If you need help outside of class and office hours, use Slack/email to schedule an appointment.
This course, Introduction to Computer Science for Business Students, is designed for business students who are interested in learning about the fundamental concepts of computer science. The course covers a wide range of topics including hardware, the internet, programming in Scratch and Python, basic algorithms, web development using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, SQL, and Flask. In addition, the course also covers important concepts in cybersecurity. Throughout the course, students will work on multiple projects including a final capstone project that integrates and applies the knowledge and skills learned in the previous sessions. Group work and projects are significant elements of the course, as students will have the opportunity to collaborate and learn from each other in a team setting. By the end of the course, students should have a strong foundation in computer science and be able to apply these concepts in a business context.
Students should have a basic understanding of operating a personal computer, including proficiency in using web browsers and the ability to navigate and manipulate files. Additionally, students should be familiar with opening a command prompt or terminal window, editing text files, downloading and installing software. While a basic understanding of programming concepts is preferred, it is not required.
There are no required textbooks for this course. All course material will be presented in various formats (PowerPoint, videos, links, etc.) and posted on Canvas.
| Grade | Range |
|---|---|
| A | 94-100 |
| A- | 90-93.99 |
| B+ | 87-89.99 |
| B | 84-86.99 |
| B- | 80-83.99 |
| C+ | 77-79.99 |
| C | 74-76.99 |
| C- | 70-73.99 |
| D | 60-69.99 |
| F | 0-59.99 |
Participation: Active participation is an essential component of this course. Students are expected to engage fully in class discussions, coding exercises, and collaborative projects. Participation is instrumental in reinforcing learning and fostering a deeper understanding of key concepts. This engagement will be evaluated and will contribute to your final grade.
Missed Classes: It is mandatory for students to inform the instructor if they will be absent from a class. Students who miss a class are responsible for obtaining all materials and information that were distributed or covered during the class they missed.
Need for Academic Accommodation: Babson College is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Any student who may need accommodation(s) based on the impact of a disability should contact the Department of Accessibility Services (DAS) as early in the semester as possible. Accessibility Services staff may be reached by email at accessibility@babson.edu, by phone at 781-239-5509, or by visiting Hollister Hall, Suite 220. Accessibility Services staff will coordinate reasonable academic accommodations for eligible students.
Need for Religious Accommodations: Any student who faces a conflict between the requirements of a course and the observance of their religious belief, should contact the instructor early in the semester. In such an event, reasonable accommodations will be provided to the extent they do not create an unreasonable burden on the College.
Honor Code: Integrity is a core institutional value at Babson. The Babson College Undergraduate Honor Code sets forth clear expectations with regard to how your behaviors, actions, and decision making support our institutional commitment to integrity. The Code, and all that it comprises, aims to build a Community of Honor at Babson - one that is connected and strengthened by each member’s individual commitment to integrity and ethical decision making in all that we do. As a Babson student, you are committing to being an active and engaged participant in our Community of Honor, in partnership with your fellow students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
AI Policies: As a general guiding principle, you are expected to independently accomplish assignments and assessments without seeking external aid, unless otherwise specified. Should the course permit the utilization of AI tools, it’s crucial for you to observe the following guidelines to ensure the proper and responsible utilization of these tools:
Responsible and Ethical Utilization: You must employ AI tools in a responsible and ethical manner, being conscientious of their limitations and potential consequences.
Enhancing Output Quality: The effectiveness of generative AI tools is directly linked to the quality of the input you provide. It’s advisable for you to skillfully refine your prompts, a technique known as “prompt engineering,” to achieve favorable outcomes.
Validation of AI Output: You hold the responsibility of fact-checking all outputs generated by AI tools. This entails corroborating any claims made by the AI with trustworthy and reliable sources. Any errors or omissions resulting from the use of these tools will be your accountability.
Acknowledgment and Citation: Similar to referencing other tools and resources, you should appropriately acknowledge the use of AI tools, unless explicitly stated otherwise. While completing assignments or assessments, you are required to furnish specific and comprehensive details about the AI tools you employed, including any applicable prompts. Moreover, if deemed necessary, any output generated by generative AI should be appended to the submitted work.
Academic Integrity:
In this course, you are required to abide by the College’s Academic Integrity Policies and Procedures as outlined in Babson’s Student Code of Ethics. Please review the College’s Student Code of Ethics in its entirety, as it is your responsibility to take the appropriate steps to ensure your understanding of the Code. Ignorance of the policies is not a valid excuse for any violations.
Academic integrity is important for two reasons. First, independent and original scholarship ensures that students derive the most they can from their educational experience and the pursuit of knowledge. Second, academic misconduct violates the most fundamental values of an intellectual community and diminishes the achievements of the entire college community. Accordingly, Babson views academic misconduct as one of the most serious violations of the College’s expectations that a student can commit while at Babson College. Specific behaviors that constitute academic misconduct, as defined in the Code, are cheating, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, plagiarism, participation in academically dishonest activities, and unauthorized collaboration. In the instance I am presented with evidence to suggest that you engaged in any of these behaviors, I will refer the incident to the Office of Community Standards for review.
For your coursework, you are required to affirm your understanding of and commitment to the academic honesty and integrity expectations set forth in the Code. You may be asked to write the following pledge on every exam, paper, project, or other academic exercise:
"I have abided by the Babson Code of Ethics in this work and pledge to be better than that which would compromise my integrity."
If you have questions relative to academic integrity expectations within the context of a particular assignment, please ask me directly. General questions can be directed to communitystandards@babson.edu.
Conflict Navigation Services:
Conflict – especially when working in groups – is a normal, healthy, and expected part of life and ideally is viewed as an opportunity to strengthen relationships, improve efficiency, and rectify underlying concerns that often otherwise go unaddressed. Resolving conflict is a vital part of the educational journey of the Babson student and entrepreneur and requires your active participation and skill development. If you experience interpersonal conflict in this course, I encourage you to explore the College’s Conflict Navigation Services as a resource.