Fall 2019 CSCI 5310/CSCI 4930: Software Architecture

Course Information

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 10am - 10:50am
Ritter Hall Room 117
Instructor: Kate Holdener, Ph.D.
Office hours are listed on the instructor page. If you have any questions or issues in the class, please come to my office hours or email me to set up an alternate time to meet.

Course Description

The theory and practice of software architecture and global design of software systems, with focus on recurring architectural patterns via in-depth case studies of various large-scale systems. Students not able to register due to the restrictions may contact the department for permission.

Detailed Course Description

What is this course about?

In this course you will continue to learn how to design software. We'll use a textbook to learn about the concepts and theory that go into software architecture and design. To reinforce the theory, we'll look at a variety of case studies on open-source application design. You will demonstrate and reinforce what you learn in this class with a semester project. The project will be completed individually. More details about the project will be provided after the midterm break.

How should I prepare for class?

To prepare for class, you need to read the assigned textbook chapter(s), which will be posted in the Schedule and Notes section of the course web site. While reading, make a note of any questions you have and post your questions on the Blackboard discussion forum that corresponds to the chapter you are reading. You can also respond to questions posted on the forum. You will have an option to post questions and respond to questions anonymously. I will use the Blackboard discussion forum to select topics for in-class discussion. The discussion forum will help you understand and retain the material you read in the textbook. For additional motivation to do the reading and to participate in the discussion forum, we will have reading quizzes. These quizzes will be announced at least one class meeting in advance.

What happens during class time?

In class, we will look at software design case studies, answer any questions you may have about the assigned reading, correlate what you read in your textbook to the case studies, and take reading quizzes. The case studies we use in class will frequently serve as the basis for your homework assignments.

Learning Outcomes

After successfully completing this course, the students will be able to:

Topics List

The course covers the following topics:

Required Course Resources

The following resources will be used throughout the semester:

Grading

Your grade will be based on:

You will be able to access your grades for this course via Blackboard.

Final letter grade will be assigned based on the following scale:

Attendance

Come to class and stay focused. We'll be dedicating our class time to questions, discussion, and case studies of various software designs and architectures. Case studies and in class discussion are an important part of learning in this course. What we do in class will frequently be the start of your homework assignments. Coming to class and staying focused on the class discussion will prepare you for completing your homework assignments.

The class starts at 10:00 am. Please be on time. Reading quizzes will happen at the start of class, so if you are late for class you will have less time to take the quiz.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is honest, truthful and responsible conduct in all academic endeavors. The mission of Saint Louis University is "the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity." Accordingly, all acts of falsehood demean and compromise the corporate endeavors of teaching, research, health care, and community service via which SLU embodies its mission. The University strives to prepare students for lives of personal and professional integrity, and therefore regards all breaches of academic integrity as matters of serious concern.

The governing University-level Academic Integrity Policy was adopted in Spring 2015, and can be accessed on the Provost's Office website at: https://www.slu.edu/provost/policies/academic-and-course/policy_academic-integrity_6-26-2015.pd.

Additionally, each SLU College, School, and Center has adopted its own academic integrity policies, available on their respective websites. All SLU students are expected to know and abide by these policies, which detail definitions of violations, processes for reporting violations, sanctions, and appeals. Please direct questions about any facet of academic integrity to your faculty, the chair of the department of your academic program, or the Dean/Director of the College, School or Center in which your program is housed.

Title IX

Saint Louis University and its faculty are committed to supporting our students and seeking an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have encountered any form of sexual misconduct (e.g., sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, domestic or dating violence), we encourage you to report this to the University. If you speak with a faculty member about an incident that involves a Title IX matter, that faculty member must notify SLU’s Title IX coordinator (or that person’s equivalent on your campus) and share the basic facts of your experience. This is true even if you ask the faculty member not to disclose the incident. The Title IX contact will then be available to assist you in understanding all of your options and in connecting you with all possible resources on and off campus.

For most students on the St. Louis campus, the appropriate contact is Anna R. Kratky (DuBourg Hall, room 36; anna.kratky@slu.edu; 314-977-3886). If you wish to speak with a confidential source, you may contact the counselors at the University Counseling Center at 314-977-TALK. To view SLU’s sexual misconduct policy, and for resources, please visit the following web addresses: https://www.slu.edu/here4you and https://www.slu.edu/general-counsel.

Disability Services

Students with a documented disability who wish to request academic accommodations must contact Disability Services to discuss accommodation requests and eligibility requirements. Once successfully registered, the student also must notify the course instructor that they wish to access accommodations in the course.

Please contact Disability Services, located within the Student Success Center, at Disability_services@slu.edu or 314.977.3484 to schedule an appointment. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries. Once approved, information about the student’s eligibility for academic accommodations will be shared with course instructors via email from Disability Services and viewed within Banner via the instructor’s course roster.

Note: Students who do not have a documented disability but who think they may have one are encouraged to contact to Disability Services.

Student Success Center

In recognition that people learn in a variety of ways and that learning is influenced by multiple factors (e.g., prior experience, study skills, learning disability), resources to support student success are available on campus. The Student Success Center assists students with academic-related services and is located in the Busch Student Center (Suite, 331). Students can visit https://www.slu.edu/life-at-slu/student-success-center/ to learn more about tutoring services, university writing services, disability services, and academic coaching.

University Writing Services

Students are encouraged to take advantage of University Writing Services in the Student Success Center; getting feedback benefits writers at all skill levels. Trained writing consultants can help with writing projects, multimedia projects, and oral presentations. University Writing Services offers one-on-one consultations that address everything from brainstorming and developing ideas to crafting strong sentences and documenting sources. For more information, visit https://www.slu.edu/life-at-slu/student-success-center/ or call the Student Success Center at 314-977-3484.

Basic Needs Security

Students in personal or academic distress and/or who may be specifically experiencing challenges such as securing food or difficulty navigating campus resources, and who believe this may affect their performance in the course, are encouraged to contact the Dean of Students Office (deanofstudents@slu.edu or 314-977-9378) for support. Furthermore, please notify the instructor if you are comfortable in doing so, as this will enable them to assist you with finding the resources you may need.