CIS 351 Computer Organization and Assembly Language
Winter 2026

Contact Information:
Instructor: Zachary Kurmas Office: MAK C-2-316
Phone: (616)-331-8688 Office Hours: MW 1:00 - 1:30 (in-person)
Home page: https://KurmasGVSU.github.io MW 4:00 - 5:00 (online for CIS 351)
Other times by appointment

E-mail is the best way to contact me. During the week, expect a reply within 24 hours. Also, feel free to visit my office any time the door is open, even if it isn't officially office hours.

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.
Complete list of detailed learning objectives.
Instruction Format
This is a hybrid course. This semester:
  • Most lecture content will be presented asynchronously online.
  • I plan to be online most Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5 to answer questions and go through solutions to in-class exercises, homework, etc.
  • Exams will be in-person on the days listed below under Important Dates.
  • There is not an option to take exams remotely..
Text:
  • Digital Design and Computer Architecture (2nd edition) by David Money Harris and Sarah L. Harris. ISBN: 9780123944245
Prerequisites
MTH 225, CIS 241, and CIS major/minor standing. In addition, students are expected to be comfortable programming in Java and using git.
Important Dates:
  • Exam 1: Monday 9 February, 4:00 p.m.
  • Exam 2: Monday 2 March, 4:00 p.m.
  • Exam 3: Monday 6 April, 4:00 p.m.
  • Drop Day: Friday, 27 March
  • Final Exam: Monday, 27 April, 4:00 p.m. (This differs from the standard, in-person exam schedule!)
Course Policies:
  • 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 may 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 exams, or quizzes except in cases of extreme emergencies. Business trips are not emergencies.
  • The deadline to drop with a "W" is Friday, 27 March. 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 http://www.gvsu.edu/coursepolicies/ as well as standard university COVID policies.
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.
Grading:
Your grade in this course will be specifications-based rather than points-based. Quiz and Exam questions will be scored using points. Other assignments will be scored using the EMPN rubric discussed below. The requirements for grades of A-, B, C, D, and F is given in the table below. Notice also the special criteria for an A.
Category D C B A-
Quizzes Quiz Average ≥ 60% Quiz Average ≥ 70% Quiz Average ≥ 80% Quiz Average ≥ 90%
Exams Quiz Average ≥ 60% Quiz Average ≥ 70% Quiz Average ≥ 80% Quiz Average ≥ 90%
Projects Passed all tests: 3/4 Passed all tests: 4/4 Passed all tests: 4/4 Passed all tests: 4/4
Presentation ≥ M: 1/4 Presentation ≥ M: 2/4 Presentation ≥ M: 3/4 Presentation ≥ M: 4/4
Presentation ≥ P 4/4 Presentation ≥ P 4/4 Presentation ≥ P 4/4
Homework Complete / thoughtful: 5/8 Complete / thoughtful: 6/8 Complete / thoughtful: 6/8 Complete / thoughtful: 6/8
Timeliness Late days: ≤ 50 Late days: ≤ 22 Late days: ≤ 15 Late days: ≤ 7

Earning an 'A': Notice that the criteria above are for an A- not an A. To earn a "straight" A, you must meet the criteria for an A- and get an 85% or better on the final exam.

+/- modifiers: There will be a comprehensive final exam. If you score 85% or higher on this exam, you will earn a "+" on your base grade. If you score 65% or lower, you will earn a "-". The final exam has no other effect on your course grade. I may add a plus or minus to a course grade for other reasons at my discretion. For example, I reserve the right to add a "-" to your grade for excessive absences. Note: GVSU does not award grades of A+ or D-.

Quizzes: There will be an online quiz most weeks over the learning objectives we have covered. Each learning objective will appear on two quizzes. Your grade will be the higher of the two attempts. Unless stated otherwise, quizzes are closed-book, closed-note and will be taken using on Blackboard and/or PrairieLearn using the Respondus Lockdown Broswer. Several quiz topics will require you do draw or annotate a diagram and upload the resulting picture. You will need an appropriate tool for doing so (e.g., a phone with the CamScanner app.)

Exams: There will be three exams and a final exam. Exams will be in person on the dates listed above. There is not a remote option for exams. Exams will cover the same learning objectives as quizzes. A successful attempt an exam question will replace a lower grade on a corresponding quiz question.

EMPN: Most submissions (other than test/quiz questions and homework) will be scored using the EMPN metric. (See the diagram below.) A mark of "E" or "M" indicates that the submission is complete and clearly demonstrates that the student understands the relevant concepts. A mark of "P" indicates that the student is making progress, but the assignment require additional work/revision. A mark of "X" not sufficiently complete to assess.

Projects: There are three main aspects to project submissions: (1) They must pass the instructor-written automated tests. (2) They must contain any reqired analysis (e.g., number of gates / running time). (3) The circuits and other source matrial must be neatly orginzed and commented. Projects are not evaluated until they pass the automated tests. Once a student's project passes the automated tests, the instructior will score the presentation and analysis using the EMPX rubric. Late days will accumulate until the project passes the automated tests and earns a mark of "E" or "M".

Homework: Homework is practice. As such, it is expected to represent a "best effort" (i.e., be complete and thoughtful). I plan to work through homework problems during online office hours within a day or two of the due date. Therefore, in order to receive credit, students must submit complete and thoughtful solutions by the time solutions are provided.

Updated Tuesday, 27 January 2026, 10:05 AM

W3c Validation