I may be reached by phone at x66856, but a better way
to reach me is by email.
If you require my approval for something, do
not consider having left a message for me
as equivalent to having obtained that approval.
Do so either the day we cover it, or in anticipation the night
before. The sections we will cover are indicated on the
course calendar,
which, though subject to change, is fairly reliable
for about a week in advance of the current day.
Any mail sent to this address will be received by all
members of the class (including me). You may use it
as a forum for discussing assigned problems, topics that
came up in class, etc.
In addition, a number of assigned problems will require
the use of mathematical software. Occasionally, the package
will be a useful java applet that you or the professor has found
for the task at hand. More often, use of Mathematica will
be assumed. While you are not prohibited from using other software
--- perhaps MathCad, ODE Architect, scilab, or
your own routine encoded in java or C --- your
professor will make an effort only to support Mathematica.
Whatever technology you use, beware of becoming too reliant upon it.
For skills which you ought to be able to do by hand, you will generally
be required to demonstrate your work on exams as if you had no
helpful technology on hand (despite the capabilities of your graphing
calculator).
While the final grading scale for the course will not be determined
until all grades are in, it will not be any more strict than the
following “straight” scale: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%,
F = 0-59% (with pluses and minuses assigned to scores towards the top and
bottom of these ranges respectively). The following weights will
be given to the various means of evaluation:
Homework will be assigned on a daily basis and usually collected
two times per week. We will try to get it marked in a timely
fashion, at which time I will place it in a folder marked
“graded homework” in the box outside my office where
you may pick it up at your convenience. There is a corresponding
“new homework” folder, in which you may place homework
that is to be collected that day. I consider it late if it has
already been collected by the grader by the time you place it
in the folder, so the safest thing is to hand it in at the end
of class. Homework that is late may receive only 75% of
the score it would have received otherwise, and that only if
it is handed in before the others of the set have been returned.
Your participation grade will be determined at my discretion.
You can easily earn the full credit with regular attendance,
demonstrating your curiosity with questions (either on topics
being discussed in class or in the text), contributions made
to the email list, taking an active role in a regularly-meeting
study group, preparedness for answering reading questions, etc.
It is only in noting an obvious lack of these,
a lack of respectful behavior in class on your behalf,
your use of class time to complete homework, or some other type
of problematic activity (if in this last category then I will
speak with you about it) that I will begin to deduct from your
participation grade.
At semester's end, I will compare your grade on the final
exam with what you have received on the three
in-class exams. If the final is better, then I will replace
the worst of these with the final exam grade, so that the final
will count as 44% (instead of 25%) of your semester grade.
For students who have been present for all exams, this generally
means that you may miss on a set of topics once without penalty,
so long as you understand those topics thoroughly for the final
exam. If you must miss an exam for reasons other than serious
illness (about which you must contact your professor in advance)
or another college-related involvement for which an excused
absence is granted, there will be no opportunity for a make-up.
In this case, the final will automatically count for 39% of your
grade. Cheap airfares, early departures for vacations and the
like are not valid excuses for missing an exam.
Please speak with me about problems or issues as they arise during
the semester. I am still growing as a teacher, and if you have
concerns, it is simply a matter of “building one another up”
that you should raise them in an appropriate moment, preferably
while adjustments may still be made that affect your class.
This page maintained by: Course Objectives
Class Meetings
Our class meets Mon., Wed., Thurs. and Fri. at 8:00-8:50 am.
Generally our meeting place is NH 259, though
there may be days when we meet in NH B67 (the Macintosh
computer lab in the basement of North Hall).
Contacting the Professor
My office is NH 281. The hours
I am intentionally in my office for student
questions are posted on my homepage,
and are subject to change during the semester. If we
cannot hook up at one of these times, feel free to
talk with me about an appointed time to meet, or swing
by my office in the hopes that I am available to help.
If you feel yourself falling behind in the class, it
is very important not to put things off, but to seek
help right away. Do not wait until a time close to an
exam before speaking with me.
Reading your Textbook
Read carefully each section of the textbook that we cover.
Reading a math book is not like reading a novel, and can be
frustrating at first. For a rationale on why you should
do it, and advice about how to get the most out of your
reading, go to
this page.
Use of Technology
A good deal of computer use will be expected of you in this
course. Generally speaking, daily homework assignments are available
on the the web, and it is your responsibility to visit
the homework page to find out what they are.
While many announcements, hints, etc. may be given in class, things
that cannot wait until the next class period will be
sent to you as email messages. Thus, it is important that
you be checking your email at least twice daily.
I have requested a class email list to which you can send
messages at
Group Work
Your write-ups for all assignments must be in your own hand and words,
except when otherwise noted. This, however, does not mean you are
to work in isolation. Quite to the contrary, I encourage you to come
together with other members of the class to form a study group, and
schedule regular meetings. I strongly believe that students can
earn as much as one letter grade higher by building one another up
in this fashion. Read
this page for more on why I think participating in a study group
is important, my vision of how it might function in order to be of
most benefit to all who participate, and what pitfalls one should
avoid when working with others so as to maintain personal
accountability for the material.
Grades
Homework
14%
Exams
57%
Participation
4%
Final
25%
Accomodations
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Citizenship
The type of concentration required for mathematics/statistics calls
for a distraction-free environment. Please do your part to make
the classroom one conducive for learning by arriving on time, not
working on homework assignments during class, refraining from frivolous
talk, and actively participating in in-class discussions/activities.
Thomas L. Scofield
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
Calvin College