CS2640 Modern Storage Systems
Course Policy

Grading Breakdown:

  • Cache Competition: 10%
  • Midterm Exam: 20%
  • Project:
    • Project Proposal: 10%
    • Midterm Project Report: 10%
    • Project presentation: 10%
    • Final Project Report: 20%
  • Paper Presentations: 10%
  • Class Participation: 10%
  • Bonus: up to 10% extra credit for creative use of AI tools and contribution to the course, e.g., constructive feedbacks for the instructor.

Late Days

Assignments are due at the specified time. Late submissions will be accepted up to eight days late with a 10% penalty per day. Extensions may be granted for valid reasons with prior approval. Please contact the instructor or TA for extension requests.


Regrade Requests

If you feel you deserved a better grade on an assignment, you may send an email to your TA and instructor within 3 days after the grades are released. Your request should briefly summarize why you feel the original grade was unfair. We will reevaluate your assignment as soon as possible, and then issue a decision. Note that any regrade request may also lead to a lower grade if we find other issues with your submission.


Attending Guest Speakers' Lectures

In the second half of the class, we have two invited speakers. Our guest speakers make a significant effort to come lecture for us, so (both to show our appreciation and to continue attracting interesting speakers) we do not want them lecturing to a largely empty room. As such, we encourage students to attend these lectures live, and participate in Q&A. The guest lectures will account for half of the participation credit.


Bonus Points

The course offers up to 10% bonus points that can be added to your final score with.

  • Course feedback: Any constructive feedback and suggestions that improve the class can receive up to 5% bonus points added to your final score.
  • Creative AI use: Creative use of AI tools in your coursework can receive up to 5% bonus points.

AI Use Policy

The use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot) is encouraged. We also provide free coding agent service for all students in this course. We will discuss this during the first class. Please contact the instructor if you missed the class. You can use AI tools for learning new knowledge, coding assistance, language polishing, and problem-solving. However, all submitted work must be your own. You should NEVER use AI to write your project report. You must disclose any use of AI tools in all submissions. Creative use of AI tools will receive extra credit. Misuse of AI tools, such as submitting AI-generated report as your own work without proper attribution, will be treated as a violation of the academic integrity policy.

While we encourage the use of AI tools, please be aware of their limitations. AI tools can sometimes produce incorrect or misleading information, so it is important to critically evaluate any content generated by AI. Always double-check facts, code, and references provided by AI tools. You are responsible for understanding and verifying the accuracy of all content in your submission.


Attendance Policy and Laptop Use Policy

We highly recommend attending lectures in person to fully benefit from the course. We may take attendance silently without notification to calculate participation score. Laptops and other electronic devices are not forbidden but discouraged during lectures. Please avoid distractions during lectures to maintain a conducive learning environment for everyone.


Academic Integrity

All work submitted must be your own. Plagiarism, cheating, or any form of academic dishonesty will result in severe penalties, including failure of the course. Offense will be reported to the academic integrity office.


All Students Welcome

We are committed to doing what we can to work for equity and to create an inclusive learning environment that actively values the diversity of backgrounds, identities, and experiences of everyone in CS2640. We also know that we will sometimes make missteps. If you notice some way that we could do better, we hope that you will let us know about it.


Auditing the Course

In general we are happy to have auditors if they are a member of the Harvard community (students, visitors, staff, and families). However, please send an email to the instructor in advance to discuss your interest in auditing the course.


Well-Being and Mental Health

If you are experiencing personal, academic, or relationship problems and would like to talk to someone with training and experience, reach out to the Counseling and Mental Health Services (CAMHS) on campus. CAMHS is the university's counseling center dedicated to student mental health and wellbeing. Same-day appointment is available.