The instructional mode for the on-campus section (COMP 7660-001) of this course is Face-to-Face. The instructional mode for the distance section (COMP 7970-D01) is Online Asynchronous, although distance students are strongly encouraged to participate synchronously whenever possible and should contact the instructor prior to taking this class if they won't be able to participate synchronously.
This course prepares students to perform independent research in general, and in the field of evolutionary computing (EC) in specific. This course covers ideation, literature review, proposal writing and evaluation, research software design and implementation, experiment design and analysis, and written and oral reporting. This is a communication intensive course. It is the second in a two-course sequence on EC.
This course has six main SLOs for all students:
(1) a solid understanding of how research is performed, including ideation, literature review, proposal writing and evaluation, and written and oral reporting,
(2) a solid understanding of how research is performed specifically in the field of EC, including research software design and implementation, and experiment design and analysis,
(3) the ability to formulate & evaluate the intellectual merit and broader impacts (National Science Foundation merit criteria) of a research proposal in the field of EC,
(4) the ability to design, implement, experiment with, and analyze novel technical approaches in the field of EC,
(5) the skills necessary to write conference/journal papers in the field of EC, and
(6) the skills necessary to orally present research at an EC conference.
Justification for Graduate Credit
Graduate credit is justified for this 7000-level course as it is significantly more advanced in academic content than its prerequisite course at the 5000/6000-level, covers knowledge of the literature in the discipline, and ensures ongoing student engagement in research.The prerequisite for this course is obtaining a sufficient grade in COMP 5660/6660 - Evolutionary Computing, namely a minimum grade of C, although a B or higher is highly recommended. If you've obtained an equivalent minimum grade for a rigorous foundational course in Evolutionary Computing at another university, then contact the instructor.
This course is aimed at graduate students and academically talented undergraduate students in any science or engineering degree program who excelled in the prerequisite course and who seek a structured, rigorous introduction to performing research in the field of EC. Undergraduate students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher may take this course with permission from both the instructor and the teaching department. For any questions about taking this course, contact the instructor.
Instructor
| Name | Daniel Tauritz, Ph.D. |
| Office | 2116A Shelby Center |
| Office hours | Dynamic Office Hours Schedule or by appointment |
| dtauritz@auburn.edu | |
| WWW | https://bonsai.auburn.edu/dtauritz/ |
Miscellaneous Class Information
| Required textbook | None |
| Class website | https://bonsai.auburn.edu/dtauritz/courses/ec/methods/2026spring/ |
| Lecture times | Wednesdays 4:00-6:30 PM |
| Lecture venue | Shelby 2117 Conference Room |
| Class schedule | Dynamic schedule |
Grading Information
| Individual Research Projects | 100% of total grade |
| Final Letter Grade | [90-100]: A, [80-90>: B, [70-80>: C, [60-70>: D, <60: F |
Attendance
Consistent with AU's policy on class attendance, on-campus students are expected to attend all scheduled class sessions. This is a highly interactive, student-centric course, so attendance for on-campus students is mandatory. Roll will be taken and students with more than two unexcused absences may be dropped. Students with properly authorized excused absences as defined by the Student Policy eHandbook, upon appropriate verification, need to make arrangements with the instructor to make up missed class sessions.
Assignment Deadline Extension Policy
For distance education students, if an assignment deadline is known in advance to pose a hardness, then with sufficient notice the instructor will attempt to accommodate all reasonable requests for extended deadlines (example of a reasonable request: a working professional needing to travel for their job).
Submission Policy
All written documents need to be electronically typeset and submitted in tagged PDF file format. You are encouraged, but not required, to typeset using LaTeX. For creating tagged PDF using Overleaf, see the following introduction.
By default, all deliverables are due strictly at 10:00pm central time on their respective due dates, and are to be submitted via the RMEC 2026 shared folder on Box; assignments can specify alternative submission times and processes. Students are responsible for submitting their assignments well before the deadline to avoid last minute system-related (or other) issues. The default penalty for late submission is a 5% point deduction for the first 24 hour period and a 10% point deduction for every additional 24 hour period. So 1 hour late and 23 hours late both result in a 5% point deduction, 25 hours late results in a 15% point deduction, etc.
Re-grading Policy
Any re-grading requests must be made within one week of the day the assignment grade and feedback was posted. Even if you believe that you found an error in grading, it will not be re-graded if you request re-grading after this deadline.
Communication Policy
Information related to this class will be communicated primarily during lectures and via the class website, and Discord. Panopto class recordings are expected to be available via Canvas to all enrolled students. Students are expected to monitor all these communication channels.
Your Auburn University email address (@auburn.edu) is the university-approved form of communication between the instructor and students. For official communication (e.g., excused absence request, anything grade related), you should use email, not Discord. For lengthy communications (e.g., complex context followed by a question), email is preferred. For quick and short communications, Discord is preferred, using the RMEC Discord server whenever appropriate, or direct messaging when more appropriate. Emails that you send to the instructor should come from your @auburn.edu email address. Sending emails from addresses other than @auburn.edu could result in you not receiving a response to your message.
All email communications from the instructor to you will be sent to your @auburn.edu address. You are expected to check your AU email and the RMEC Discord server daily and twice daily on Wednesdays (once shortly before the start of class in case of a last minute notification).
AI Policy
Permitted use of generative AI in this course is intended to reflect the current state of permitted generative AI use in the computer science research community, but balancing that with the SLOs. Here are some relevant community policies:
ADA Policy
The instructor will make all reasonable accommodations to comply with the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students who need accommodations should submit their approved accommodations through the AIM Student Portal on AU Access and follow up with the instructor about an appointment. It is important for the student to complete these steps as soon as possible; accommodations are not retroactive. Students who have not established accommodations through the Office of Accessibility but need accommodations should contact the Office of Accessibility at ACCESSIBILITY@auburn.edu or (334) 844-2096 (Voice/TT). The Office of Accessibility is located in Haley Center 1228.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is critical to the entire educational process and is a serious matter in this course. Issues surrounding violations of academic integrity will be handled per AU's Academic Integrity Policy. You are encouraged to familiarize yourself with this policy and the academic integrity resources available from: https://www.auburn.edu/academic/provost/academic-integrity/.
Classroom Behavior
AU's Policy on Classroom Behavior is strictly followed in this course. It is my intent to protect intellectual diversity and free expression in this class. All students in this course are expected to respect their fellow classmates and actively participate in fostering a respectful learning environment. If you experience anything in this class that makes you feel uncomfortable, please bring it to my attention so that we can discuss the appropriate action to take. As appropriate, you can report an incident, concern, or complaint as detailed at: https://studentaffairs.auburn.edu/complaint-concern/. Please let me know ways to improve the effectiveness of the course for you personally or for other students. Your suggestions are encouraged and appreciated.
Data Collection and Use Disclosure
Any and all results of graded items in the course are potential data sources for assessment and educational research, and may be used in publications related to educational research and accreditation. All such use will be anonymous. No personal intellectual property (IP) will be infringed.
Extended Student Absence If illness causes you to be unable to participate for an extended period in the course, please contact the instructor as soon as possible to discuss your options.
Emergency Contingency
If normal class and/or lab activities are disrupted due to illness, emergency, or crisis situations (such as a pandemic), the syllabus and other course plans and assignments may be modified to allow completion of the course. If this occurs, an addendum to the syllabus and/or course assignments will replace the original materials.
Auburn University Transition to Remote Operations
In the event that the University is forced to move to remote operations and fully online instruction, for instance due to a pandemic, you would need to be able to attend class sessions and lab hours remotely, do assignments remotely, and take exams remotely. While this hopefully will not be the case, you should personally plan now for this contingency to ensure that you will be able to minimize the disruption this move could cause to your personal living and study arrangements.