Undergraduate Curriculum Committee

Meeting Minutes
Monday 20 November 2006

1. New undergrad course on Reactive Systems Programming
   See http://www.cs.fsu./edu/~lacher/courses/CIS59301/ for syllabus of dual-listed graduate version.

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   Approved unanimously. Ted Baker will sign form and pass it on to the Science Area Curriculum Committee.

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2. Removal of CDA 3101 (Computer Organization II) as co-requisite for COP 4610 (Operating Systems)
   options:
   • CDA 3100 (Computer Organization I) as pre-requisite
   • consent of instructor

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   Approved adding consent of instructor, unanimously. Ted Baker will edit copy for new UG Bulletin to reflect change.

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3. Change from COP 4530 to CDA 3100 as prerequisite for CIS 4361 (Applied Computer Security) and CIS 4362 (Network Security and Cryptography)

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   Approved unanimously. Ted Baker will edit copy for new UG Bulletin to reflect change.

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4. Textbook change for CDA 4503 (Introduction to Computer Networks) Sudhir proposes changing to Communication Networks: Fundamental Concepts and Key Architectures, Leon-Garcia and Widjaja, McGraw-Hill. This text goes into more depth than the previous one, which is Computer Networking, by Kurose and Ross.

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   After some debate over the general principle of whether instructors should have freedom to choose their own textbooks, and whether there should be only one textbook for a course or a list of approved texts, there seemed to be consensus on the following points, though no formal votes on them were taken:

   • Controlling the textbook (along with other aspects) of courses that are prerequisites to other courses is a critical interest of the department and the instructors of following courses. Therefore, a single textbook choice would seem to be the rule.
   • The deparment's interest in textbook choice for courses that are not prerequisites to other courses is less critical, and so it makes more sense to have a list of approved texts.

   The vote on the specific case in hand was unanimous for approving both of the two books above, as alternatives from which the instructor(s) for this course could choose the one to require in any given term.

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5. CIS 4362 (Cryptography and Network security). Mike and Sudhir propose changing to Cryptography and Network Security, by Stallings (Prentice-Hall). The new book goes into more depth on cryptography than the old text, which is Network Security Essentials, also by Stallings. Since the new book is by the same author than the old, and subsumes the content, this would be a replacement rather than an addition to a list.

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   The new book is approved as the (one and only) textbook for this course, unanimously.

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6. COP 3014 and CGS 3406. Ann Ford proposes the following, regarding a new supplemental text which she co-authored:

   I am writing to request that the UCC approve my use of the following
   book in COP 3014 and CGS 3406 for spring term 2007.  This would be in
   addition to the regular "main" textbooks (the large, mainstream C++
   texts) used in earlier terms and which will remain the same as before.
   
   Title: C++ Debugging Guide
   Authors: Ann Ford, Toby Teorey, Gary Tyson
   Publisher: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002
   ISBN: 0-536-98765-3
   114 pages (short, this is a supplementary textbook focusing only on
   debugging)
   Approximate cost to students $10
   
   TOC:
   Chapter 1: Introduction (overview of debugging approaches etc.)
   Chapter 2: Common Syntax and Semantic Errors
   Chapter 3: Tracing Techniques for Debugging
   Chapter 4: Tracing for More Advanced C++ Constructs
   Chapter 5: Using an Interactive Debugger
   Appendix A: Common Bugs in First Programs
   Appendix B: Checklist for Error Detection and Prevention
   
   WHY: I wrote the first edition of this book originally with my colleague
   Toby Teorey at UM because we saw a critical gap in education in the
   introductory programming classes.  This gap is that CS1 students
   typically do not learn how to debug, and mainstream textbooks do NOT
   cover debugging in any real sense.
   
   I required this book successfully for about 5 years in UM courses and
   once this past summer term at FSU.  I, Toby and Gary have revised the
   original for its latest edition.  Faculty at UM are still requiring it
   for their intro programming classes.
   
   To me this book is absolutely critical in my introductory programming
   courses and makes an enormous impact on what students learn in terms of
   critical debugging/programming skills.  If students do not view
   debugging as an actual required course topic, then every time they have
   a problem, they just "go see the TA for the answer."  Requiring this
   book forces them to realize debugging is important and teaches them how
   to do it effectively.  This impacts not just on my courses, but on how
   they program in every course they take in the future.
   
   I ask that you please approve of this book for spring term for both
   courses, and hopefully quickly, as Eleanor needs the book orders asap.
   It is very little cost to the students and makes a huge difference to my
   classes and to all the subsequent classes they take.
   

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   The committee voted unanimously to adopt this as a required supplemental text for COP 3014.

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7. COP 3014. Chris Lacher proposed replacing the current text for COP 3014 and COP 3330:

   I need to get approval for alternate text for COP3014 (and later
   also for COP3330). GHere's the executive summary:
    1. The current book is terrible. We need to make a change.
    2. The possibilities under review for PC are:
   
   Dietel C++ How to Program 5th edition #0-13-185757-6
   This is a good reference text, with lots of suprisingly correct
   info on C++ and good advice on SE best practices. It could serve
   for both COP3014 and COP3330. It is not very readable, though.
   
   Programming and Problem Solving with C++, Fourth Edition Nell
   Dale, University of Texas, Austin, Chip Weems, University of
   Massachusetts, Amherst ISBN 13: 9780763707989
   This is a great book - not too wordy, but CORRECT. It starts off
   teaching good habits instead of bad (like Gaddis).
   
   3. We can go either way, but there's a section of 3014 spring07 and
   we need to change texts for that.

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   There was a rather lengthy debate, in which the following two opposing principles seemed to be at the core:

   • The CS faculty are professionals, and should be trusted to choose their own textbooks. When more than one faculty member teaches a given course and they disagree as to the best choice of book, the deparment should approve more than one.
   • The department has an interest in continuity and uniformity of course content, especially in courses that are prerequisite to other courses. The paramount case is the interface between COP 3014 and COP 3330, the to halves of the introductory programming sequence. In the past, the use of introductory C/C++ programming texts in both courses resulted in dilution of the second course, by repeating content from the first. The entire faculty recently voted to make it clear that these two courses are a single course with two one-semester parts, by requiring that both courses use the same text, with a clear cut dividing line where one course ends and the other starts.

   Some members of the committee were uncomfortable about making a change in the text for COP 3014 without input from the instructors of COP 3330. However, the committee was pressured by the instructors of COP 3014 to make a decision so that textbook orders for Spring 2007 could be sent in on time, and work could begin on developing distance learning materials for COP 3014 on the PC campus. Therefore, the following compromise was adopted, unanimously.

   • The Dale and Weems text would be the one and only approved primary text for COP 3014 for Spring 2007.
   • The text for COP 3330 would remain unchanged for Spring 2007, but would be updated effective Summer 2007.
   • Bob Meyers (coordinator for COP 3330) and the COP 3330 committee would meet jointly withe the COP 3014 committee to define the interface between the two courses and choose the new text(s) for COP3330.

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8. Overview of information for ABET accreditation self-study. Ted Baker forwarned that the committee would need to take up several matters related to the accreditation self-study, but further ddscussion was postponed until a future meeting.

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9. Deletion of courses that have not been offered (ever, or recently):
   • CEN 4516 (Distributed Systems and Networks)
   • CEN 4012 (Mentored Software Project)

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   The committee voted unanimously to delete CEN 4516, which as never been offered. CEN 4012 has been offered, and will be retained if a faculty member is willing to prepare the accreditation summary. David Gaitros has tentatively agreed to provide the necessary information about prior offering to Ted.

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10. New criminology degree. David Whalley described a new degree program in Computer Criminology on which he has been working with faculty members from Criminology.

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    After review and discussion, the committee voted unanimously to recommend adoption of Dave's proposal to the CS faculty.

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11. Plans for evolution of SE major. Chris Lacher reviewed the recent evolution of plans for this major that were approved in principle by the CS faculty at the Fall CS workshop. See SE-2.xls for details.

Minutes by Ted Baker