Server Administration Syllabus
CSCI 3375 Fall 2023

Instructor Information

Name : Terry Sergeant   Office Hours
E-Mail : tsergeant@hsutx.edu   MW 8:30–9:00; 11:00–11:30; 1:30-3:30
Office : JB 322   Tue 8:30–9:30; 10:30–11:30
Phone : 325-670-1292   Thu 9:30–10:30; 3:00-4:00
Web Site : https://josephus.hsutx.edu      

Summary

Description : Students will learn server administration skills with emphasis on security-oriented, command-line management of a server running web and database services. Students will manage their own cloud server instance and will gain exposure to topics such as security measures, working with the DNS, deploying and securing web applications, shell scripting, and various security tools. Although not a strict requirement, background in database and web programming is helpful.
Prerequisites : CSCI 2324
Textbook : None. You will be required to set up and maintain for the semester a server with Amazon Web Services. This will require a credit/debit card to set up. expenses. You will also be required to reserve a domain name. I expect expenses for the entire semester to be less than $20.

Course Objectives

Students who satisfactorily complete this course will (hopefully) be able to:

Grading

Your grade in the course will be earned / calculated as follows:
lab days   20%
homework   60%
final exam   20%
A $\rightarrow$ 90 100
B $\rightarrow$ 80 89
C $\rightarrow$ 70 79
D $\rightarrow$ 60 69
F $\rightarrow$ 0 59

Lab Days

In a typical week our class meeting time on Tuesday will be designated as a lab day. Each lab day has a pre-lab assignment that must be completed prior to coming to class. We will use class time to answer questions and to work on the lab day steps which mostly involve working on the following homework assignment.

Late lab day assignments will receive a 30% point penalty and must be completed within a week or the original due date. Assignments that miss the one week deadline will receive a grade of 0 (unless there are extenuating circumstances).

Homework

Homework assignments will be given weekly and will be due on Saturdays at midnight. Homework assignments will continue what was started during a lab day. Homework assignments should reflect your own independent work.

An assignment is considered late if it is not submitted at the specified time on the day it is due. Late assignments are assessed a 30% penalty for the first week. Assignments submitted after the first late week receive a grade of 0.

Exams

The final exam is to be done without help from others. Only study aids that are expressly allowed by the instructor are to be used during the exam. Receiving improper help is a violation of the academic integrity policy.

Students with Disabilities

An individual with a disability is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a “person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” Any student with a documented disability may choose to seek accommodations. Eligible students seeking accommodation should contact the Director of Undergraduate Advising and Disabilities as soon as possible in the academic term (preferably during the first two weeks of a long semester) for which they are seeking accommodations. The director will prepare letters to appropriate faculty members concerning specific, reasonable academic adjustments for the student. The student is responsible for delivering accommodation letters and conferring with faculty members. Please refer to the most recent version of the Undergraduate Catalog for the complete policy. (Carol Krueger, Director of Undergraduate Advising and Disabilities, Office: Sandefer Memorial, 1st floor Academic Advising Center, Phone: 670-5867, Email: disabilityservices@hsutx.edu)

Student Support

Peer-to-peer academic support (tutoring) is available for all undergraduate HSU students. The Academic Center for Enrichment (ACE) is open for virtual tutoring sessions via Zoom. To access instructions or make an appointment, open the ACE course on your Canvas dashboard. For additional information regarding academic support, contact the Advising Center at 325-670-1480 or tutoring@hsutx.edu.

In addition, all full or part-time students are eligible to receive free, confidential, and voluntary counseling services at HSU. Services include consultation, evaluation, counseling, and crisis support services for students facing issues impacting their overall well-being. To obtain any of these services, students may call The Office of Counseling Services at (325) 671-2272, email counseling@hsutx.edu, or begin the intake process by completing our online forms at:https://www.hsutx.edu/intake.

Academic Integrity

Violations of academic integrity have been described to some degree in other sections of this syllabus.

Cases of suspected academic dishonesty will be handled in accordance with university policies outlined in Undergraduate Catalog and in the Student Handbook. The current catalog prescribes that “no student who has violated the Academic Integrity Policy will be allowed to graduate from Hardin-Simmons University with honors.” Penalties will be assigned at the discretion of the instructor and typically range from failure on the assignment to failure of the course. A general rule-of-thumb is that a first offense (if not too major) will result in a zero on the assignment and a second offense will result in an F for the course. The current catalog states that an F earned in this way cannot be replaced by retaking the course.

Computer Account Use

The instructor may occasionally use email to communicate with the class as a whole or with individuals. When contacting you for this course the instructor will use your HSU email account. You are expected to check your HSU email account at least once per day and you will be held responsible for any content distributed in this way.

Attendance

Regarding class attendance, the Undergraduate Catalog states:
Accordingly, absence from more than 25 percent of class meetings and/or laboratory sessions scheduled for a course (including absences because of athletic participation) is regarded as excessive, and a grade of F may be assigned as deemed appropriate by the professor.