Dear all,

A few things recently have made me think it might be worthwhile sending you a brief message to clarify our expectations with respect to workshop etiquette and attendance on CI4100/CI4520 (Programming 1/Object Oriented Programming).

First of all, you must attend all scheduled events in your timetable including workshops. Informally, I am happy for you not to attend a workshop if you have completed every single gold medal to date beforehand. Otherwise, as per university regulations, attendance is compulsory. Failure to attend scheduled workshops if you have not completed all outstanding work will be treated in the same way as non-attendance at lectures.

This leads me on to etiquette. In one of the workshops this week, there was a little cluster of people who arrived while I was introducing the workshop and proceeded to hold their own little conference while I was talking. As you know, I like to run a fairly informal ship but the one thing I ask is that if I am talking, nobody else should be. Even if what I am saying is not something you are finding useful, please show some courtesy not only for me but also for your peers who might actually NEED to listen. I will usually introduce the workshop at the beginning and then I will leave you to work while I mingle and help out. If something interesting takes place during the session I will go back up front and address the whole class again. When I do that, I ask that you please be quiet and ideally listen, but failing that, at the very least be quiet so others who want to listen can do so. If nothing else, it is the polite thing to do.

All the best,

Paul