THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE
FACULTY SENATE

Senate Document Number 2301S

Date of Senate Approval 02/08/01

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Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

APC Document 16: New and modified course descriptions for Computer Science courses and modified degree requirements for the Information Systems concentration.

Effective date: Fall 2001

I. Delete present course description for CSCI 201 (p. 87):

CSCI 201 Introduction to Algorithm Design (3)
Problem solving and algorithm development; data and procedural abstraction (ACM CS1). Taught using C++ programming language. Includes a formal laboratory section using program development tools. Prerequisite: placement in MATH 163 or equivalent. Fall and Spring.

Add new course description for CSCI 201

CSCI 201 Introduction to Algorithm Design (3)
Problem solving and algorithm development; data and procedural abstraction (ACM CS1). Taught using Java programming language. Includes a formal laboratory section using program development tools. Prerequisite: placement in MATH 163 or equivalent. Fall and Spring.

Impact Statement: None expected.

Rationale: The Java programming language is a little easier for beginning programmers to learn. Most university computer science department have switched their beginning courses from C++ to Java, and we wish to also make this change.

II. Delete CSCI 241 (p. 88)

CSCI 241 Applications Programming in COBOL (3)
COBOL programming with emphasis on business and management applications; file creation, data handling and table structures; computer organization and system logic. Prerequisite: CSCI 201. Spring.

Impact Statement and Rationale: See impact statement and rationale for CSCI 242.

III. Add CSCI 242

CSCI 242 Programming Visual Applications (3)
Development of event-driven graphical applications using an integrated development environment. Prerequisite: CSCI 201 or permission of instructor. Spring.

Impact Statement: This course will replace CSCI 241 in our Information Systems program. There will be no impact on staffing.

Rationale: Presently students in our Information Systems concentration are required to take CSCI 241, an introductory programming course using COBOL. However, today few new applications are being written in COBOL. Most are being programmed in windows-oriented languages such as Visual Basic or JavaScript. We would like to update our introductory application-programming course to use this newer programming paradigm.

IV. Delete present course title and course description for CSCI 252 (p. 88):

CSCI 252 Programming in C (3)
Fundamentals of the C programming language with emphasis on personal computer and workstation applications. Prerequisite: CSCI 201. On demand.

Add new course title and description for CSCI 252

CSCI 252 Programming in C++ (3)

Fundamentals of the C++ programming language with emphasis on personal computer and workstation applications. See department chair.

Impact Statement: This course will be offered at most once per year.

Rationale: At this time there are a few academic programs, such as UNCA's audio engineering and NCSU's mechanical engineering, that requite computer programming courses in C++. We also expect that some computer science majors will want some formal exposure to C.

V. Add new course CSCI 311

CSCI 311 Digital Logic Design (3)
Design and synthesis of combinational and sequential circuits. Topics include Boolean algebra, computer arithmetic, programmable logic devices, and hardware description languages. Prerequisite: CSCI 255. See department chair.

Impact Statement: When this course is taught from UNCA, we expect that the Mechatronics program will provide staffing resources.

Rationale: This semester Dean Brock is teaching a logic design course at UNCA primarily for students in the Mechatronics (UNCA/NCSU Engineering) program. We would like to have our own number for this course for UNCA's Computer Science students.

VI. Delete course description for CSCI 342 (p. 88)

CSCI 342 System Analysis and Design Methods (3)
Study of the concepts and techniques utilized in the analysis and design of an information system throughout the system development cycles. Prerequisite: CSCI 241. Fall.

Add new course description for CSCI 342

Impact Statement: None expected.

Rationale: The addition of the CSCI 343, Database Management Systems, prerequisite will make it possible for CSCI 342 students to develop database applications as course projects. Moving CSCI 343 to the Fall semester and CSCI 342 to the Spring semester allows students to take these courses in sequence within their Junior year.

VII. Delete course description for CSCI 343 (pp. 88-89)

CSCI 343 Database Management Systems (3)
Study of theory and application of database management systems. Topics include database design, data normalization, transaction management and data access methods. Prerequisite: CSCI 202. Spring.

Add new course description for CSCI 343.

Impact Statement: None expected.

Rationale: The only change is moving the scheduled offering from the Spring to Fall semester. See the Rationale for CSCI 342 for more information.

VII. Delete required courses in major for the concentration in Information Systems (pp. 87)

Required courses in the major--38 hours, including: CSCI 107, 201, 202, 241, 255, 342, 343, 446, 448, 462; and 9 additional hours in CSCI at the 300 level or above.

Add new require course list

Required courses in the major--38 hours, including: CSCI 107, 201, 202, 242, 255, 342, 343, 446, 448, 462; and 9 additional hours in CSCI at the 300 level or above.

Impact Statement: None expected. We are replacing CSCI 241 with CSCI 242.

Rationale: See the Rationale for the new course, CSCI 242.