The computer system on which you will be working is very well run by the people in the Division of Engineering Computing Services, (DECS).

Nevertheless, it simply is a fact of life that computers do "crash" (malfunction or stop working) from time to time. You will bump up against this fact during the rest of your working life with computers. We hope to help you learn strategies for dealing with these problems.

A computer (or the whole computer system) may crash during a lab. You will then have to work through the assignments in an open laboratory as soon as possible. You may even experience a computer crash during a test, and you will then have to schedule a makeup test at your earliest convenience.

Here are two frequently asked questions and our answers.

Is it fair that a computer crashed when I was trying to work? No: it is very unfair, but sometimes life is unfair, and this is one of those times. If there had been any way to prevent the crash, the ever-vigilant people in DECS would have done so. However, if you were caught in a crash, you have to make up the work.

Why do I have to make up a test, just because the computer crashed? I should get credit! Sorry, but the course model is that the tests measure what you have learned. We can't record a grade for work you have not yet done. You have to make up the test.