student who never asks questions in-class when we are working on coding assignments.
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VMI instructors: They may guide your thinking but not provide code. Take notes or photos of whiteboard brainstorming, not code.
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Official documentation or online tutorials: Use these for syntax and examples of MATLAB structures (e.g., loops, if-statements, etc.).
Collaboration.
Working together can be valuable, but it often leads to weaker programmers copying stronger ones. To prevent this:
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Cadets MAY NOT share or show code, take photos, transfer files, or write code for another student.
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Cadets MAY discuss strategies and hand-write notes on paper or whiteboards.
Coding Comprehension Quizzes.
Quizzes must be completed on your own:
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Closed book and closed notes.
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Laptop required.
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Question types may include:
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Handwritten code or pseudocode.
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Typed MATLAB commands or programs.
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Conceptual questions (e.g., multiple choice, short answer).
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Code analysis, debugging, or error identification.
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Subsubsection AI Usage Policy
All forms of AI tools are strictly forbidden in this course. Period. The less you rely on AI now, the stronger your independent programming skills will be — which in turn will make you more capable of using AI responsibly in the future.
If you would like to discuss this policy with me, I am happy to chat.
Subsubsection Other Policies
Classroom Behavior.
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Unless otherwise directed for a specific in-class activity, keep phones and laptops put away during class so we can focus on coding and discussion. You will be given one warning. After that, you have two options:
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Leave, use your phone all you want and be marked absent, or
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Place your device on my desk and pick it up at the end of class.
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You may take a break once per class, but you are expected to return within 10 minutes or you will be marked absent.
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Unless approved by me, don’t work on other coursework during our classtime. You will be given one warning. After that, you have two options:
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Continue to work on other coursework and be marked absent, or
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Put the coursework on my desk and pick it up at the end of class.
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Don’t request extra credit at the end of the semester.
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Don’t start an assignments right before the deadline and ask for an extension because you couldn’t finish it in time.
Grade Disputes.
If you believe a grade is inaccurate, please let me know and if it is an error, I will correct it immediately. If you feel you were unfairly assessed, I am happy to look into it and one of two things will happen:
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I agree that the grade may be unfair and I will update your grade, or
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I stand by the grade and will offer further clarification of my decision.
Final Grades.
Once final grades are posted on Canvas, they are final. The only exception is for clerical errors or grading error on the final exam. I will disregard ALL other requests for grade changes.
Section Getting Help (Other than me)
Mathematics Education and Resource Center (MERC).
The use of the MERC and its Open Math Lab (OML) is approved for all courses the Department offers unless otherwise specified by your professor or instructor. The OML has free tutoring for MA 101, 102, 103, 114, 123, 124, 215, 220, and 311 and is open:
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Morning 1-on-1 (by appointment): Monday through Friday 0830-1200
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Afternoon: Monday through Thursday 1200-1600
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Evening: Sunday through Thursday 1800-2300
Contact Mrs. Kristi Brown (brownkm@vmi.edu) for questions or to schedule morning appointments.
Other Help.
As long as you abide by the VMI and class policies, you can also get help from
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Other Instructors
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Fellow Cadets
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Non-AI Online Resources (e.g., videos, tutorials, etc.)
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Physical Resources (e.g., books, other class notes, etc.)
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Non-AI third-party tutoring services
Ensure that you clearly and properly document such resources on any and all work that you submit for grade.
Section Work For Grade
Work For Grade (VMI).
“Work for grade” is defined as any work presented to an instructor for a formal grade or undertaken in satisfaction of a requirement for successful completion of a course or degree requirement. All work submitted for a grade is considered the student’s work. “Student’s own work” means that he or she has composed the work from his or her general accumulation of knowledge and skill except as clearly and fully documented and that it has been composed especially for the current assignment. No work previously submitted in any course at VMI or elsewhere will be resubmitted or reformatted for submission in a current course without the specific approval of the instructor.
In all work for grade, failure to distinguish between the student’s own work and ideas and the work and ideas of others is known as plagiarism. Proper documentation clearly and fully identifies the sources of all borrowed ideas, quotations, or other assistance. The student is referred to the VMI-authorized handbook for rules concerning quotations, paraphrases, and documentation.
In all written work for grade, the student must include the words “HELP RECEIVED” conspicuously on the document. He or she must then do one of two things: (1) state “none”, meaning that no help was received except as documented in work; or (2) explain in detail the nature of the help received. In oral work for grade, the student must make the same declaration before beginning the presentation. Admission of help received may result in a lower grade but will not result in prosecution for an honor violation.
Students are prohibited from discussing the contents of a quiz/exam until it is returned to them or final course grades are posted. This enjoinder does not imply that any inadvertent expression or behavior that might indicate one’s feeling about the test should be considered a breach of honor. The real issue is whether students received information not available to everyone else in the class, which would give them an unfair advantage. If a student inadvertently gives or receives information, the incident must be reported to the professor and the Honor Court.
Each student bears the responsibility for familiarizing himself or herself thoroughly with the policies stated in this section, with any supplementary statement regarding work for grade expressed by the academic department in which he or she is taking a course, and with any special conditions provided in writing by the professor for a given assignment. The student should consult the course’s instructor if there is any doubt or uncertainty about the correct policy interpretation. However, there should be no confusion on the basic principle that it is never acceptable to submit someone else’s work, written or otherwise, formally graded or not, as one’s own.
The violation by a student of any of these policies will, if he or she is found guilty by the Honor Court, result in his or her being dismissed from VMI. Neither ignorance nor professed confusion about the correct interpretation of these policies is an excuse.
Work for Grade (Applied Math).
The Department of Applied Mathematics faculty fully supports the Institute Work for Grade Policy as passed by the Academic Board and approved by the Superintendent. Because of this, faculty in our department will promptly contact any cadet who has submitted work for grade without the expression “HELP RECEIVED” followed by the word “none” or an explanation of the nature of the help received and the cadet’s signature. The faculty member will inform the cadet that the work will not be graded until the cadet adds the required “HELP RECEIVED” statement.
It is our department’s policy that any major assignment designated as individual work, submitted for grade, precludes the aid of tutors or peer collaboration. This includes in-class tests, quizzes, computer code, or other large projects. Instructors may state otherwise in the course syllabus, although this is rare. For assignments designated as group work, these assignments must have help-received statements that reflect how each group member contributed to the work and are signed by all group members.
For smaller graded assignments, such as regular homework, the instructor will set the policy in the course syllabus regarding tutors and peer collaboration. Tutors and peer collaboration are always authorized for assigned work that is not graded, such as ungraded homework or drill exercises.
Section Attendance
Subsection Missing Class
If you miss class for any reason, it is YOUR responsibility to learn what was covered and obtain the notes from a classmate (the blank structured notes will be available on Canvas). Additionally, if you know you will be absent when an assignment is due (for guard, athletics, planned religious holiday, etc.), it is still YOUR responsibility to turn it in on time, which would typically mean either giving it to a classmate to turn in for you or turning it in BEFORE you are absent. Unexpected absences due to illness will be handled on an individual basis.
Subsection Attendance Policy
The following is the attendance policy at VMI. Academic excellence is best achieved through consistent class attendance. The maximum allowed percentage of class absences is 30%. No categories of absences (academic, athletic, guard, etc.) will be exempt from that percentage. When a cadet reaches 20% absences, the instructor issues a written warning, and the cadet must sign a receipt that he/she is aware of the absences incurred. Upon reaching 30% absences, the cadet is referred to the Dean for appropriate action. Typically, a cadet who exceeds the 30% absences will be required to withdraw from the course with a W or a WF. An absence is considered missing more than 20 minutes of class, sleeping in class, or being overly distracted/distracting during class. I reserve the right to mark you absent if I feel any of these conditions have been met.
If you are forced to miss a class, you must make up for what you missed in class.
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If the absence is planned (e.g., travel with an athletic team), let me know before the absence and, if possible, make up work before you leave.
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You should check in with classmates to get any notes/announcements you may have missed in class.
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Do not wait for me to approach you about absences. Be proactive and get caught up as soon as possible.
Section Accessibility Statement
VMI abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 which mandates that reasonable accommodations are provided for all students with documented disabilities. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers that may be due to a disability, including but not limited to chronic medical conditions, learning disability, mental health, or other impairment, please contact Disability Services in the Miller Academic Center. The Disability Services office is located at 202 Carroll Hall in the Miller Academic Center. Please call, write, or stop by the office of LTC Allyson Pierce, Director of the Miller Academic Center, for more information (540-464-7661 or piercesa@vmi.edu). If you have a DS accommodation letter, please contact LTC Pierce and me (your instructor) early in the semester so that we can provide or facilitate provision of the accommodations you may need.
