Course Organization and Policies

Attendance

Attendance at lectures is mandatory. Do not enroll in CS 6501 if you are taking another course that meets at the same time as CS 6501.

Assignments and Grading

The course will consist of five problem sets, spaced three weeks apart. Each of the five problem sets is weighted equally. There will not be a midterm or a final exam.

Textbook

There is no official textbook for the course. Please refer to the syllabus for the readings for each week. Some of the reading material will be taken from A Graduate Course in Applied Cryptography by Dan Boneh and Victor Shoup, while the remaining will consist of research papers and technical reports.

Problem Sets

You must use LaTeX to write up your problem sets using the provided template. All problem sets are due at 5pm on Friday of their respective week.

Problem set submission: You must submit your problem sets using Gradescope. Please use course code 9YD875 to sign up.

Late submissions: You get three “late days” in total during the semester. You may use a late day to submit a problem set after the deadline. You will have to deliver the late submission via Gradescope. You can use at most three late days for any single assignment, and you may only use late days in one-day increments (no partial late days).

If you submit an assignment more than 72 hours after the deadline, or if you submit an assignment late after running out of late days, you will receive no credit for the submission. Please submit your assignments on time and save your late days for extraordinary situations.

Students with Disabilities or Learning Needs

It is my goal to create a learning experience that is as accessible as possible. If you anticipate any issues related to the format, materials, or requirements of this course, please meet with me outside of class so we can explore potential options. Students with disabilities may also wish to work with the Student Disability Access Center to discuss a range of options to removing barriers in this course, including official accommodations. Please visit their website for information on this process and to apply for services online. If you have already been approved for accommodations through SDAC, please send me your accommodation letter and meet with me so we can develop an implementation plan together.

Discrimination and Power-Based Violence

The University of Virginia is dedicated to providing a safe and equitable learning environment for all students. To that end, it is vital that you know two values that I and the University hold as critically important:

Power-based personal violence will not be tolerated.
Everyone has a responsibility to do their part to maintain a safe community on Grounds.

If you or someone you know has been affected by power-based personal violence, more information can be found on the UVA Sexual Violence website that describes reporting options and resources.

As your professor and as a person, know that I care about you and your well-being and stand ready to provide support and resources as I can. As a faculty member, I am a responsible employee, which means that I am required by University policy and federal law to report what you tell me to the University's Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX Coordinator's job is to ensure that the reporting student receives the resources and support that they need, while also reviewing the information presented to determine whether further action is necessary to ensure survivor safety and the safety of the University community. If you wish to report something that you have seen, you can do so via the Just Report It portal. The worst possible situation would be for you or your friend to remain silent when there are so many here willing and able to help.

Religious Accomodation

It is the University's long-standing policy and practice to reasonably accommodate students so that they do not experience an adverse academic consequence when sincerely held religious beliefs or observances conflict with academic requirements. Students who wish to request academic accommodation for a religious observance should submit their request in writing directly to me by email as far in advance as possible. Students who have questions or concerns about academic accommodations for religious observance or religious beliefs may contact the University’s Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (EOCR) at uvaeocr@virginia.edu or 434-924-3200.

Honor Policy

I trust every student in this course to fully comply with all of the provisions of the University’s Honor Code. By enrolling in this course, you have agreed to abide by and uphold the Honor System of the University of Virginia, as well as the following policies specific to this course:

All graded assignments must be pledged.
You are encouraged to discuss the problem sets with other students and you may work together to come up with solutions to the problems. However, you must write up your problem set independently. In addition, if you collaborate with other students, you must list the names of your collaborators on the first page of your submission (see provided template).
You should not search the web for solutions to the homework problems. If you do consult external resources (beyond the lecture notes and the referenced reading material), you must fully acknowledge those in your solution.
All suspected violations will be forwarded to the Honor Committee, and you may, at my discretion, receive an immediate zero on that assignment regardless of any action taken by the Honor Committee.

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the course Honor policy. If you believe you may have committed an Honor Offense, you may wish to file a Conscientious Retraction by calling the Honor Offices at (434) 924-7602. For your retraction to be considered valid, it must, among other things, be filed with the Honor Committee before you are aware that the act in question has come under suspicion by anyone. More information can be found here and your Honor representatives can be found here.