Mathematical Models in the Life and Social Sciences

MA 432, Spring 2005

Course Policies

1. Grading Information

   • The course will be graded on performance in the group projects (40% of final grade), mid-term test (20%) and homework (30% of final grade). In order to prepare for certain aspects of the project (such as carrying out and writing up independent research), an extended homework will be used as a practice project. This will contribute the remaining 10% of the final grade.
   • The Instructor will grade all work and inform students of their performance in a timely manner.
   • If you believe that an error has been made in grading your work on a problem set, test or final examination, the matter must be raised in writing, preferably by email, with the Instructor. Any such questions must reach the Instructor within one week of the work being returned to the class.
   • The anticipated marks required to obtain grades A through D are as follows: 92 or above = A, 82 or above = B, 72 or above = C, and 62 or above = D.
   • The Instructor reserves the right to impose some flexibility in these boundaries.
   • Please note that grades are not assigned according to a curve. It is possible for everyone in the class to get an A (or an F). You are NOT competing against your peers, and so it is in your best interests to help (and get help from) your classmates in every legal way possible.
   • Gray areas between grades. There will always be some gray area between obtaining different grades.
     A +/- system will be used.
     The Instructor can, at their discretion, take many factors into account when considering such gray areas. (For instance, attendance record, exceptional performance in a particular homework assignment, test or exam, or if a general improvement in performance has been observed over the course of the term.) The Instructor will have final say in such matters and will not enter into extended debate over these points.

2. Test Information and Policies

   • There will be one closed-book mid-term test, on Thursday March 3rd. You may bring one letter-sized page of notes (and use both sides). There will be no final exam. Instead, the scheduled session of the final (8am-11am on Tuesday May 3rd) may be used for project presentations.

3. Information from the Instructor

   • From time to time, the Instructor may need to inform the class of important changes regarding the lectures, the course or its policies. Announcements will be made in class, but will also appear on the course web page.
   • It is your responsibility to check the course web page from time to time for any such announcements.

4. Instructor's Commitment

   You can expect your Instructor to:

   • be courteous, respectful and punctual
   • be well-prepared for lectures
   • answer questions in a helpful and positive fashion
   • be available during office hours, unless they have notified the class beforehand that they can not keep them
   • ensure that a suitable guest lecturer will cover for any absences or that the class will be notified in advance of any canceled lectures
   • grade fairly, consistently and according to the posted guidelines.

   Above all, the Instructor is here to help you understand the course material and to help you perform to the best of your abilities. Make use of opportunities such as Office Hours and the lectures to get any help that you need.
   Please bear in mind that the Instructor has other obligations and duties beyond teaching and so will, on occasions, not be able to give immediate help. They will, however, attempt to accomdate any requests as well as they can, given their time constraints.

5. Attendance Policies

   • Regular attendance of the lectures will improve your performance in this course.
     Because many lectures build on earlier material, it is in your interest to keep up to date with the subject matter.
   • The Instructor will work with students to make up any work missed on account of genuine reasons.
   • If you have advance knowledge that you will miss a test or homework deadline, please inform the Instructor as soon as possible.
   • Tests or homework deadlines that are missed with certified medical excuses or prior approval of the Instructor will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

6. Behavior During Lectures

   • As a courtesy to other students attending the lecture, please make sure that cell phones are turned off during classes.

7. Assignments

   • Homework assignments will be set from time to time.
   • During the earliest weeks of term, the Instructor may choose to set a general problem sheet as a way of ensuring that students have the necessary prerequisites to ensure their success in the course. This will help us to either work on any missing background material or to decide whether this course is suitable for you.
   • Assignments will typically consist of one or more problems from the course textbook or from a sheet provided by the Instructor.
   • Some assignments may be of a more open-ended nature, aimed at developing independent study and research skills.
   • Not all homework assignments will be graded, and so not all will count towards your final grade. The Instructor need not announce which assignments these are and so you should assume that each assignment will count towards your final grade.
   • You may find it helpful to work on homework assignments in pairs or small groups. Teamwork skills are an important part of life inside and outside of an academic environment. Explaining a problem to someone else often clarifies your own understanding of the problem. But working together does raise some issues: it is to be understood that everyone must make their own significant contribution. Simply copying someone else's work is not acceptable (and won't be helpful to you when it comes to the mid-term or final exam).
   • Completed assignments are to be handed in at the start of class on the due date. If you cannot be present at the class, please make sure that your homework is in the Instructor's mailbox in Cox Hall by 5pm on the due date. The Instructor reserves the right to deduct marks if homework is late, and take further action if homework is persistently late.
   • Answers to problem sets may or may not be posted by the Instructor.

8. Academic Integrity

   • Students should refer to the University policy on academic integrity found in the University code of student conduct. Sections 7 through 13 are particularly relevant.
   • By putting their name on any test, homework assignment, project or examination script, the student gives their agreement that they neither received nor gave unauthorized aid on that piece of work.
     Typically, this means that, unless a group assignment was given, that the item in question represents the student's own work. In the case of a group assigment, this means that the student actively participated in the group activity.
   • The previous statement does not mean that students cannot ask each other for help or work together to a reasonable extent on homework assignments. What it means is that you cannot simply copy or paraphrase someone else's work.
   • Any breach of these regulations is a very serious matter and will be treated as such.

9. Access for Students With Disabilities

   • Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities.
   • In order to take advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653.
   • More information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities.

10. Other Information

    • This course does not involve any laboratory work, field trips or extra expenses beyond the purchase of the course texts and consumables typical of most courses.
    • We shall be making use of MATLAB during the course. This software is available on the computers in the Harrelson computer labs. A student version is available for purchase from the NCSU bookstore, but I believe it costs upwards of 100 dollars. I do not recommend buying a copy of MATLAB specifically for this course, but please come talk to me if you are thinking about buying it.

11. Questions on Course Policy

    • Questions on course policy should be directed to the Instructor within the first four weeks of the course.
    • Errors and omissions excepted.

Instructor's contact details: