I assume that everyone in the class is already familiar with the C and Scheme languages, and capable of writing small, working programs in each. I also assume you can use the Unix utilities gdb, make, rcs, and a text editor such as vi or emacs. (These are for your benefit, not mine: I sha'n't grade your use of Unix utilities, but I doubt you can survive the course without using them.) Finally, I assume you are capable of learning the syntax of a new language on your own. I'm willing to answer language questions in class when necessary, but I'd prefer to spend that time on more fundamental issues.
The official prerequisites for the course are CSC 270 (Survey of Programming Languages) and CSC 271 (Software I).