CIS 351 Computer Organization and Assembly Language
Fall 2018

Contact Information:
Instructor: Zachary Kurmas Office: MAK C-2-316
Phone: 331-8688 Office Hours: MWF 9:30-11
Home page: http://www.cis.gvsu.edu/~kurmasz
Course Objectives:
At the completion of the course, students will be able to
  • construct simple combinatorial and sequential circuits,
  • trace the execution of an instruction in a simple CPU,
  • compare and contrast a pipelined CPU design with a single-cycle CPU design,
  • explain the benefits of the memory hierarchy,
  • explain how a particular cache configuration determines whether a memory access is a hit or a miss,
  • write code in assembly language using standard programming constructs.
Text:
  • Digital Design and Computer Architecture (2nd edition) by David Money Harris and Sarah L. Harris. ISBN: 9780123944245
Pre-Requsites
MTH 225, CIS 241, and CIS major/minor standing
Grading:
Points for this class are shown in the table below. Note also the additional conditions that follow.
Point distribution Grading scale
        Category         %
        Midterm Exams 32%
        Final Exam 18%
        Projects 15%
        Homework and Quizzes 15%
        Labs 20%
      
        Total 100%
             
       
Letter grade     Minimum Percentage
            A     94%
            A-     90%
            B+ 87%
            B 84%
            B- 80%
            C+ 77%
            C 74%
            C- 70%
            D+ 67%
            D 64%
Additional Conditions:
  • You must have a passing average on the tests to pass the class.
  • Your final grade may be at most one letter grade higher than your test average.
  • I reserve the right to make minor adjustments to the point distribution. In particular, I may make minor adjustments to the weights of each test if we cover more or less material than expected.
Important Dates:
  • Drop Day: Friday, 26 October
  • Final Exam: Monday, 10 December, 8:00 a.m.
Course Policies:
  • Assignments are due at the beginning of class on the due date, unless specified otherwise.
  • The penalty for submitting assignments late varies by assignment. It could be as little as one or two points, or as much as no credit for the assignment. However, assignments more than 14 days late will receive a 0 even if "I just forgot to turn it in."
  • Unless specified otherwise, all assignments are to be completed individually.
  • I do not re-schedule labs, exams, or quizzes except in cases of extreme emergencies. Business trips are not emergencies.
  • The deadline to drop with a "W" is Friday, 26 October. Remember, I cannot and will not drop this class for you.
  • Attendance is required. I understand that absences are occasionally necessary; however, I reserve the right to lower grades for excessive absences.
  • This course is subject to the GVSU policies listed at www.gvsu.edu/coursepolicies/.
Special Assistance:
If there is any student in this class who has special needs because of learning, physical or other disability, please contact me and Disability Support Services (DSS) at 616.331.2490. Furthermore, if you have a disability and think you will need assistance evacuating this classroom and/or building in an emergency situation, please make me aware so I can develop a plan to assist you.
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