Grading Policy for Networking Labs II

 

1. Networking Laboratory II / Computer Networking II     LEC 4     T      6:00 8:50PM Kotfila        AE 216

2.  Instructor:   Colleen Morrissey    morric@rpi.edu    Office hours: By arrangement via email   VCC 308       ext. 6594

Teaching Assistants:

Paul Lemieux   lemiep@rpi.edu,  "Joseph Dougherty" <doughj3@rpi.edu>,  "Jessica Reardon" <jcreardon@gmail.com>,

 

 

Learning Objectives

 

The purpose of this course is to be able to explain, configure, verify, and troubleshoot complex computer networks at an intermediate level.

At the successful completion of this class a student will be able to say:

 

I can explain computer networking concepts to both technical peers and non-technical management.

 

I can configure network routers and switches so that both LAN and WAN traffic successfully traverses the network.

 

I can verify that a computer network has been properly configured.

 

I can troubleshoot network problems.  I can successfully implement solutions.

 

I can discern true statements from false statements as pertains to computer networking as verified by passing industry standard examinations.

 

3. Required texts:

 

Implementing Cisco IP Routing (ROUTE) Foundation Learning Guide: Foundation learning for ROUTE 642-902

By Diane Teare
Published by Cisco Press.
Published: Jun 28, 2010
Copyright 2010
Pages: 976
Edition: 1st

ISBN-10: 1-58705-882-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-58705-882-0

   

   

Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks (TSHOOT) Foundation Learning Guide: Foundation learning for the CCNP TSHOOT 642-832


By Amir Ranjbar.
Published by Cisco Press.
Published: Mar 26, 2010
Copyright 2010
Pages: 552
Edition: 1st
Book
ISBN-10: 1-58705-876-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-58705-876-9

   

   

4. Grading:

Details below, but the short version is:  completed labs plus passing both certification exams = your grade.

 

1.  Labs are the most important part of this class. Each week a lab will be assigned. You will have some class time to work on the lab and your scheduled 4 hours of lab time per week. If you do not complete the lab within that time you must make time to finish the lab outside of your scheduled lab time. Each week one student will be assigned to demonstrate the lab to the rest of the class. Labs are for learning and exploration. You will not be spoon fed commands or answers. You will need to discover the correct commands and configuration and thus there may be multiple ways to accomplish your the lab tasks.

2.  Class Attendance   -     Because students will be expected to present in each class, attendance at class is REQUIRED.    Attendance will be taken each class.  Miss one class - no penalty.    Miss two classes - lost 1 letter grade.  Miss 2 classes - lose 2 letter grades.  Miss 3 classes lose 3 letter grades.  Each additional class missed results in an additional loss of 1 grade.  It is your responsibility to make sure that whomever is taking attendance, marks you present.  In the event of illness,  notify the instructor/TA.

3.  To pass this course, you must successfully pass the official Cisco CCNP exams.  You may take these exams as many times as you need to, to pass them.  However, the semester is short, and there will not realistically be time to take these exams more than twice.  Each time you take each exam it costs $250.  Lack of money is not an adequate reason for not retaking the exam, or for not retaking it in a timely fashion.  While I am very unhappy about it being this way, you should evaluate carefully whether you have sufficient funds to complete this course.  Plan to take the ROUTE exam by November 1st.  Plan to take the TSHOOT exam by Dec 7th.

 

 

Incompletes  -  Only for medical reasons, or extended illness/death in the family.  The fact that you do not have enough money to pay to retake an exam is not an acceptable reason.

 

Late work  -  will receive a minimum of one grade reduction and may, at the sole discretion of the instructor, not be accepted at all.

 

4. Labs - Scheduling    Use SIS sign up for 2 lab times each week. 

 

5. Academic Integrity

The corporate environment to which most of you are about to enter is a TEAM environment. That is good news. There is more technical information that needs to be assimilated that any single individual could ever possibly hope to learn. Techies need to understand management. Management needs some understanding of the technology. Within technical groups there will be various specialties. Specialists will have to work across disciplines to get corporate projects completed.

Therefore you are strongly encouraged to help one another in any way that you can. One of you will become an access-list expert but get confused by Lan Switching. Another will really grasp the OSI model in a profound way, but not get dynamic routing. Help each other. Study groups are encouraged!

When you take the official Cisco exams, you will be completely on your own. Cheating will be difficult if not impossible. You will be in a controlled environment in which a computer and a calculator will be provided. You will not be allowed to bring anything else other than a pencil into the testing environment.  Some testing centers video tape the testing sessions.  Cheating on one of these exams will result in an F for the course.

Hands on exams at RPI will be the work of individuals only (no collaboration) and closely monitored. I have never had anyone successfully cheat on one of these exams (do not take that as a challenge). However, in the event that cheating is attempted you will fail that exam. If cheating is suspected, but not certain, then a re-test will be given. The decision to re-test will be solely at the discretion of the instructor.  The first cheating offense on this type of exam will result in a loss of 2 letter grades for the course.     The second offense will result in an F for the course.

Routers have various HELP functions built into the Operating System (IOS). It will be possible to use these during the hands-on exams. This HELP function is not available on the standardized Cisco exams.

It would be easy to cheat on the lab assignments.  Cheating on these will result in the loss of one letter grade for the course.  The second offense will result in an F for the course. 

Using non-approved passwords on networking devices hurts everyone in the class.    It prevents other people from using the lab and costs the director/instructor/TA valuable time spent in breaking the password.  The first offense of intentionally using a non-approved password will result in a grade reduction of one letter.  The second offense will result in failure.   There is no penalty for accidently ("fat fingering") setting the wrong password.  Immediately notify your instructor/TA so that they can remedy the situation.