Math 1680.008 – Elementary Probability and Statistics
Spring 2008
Instructor: Elizabeth Stelley
Class meets: Wooten Hall Room 221, MWF from 11:00 to 11:50
Office: General Academic Building Room 401A
Office Hours: TBA
Email:
Class Website:
Text: Statistics, 4th edition, by Freedman, Pisani and Purves
Final Examination Date and Time: Friday, May 9 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Course Description: Elementary Probability and Statistics.3 hours. An introductory course to serve students of any field who want to apply statistical inference. Descriptive statistics, elementary probability, estimation, hypothesis testing and small samples. Chapters to be covered: 1-5, 8-10, 13-21, 23, 26, 27 (last two chapters are only if time allows).
Prerequisites: MATH 1100 with a C or better, or an appropriate score on the math accuplacer exam (placement exam). Note that test scores on the math department placement test are only valid for one year from the test date.
Grading Policy:
Breakdown:Percentage:
Homework/Quizzes ---- 20%
Exam 1---- 25%
Exam 2---- 25%
Final Exam---- 30%
Attendance Policy:
Attendance is not required for this course. I believe that you are all adults, and can make the decision whether or not to come to class on your own. However, I think we can all agree that you can expect to do much better in the course if you attend class regularly.
Calculator Policy:
Calculators are encouraged for in-class activities and homework, and they will be allowed on the exams. I reserve the right to decide if a calculator is too powerful for the course and disqualify it. Do not use your phones as calculators for the exam! If I see you doing this, I will assume you are cheating and you will receive a 0 for that exam.
Homework Policy:
Homework will generally be assigned every class day. Homework will always be due exactly one week from the day it is assigned. Homework is to be turned in on my desk (in the classroom) by the time class starts on the day it is due. Homework turned in at any other time will be considered late and will not be accepted. I will, however, be happy to accept homework early if you know that you will not be able to make it to class. I am going to drop a few of the lowest homework grades, so this will cover you being absent. The number of assignments I drop will depend on the total number of assignments at the end of the semester. Most of the time, the assigned homework will be a worksheet that can be found on the class website.
1)Homework should be clean and written as neat as possible.
2)You must staple your pages together in the top left hand corner. If you do not staple your homework, it will not be accepted.
3)Your name, along with your section number (1680.010) should be at the top of the first page.
4)The homework must be done in the order it is assigned. It is not the grader’s responsibility to look through your homework just to find one specific problem.
5)If the grader cannot read your writing, your homework will not be graded.
6)Homework should be done on standard 8 ½ x 11 paper.
7)If your paper has perforated edges on it, this must be torn off before submitting your homework.
8)Please make sure to show ALL of your work. This will be an integral part of your homework grade. Just answers will be counted completely wrong unless I deem that there is no work to be shown.
9)Assignments must be done in pencil or blue/black ink. No colored pens or pencils please. If you choose to do your homework in pen, make sure it is as neat as possible. There is nothing worse than having to look through a bunch of chicken scratch as a grader.
It is your responsibility to keep up with the assignments. If you are absent, you need to either go to the class website or contact one of your classmates to find out what that day’s assignment is. I do not have a phone in my office so trying to contact me to find out the assignment will not be terribly efficient. I encourage each and every one of you to swap phone numbers and email addresses the first day of class in case of absence.
Exams:
There will be two exams during the semester worth 25% each. I will always give you at least a week's notice before an exam. Each exam must be taken at the designated time to receive full credit. Exam times are not negotiable. An exam may be taken prior to the scheduled date provided the student contacts me at least one week before the student wishes to take the exam. If an exam is missed, the student must contact me within 24 hours of the scheduled test time. E-mail is the quickest way to reach me. I reserve the right to not allow students without a valid, verifiable excuse to make up the missed exam. This will be the case if you do not contact me in 24 hours. I further reserve the right to deduct 10 points per day late from each makeup exam. Hospitalization of the student, death of a close relative, and orders of a doctor would be considered valid excuses. Most other things (car trouble, sleeping thought the test, not feeling your best) would NOT.
Final Exam:
The final exam will be on Friday, May 9 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.
Cheating:
This should go without saying, but cheating will most definitely not be tolerated. If I catch you cheating, you will be subject to any punishment I see appropriate, up to and including, receiving a failing grade for the course and being referred to the Dean of Students. So just don't do it!!
Drop Policies:
The last day to drop with a W (passing) is February 22. The last day to drop a class at all is March 25.
Evaluations:
This year, student evaluations of the professor will be done online at Please note that completing this evaluation will be mandatory.
Students with Disabilities:
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the responsibility of students with certified disabilities to provide the instructor with appropriate documentation from the Dean of Students Office.