• Communication
• Office Hours
• Course Organization
  • Discussion Leaders
  • Reading Responses
  • Research Project
• Midterm
• Grading
  • Letter Grade Scale
• Deadlines, Late Submissions, and Absences
• Course Policies
  • Academic Integrity
  • Course Artificial Intelligence Policy
  • Services for Students with Disabilities
  • Sharing of Course Materials
  • Syllabus Changes

Communication

We will use Ed for course announcements, general questions, assignment clarifications, student discussions, and other course-related communication.

Office Hours

The instructor and TA will hold regular office hours to help with course material, paper discussions, course projects, and related concerns. Current times and locations are listed on the course homepage.

To make office hours productive and fair for everyone:

• Come prepared: Review the relevant material and make a genuine effort before attending. For project questions, bring a specific question, relevant context, and a description of what you have already tried. The course staff will guide you toward solutions but will not write project code or reports for you.
• Respect the queue: Keep each turn focused so everyone has an opportunity to receive help. You are welcome to rejoin the queue if you need additional time.

Course Organization

Much of our class time will be devoted to reading and discussing research papers. The reading list is posted on the schedule page. Readings marked [R] are required, while readings marked [O] are optional. Discussion assignments will be made during the first week of the semester; each student may be assigned one paper discussion to lead.

Discussion Leaders

If you are leading the discussion of a paper, you have two responsibilities:

1. Prepare a standalone Ed post. Explain the paper’s background, the problem it addresses, its key contributions and novel ideas, and how it relates to prior work. Critically evaluate its strengths and weaknesses as if you were reviewing it for a conference, and include a list of questions for class discussion. Plan to spend approximately 5–8 hours reading the paper and preparing the post. A draft is due on Ed by the start of class two days before your assigned discussion. If a paper has multiple discussion leaders, work together and submit a single post.
2. Lead the in-class discussion. This is a discussion rather than a formal presentation, so slides are optional. Be prepared to provide context, explain the paper’s central ideas and tradeoffs, respond to questions, and keep the conversation moving.

Discussion leaders do not need to submit a separate reading response for their assigned paper and will receive reading-response credit for it. Papers assigned to guest lectures will not have student discussion leaders, so no discussion-leader Ed post is required for those papers.

Reading Responses

For each class with required readings, the instructor will create a post on Ed. If you are not leading that day’s discussion, reply to the instructor’s post with one or two paragraphs describing what you liked and did not like about the paper, followed by a list of questions for the in-class discussion. When multiple papers are required, choose one paper for your response.

Responses are due by 8:00 PM on the evening before class (Monday for a Tuesday class and Wednesday for a Thursday class). Required readings for guest lectures still require a reading response unless the instructor announces otherwise.

Research Project

The course project may be completed individually or in a group of up to three students. A list of potential project ideas will be posted here.

Each project will include a proposal, progress discussions with the course staff, a final report, and an in-class presentation. Project milestones and deadlines are listed on the schedule and will be announced on Ed.

Midterm

The midterm will cover the topics discussed during the first half of the semester. Questions will assess your understanding of the course concepts and the research papers we have studied. For each paper, you should understand:

• The problem the paper aims to solve
• Why that problem is important or challenging
• The paper’s key ideas and approach
• How those ideas address the stated problem

Grading

Your final grade will be based on the following components:

• Paper reading responses (20%)
• In-class paper discussion leadership (20%)
• Midterm (10%)
• Course project, final presentation, and report (40%)
• In-class participation (10%)

Grades will be posted on Canvas.

Important notes:

• There will be no extra-credit opportunities offered at the end of the semester.
• Grades will not be curved or adjusted based on individual circumstances.

Letter Grade Scale

Deadlines, Late Submissions, and Absences

Plan ahead for reading responses and project milestones. If you anticipate a conflict, contact the instructor at least one week in advance so that appropriate arrangements can be considered.

For emergencies such as medical or family situations, contact the instructor as soon as possible. Requests submitted only after a deadline or missed class may not be accepted unless the circumstances prevented earlier notice.

Regular attendance is expected and contributes to your learning and participation grade. If you must miss class, notify the instructor in advance when possible.

Course Policies

Academic Integrity

All submitted course materials, including reading responses, project code, reports, and presentation materials, must represent your own work. When using external sources, cite them properly and clearly indicate which parts are your own. If you are unsure whether something violates this policy, consult the instructor before submitting it.

Violations of academic integrity will be handled according to the University of Texas policies and procedures.

Course Artificial Intelligence Policy

In accordance with the University’s Institutional Rules on Student Services and Activities, Chapter 11, students accept the responsibility to always uphold academic integrity and an honor code reflective of a scholarly community devoted to academic and personal success. All members of the University community are fully accountable and responsible for any output they produce as part of academic work. Students must also follow the Texas Statement on Academic Integrity and avoid prohibited uses described in the University’s Acceptable Use of Generative AI Tools guidance.

In this course, generative AI use is partially permitted, subject to the following conditions:

• Paper reading responses and discussions: You may not use generative AI to read, summarize, analyze, or interpret a paper, or to generate its key ideas, critiques, or discussion points; this intellectual work must be your own. You may use generative AI to check grammar and style, provided that it does not create or substantially rewrite the content.
• Course project: You may use generative AI to assist with technical implementation, such as coding and debugging, but you remain responsible for understanding, reviewing, testing, and validating everything you submit. For project proposals, reports, and other written deliverables, you may not use generative AI to generate or substantially rewrite the substantive ideas, analysis, explanations, or prose; this work must be your own. You may use generative AI to check grammar and style.

Whenever you use generative AI for permitted work, include a brief AI Use Disclosure with the submission that identifies the tool and explains what it was used for and how you reviewed its output. Using generative AI outside these conditions or failing to disclose its use may constitute academic misconduct under University rules.

Services for Students with Disabilities

The university is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive learning environment. If you encounter barriers to learning, please inform the instructor so we can work together to ensure that you have an equal opportunity to participate fully in the course.

If you have a disability or need accommodations, contact Disability and Access (D&A). If you are already registered with D&A, provide your Accommodation Letter as early as possible so we can discuss your approved accommodations and needs.

Sharing of Course Materials

Course materials may not be shared outside the class without written permission from the instructor. This includes lecture materials, course assignments, and student work. Unauthorized sharing may facilitate academic misconduct and violate university policy.

Materials associated with suspected unauthorized sharing may be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity and may result in academic-misconduct charges and sanctions.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus during the semester. Any changes will be announced in class, posted on Ed, and reflected on the course website.