Course Information Sheet
Weekly Schedule
Final Exam Schedule
Instructors and Sections
Office Hours
Contact Information
TI Calculator Info
Blackboard
Course Information Sheet
Text: Excursions in Modern Mathematics, Tannenbaum, 6th ed,
Pearson/Prentice Hall. Chapters 5 – 8.
The text website provides links to a number of useful on-line study aids.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. For you to experience first-hand that many important topics in modern mathematics are very different from the traditional mathematics studied in High School, and those topics have vast applications in the modern working world of business, education, government, and even in national defense.
2. For you to learn to solve problems (both abstract and practical) using the techniques introduced in class. This will involve a number of important skills: to be able to read about, understand, and learn complicated procedures and algorithms; to be able to apply these procedures to different and sometimes new situations; to work carefully and accurately.
3. For you to learn to communicate mathematically. You should be able to write and speak about the mathematics you learn in a clear and precise way. In particular, you will need to know the exact meaning of all new terms that you meet and be able to use them in a logical and grammatically correct fashion.
STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE:
Each student is assigned to a specific lecture and small-group section. Lectures meet Monday/Wednesday (and some Fridays); small-group sections meet once per week on either Tuesday (AM lectures) or Thursday (PM lectures). Lectures present new material from the text. In the small-group meeting you will be able to ask questions and practice doing problems under the guidence of your TA.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS:
1. You are expected to attend both lectures and small-group meetings regularly. For both you are expected to arrive on time and stay the entire period.
2. You are responsible for everything that happens in class. This includes any material covered as well as any announcements made like changes in homework assignments or test schedules. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to check with someone else in the class to find out what you missed.
OFFICE HOURS:
Office Hours for TAs and professors are spaced throughout the week so that there is someone available to provide help at most reasonable times. See the schedule of office hours for when someone is available. TAs hold office hours in 614 Chem (the Math Learning Center). The professors usually use their own offices. You may seek help from any of the Topics TAs or professors. When you visit the MLC, make sure you identify who is the Topics TA. Most other TAs may not be able to answer your questions.
CALCULATORS:
The need for a calculator in this course is minimal and almost any calculator will do. However, for exams you will need to use some calculator other than your cell phone. Cell phones are not allowed to be out during exams.
HOMEWORK:
Mathematics is similar to learning to ride a bicycle or learning any other athletic skill—you cannot learn how by watching someone else. It is important that you learn by doing. Although you will see many problems and examples worked in lectures, it is imperative that you do the suggested homework exercises from the text listed on the weekly schedule under each lecture. Answers to the odd numbered problems are in the back of the text. Working with another student, or in a small group (3 or 4) can be very helpful. Work on these problems each day after we cover the relevant material. The problems listed on the weekly schedule are for practice and are not to be turned in.
In addition to the suggested problems, there will be a separate weekly homework assignment to be carefully and neatly written up and turned in according to your professor's instructions. Homework must be turned in on time. No late homework.
GRADING POLICIES:
Partial credit will be given only for work that is mostly correct. Few points will be deducted if only one or two minor errors were made. However, you should not expect partial credit for attempting to solve a problem with an incorrect method. You will always be required to show appropriate work to support your answers. Do not expect to get full credit for a correct answer if the appropriate explanation or work is missing. When questions require written explanations, the answer will be graded on its clarity, as well as its content. The usual rules of written English apply; full sentences and paragraphs are expected; reasonable legibility is required.
EXAMS:
There will be two midterms and one final exam. The final will be a block exam (all sections take the exam at the same time) and will not be at the times listed for individual sections in the Final Exam Schedule! We will not know the date and time of the final until somewhere around the middle of the quarter. Do not make any travel plans until you know this date! The midterms will be given in lecture on Fridays and their tentative dates are shown on the weekly schedule.
COURSE GRADES:
Homework/participation will be worth 20%, midterms 25% each, and the final 30% of your final grade. Your composite score based on these weightings will determine your course grade by the following scale:
87% - 100% = A– to A 75% - 87% = B– to B+ 60% - 75% = C– to C+ 50% - 60% = D– to D+ < 50% = F
MISSED EXAMS/ASSIGNMENTS:
If you miss an assignment or exam, it is entirely at the discretion of your professor whether this is to be handled in any way other than just giving it a zero. What constitutes a "legitimate" excuse is determined solely by the professor. In general, failure to contact the professor at the earliest possible opportunity is cause for rejecting any excuse, no matter how legitimate. (E.g., before leaving town if you are called away unexpectedly.) You can leave a message (with a description of the situation and a means of contacting you) via email (preferred) or voice mail for your professor. Contact information is contained here. However, it is your responsibility to make sure that you actually talk to your professor as soon as possible—preferably in-person (in the office, not in the classroom). You will be expected to supply evidence that supports your excuse. Even for a legitimate excuse, reported in a timely manner, the student should not expect to be allowed to make up the missed work.
For exams, we neither plan a special make-up exam time, nor does there usually exist a replacement exam. Consequently, even for those excuses the instructor deems legitimate, the only remedies may be to weight the final more heavily (for a missed midterm) or to give an incomplete (for a missed final).
WITHDRAWALS:
Thursday, November 20, is the last day to withdraw from the class. If you withdraw, your professor will be required to affirm whether or not you minimally participated in the class. Although we will do our best to answer accurately, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we will affirm that you did not minimally participate. Ways for you to provide clear evidence of your presence in the class would include participating in a small group meeting, turning in a homwork, taking an exam, etc.
CHANGES IN SYLLABUS:
This syllabus is subject to change. If any changes are made, they will be announced in lecture.
GENERAL EDUCATION:
This course was designed following the guidelines of the University of Cincinnati General Education Program. It satisfies, or partially satisfies the Quantitative Reasoning distribution requirement.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
The University Rules, including the Code of Conduct, and other documented policies of the department, college, and university related to academic integrity, will be enforced. Any violation of these regulations, including acts of plagiarism or cheating, will be dealt with on an individual basis according to the severity of the misconduct.
SPECIAL NEEDS POLICY:
Students with special needs should meet with the instructor as soon as possible to arrange for reasonable provisions to ensure an equitable opportunity to meet all of the requirements of this course. At the discretion of the instructor, some accommodations may require prior approval by Disability Services.