NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Computer System Forensics
Course prefix, number, and section number: ITSY 2343 0330
Semester/Year of course: Summer 2025
Semester start and end dates: 6/09/2025 – 8/14/2025
Modality (Face to face/Synchronous or Asynchronous online/Hybrid): Asynchronous
Class meeting location, days, and times: Online
Lab meeting location, days, and times: Online
Semester credit hours: 3
Course Description:
In-depth study of system forensics including methodologies used for analysis of computer security breaches. Collect, document and evaluate evidence to perform postmortem analysis of a security breach.
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- Identify computer investigation issues
- Identify legal issues associated with computer investigations
- Collect, document, and evaluate evidence
- Evaluate network traffic
Course prerequisites: ITSY 2342
Required course materials:
A Practical Guide to Digital Forensics Investigations
ISBN: 978-1-64459-601-2
uCertify DIG-FORENSICS.AB2
Name of instructor: Dr. Michael Saylor
Office location: Online
Telephone number: 469-569-3735
Email address: msaylor@nctc.edu
Office hours for students: Upon request
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments:
|
Assignment
|
Total Points
|
|
Pre-Assessment
|
100pts
|
|
Chapter Readings
|
100pts
|
|
Flashcards
|
100pts
|
|
Labs
|
100pts
|
|
Quizzes
|
100pts
|
|
Final (Post-Assessment)
|
100pts
|
Final grade scale:
A 90% - 100% B 80% - 89%
C 70% - 79% D 60% - 69%
F 0% - 59%
Late work policy: All assignments are due by the midnight of the last day of the semester.
SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.
COURSE POLICIES
Academic Integrity Policy: See the current NCTC Student Handbook
Artificial Intelligence Policy: Encouraged or Permitted
The use of generative AI in this course is encouraged with certain tasks and with attribution. You can choose to use AI tools to help brainstorm assignments or projects or revise existing work you have written. When you submit your assignment, you must clearly attribute what text was generated by the AI tool.
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance and participation of
Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.
Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is:
Student Learning Outcomes:
Core Objectives:
COLLEGE POLICIES
ADA STATEMENT
THE OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students with disabilities. OSD counselors and advisors also provide strategies for academic success; individual, career, and academic counseling services; referrals to campus and community services; and assistance with admission and registration.
Students with disabilities do not need to disclose their disabilities to college officials if they are not requesting any accommodations.
OSD is federally funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Federal Grant.
NCTC is committed to making its degree and certificate programs accessible to all qualified persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA Amendments Act, and The Rehabilitation Act (1973), Section 504.
REQUEST SERVICES
New Students
Accommodations require preparation in advance. Please make your request before the semester begins to ensure complete coverage for the entire semester. You can certainly request accommodations after the semester starts, but please be aware that accommodations are not retroactive.
Accommodations begin when OSD approves them. In other words, the sooner, the better.
*Documentation is required before any accommodations can be provided. Depending on your diagnosis, this documentation should come from a medical doctor, psychologist, or other licensed or properly credentialed professional.
Current Students
Contact the OSD at the beginning of each semester well in advance of registration.
Contact Us
Please reach out to us to schedule an intake or if you have questions or concerns.
Wayne Smith, OSD Manager, kwsmith@nctc.edu, (940) 498-6207
Yvonne Sandmann, OSD Advisor, ysandmann@nctc.edu, (940) 668-3300
https://www.nctc.edu/osd
AI STATEMENT
Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.
When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.
Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.
STUDENT SERVICES
NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students. See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.
QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS
The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.
Name of Chair/Coordinator: Rebekah Sanchez
Office location: Corinth Suite 170, Room 173
Telephone number: 940.498.6480
E-mail address: rsanchez@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean: Debbie Huffman
Office location: 1525 West California Street, Gainesville, TX 76240
Telephone number: 940-668-7731
E-mail address: dhuffman@nctc.edu