Math 3354-3345 Expectations and Policies

Rick Wicklin: 451 Vincent Hall, 626-8308 or 626-1324
Office Hours: 10:00-11:00 WF (before class)
Large Group Learning: 11:15-12:05 WF, AkerH 319
Email: fjw@geom.umn.edu, WWW: http://www.geom.umn.edu/~math335x
Textbook: Multivariable Calculus by Damiano and Freije, Brooks-Cole, 1996.
Text for sale ($20) at the Special Projects Office, 115 VinH,8:30-4:00pm.
TAs: Bob Hesse (Workshop Czar), hesse@math.umn.edu
Sec 1 (Small Group 9:05-9:55 T, Arch 20; Lab 9:05-11:00 Th, LindH 1)
Ernesto Schirmacher, schirmac@math.umn.edu
Sec 2 (Small Group 11:15-12:05 T, AkerH 317; Lab 11:15-1:10 Th LindH 1)
Gerry Naughton, naughton@math.umn.edu
Sec 3 (Small Group 1:25-2:15 T, Phys 143; Lab 1:25-3:20 Th LindH 1)
Tim Brule, brule@math.umn.edu

Expectations of conduct and learning in this class:

  1. Since mathematics is best learned by doing (rather than watching), this course will be taught using an active ``discovery approach.'' This means that each student is responsible for learning the material by completing assignments, reading the textbook, preparing for class, and actively participating in group activities. The instructors are here to assist in learning.
  2. This class will use technology, but always remember that it is a class in mathematics. We will help you use the technology and will devote some workshop sessions to it, but you are expected to learn some on your own time as well. There is on-line help on the class web page (see the URL on the top of the page). By the end of this quarter we expect you to be able to do simple operations in Maple and Matlab.
  3. If you are confused, it is expected that you will ask for help. If you think of questions outside of class, contact your TAs or the instructor by phone, e-mail, or during office hours. This is considered ``participation,'' meaning you get credit for asking questions!
  4. Grades will be based on: 30% homework and workshop participation; 30% lab reports; 40% exams (10% for Exam I and II; 20% for final exam).
  5. No late assignment will be accepted, except by prior arrangement or extraordinary circumstances.
  6. Weekly homework consists of two parts: routine ``gateway'' problems and more challenging ``brainfood'' problems. Brainfood assignments should be written in a professional manner. In particular, please do not rip pages from a spiral notebook and please staple all pages together. All written assignments will require that the student express the mathematics in words using correct English grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Write as if you are an employee presenting your results to your boss. Typing not required.
  7. Brainfood is designed to be challenging. We will ask you to work hard, sometimes on problems that you have never seen before. Brainfood will require thought, time, and the ability to synthesize several concepts. At times, it will be frustrating as you try to piece together these ideas. Typically, if you are able to solve 80% of the brainfood, you are doing well.
  8. Students are encouraged to collaborate on homeworks, however, each student must write and hand in his or her own solution, and all help received should be acknowledged in writing. In other words, if you work with others or look up an answer in a library book, write that down along with your answer. When in doubt, cite your source! Failure to acknowledge sources constitutes plagiarism. In this class, we define plagiarism as ``to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from another'' (W.S. Achtert and J. Gibaldi, The MLA Style Manual, 1985, p. 4). See the last page of this handout for the IT statement on academic dishonesty.
  9. There will be several labs that will be written up professionally. Only one lab need be submitted for each lab group. You are encouraged to choose your own lab groups (within your workshop section). Typing lab reports is not required, but is encouraged.
  10. Each midterm exam will have a take-home portion (similar to the brainfood questions.) You may use any inanimate reference or technical tool, but you may not discuss the exam with any living being (even your goldfish). Typically, 20% of the exam score will be examined by the gateway exam (see below), 20% by the take-home portion, and 60% by the in-class portion.
  11. Before each exam, there will be a ``gateway exam'' to test routine computational skills. Several of these problems will be taken from your gateway homework problems. You may take the gateway exam up to three times:

From p. 20 of the IT Bulletin (also in the IT Student Guide):

The Institute of Technology expects the highest standards of honesty and integrity in the academic performance of its students. Any act of scholastic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense, which may result in expulsion. The Institute of Technology defines scholastic dishonesty as submission of false records of academic achievement; cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing; altering, forging, or misusing an academic record; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; acting alone or in cooperation with another to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement. Aiding and abetting an act of scholastic dishonesty is also considered a serious offense.


About this document ...
Return to Calculus 3353/3354 Homepage
URL: http://www.geom.umn.edu/~math335x/Expectations/Expectations.html
Copyright: 1996 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota.
Department of Mathematics. All rights reserved.
Comments to: hesse@math.umn.edu
Last modified: Sept 19 1996
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.