Your final grade will be based on the results of quizzes, exams, participation and extra-credit. There will be 11 quizzes which is approximately one per week. However, the quizzes will be given randomly with some weeks having no quiz and other weeks having two quizzes. The best way to be prepared for the quizzes is to attend class and stay current with the material. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. There will be 2 mid-term exams which will take place on a Wednesday. The prior Monday will be used for review. The final exam will take place during exam week and will cover the full semester's material. The last lecture will be devoted to review.
 

Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. This policy is intended to deal with a missed class due to illness or unforeseen circumstances.  If you are sick for an extended period of time, documentation is required to excuse missed quizzes. Documentation must be produced upon your return to class. You are expected to answer the questions on the quizzes and all exams by yourself, without consultation with your neighbors (recall the Honor Code).

No exam, including the final exam, may be missed. If you do miss an exam, for a reason judged valid by your instructor, it is your responsibility to make sure that the missed exam is made up by an oral exam arranged promptly with your instructor. If you miss the final exam, again for a valid reason, it must be made up the next time a final exam is given in this course, that is, Spring 2003.

You can earn up to 10% extra credit towards your final grade by either: class participation, via the `sign-up sheets' passed to those who correctly answer a question in class; by answering challenge questions, which I will post weekly along with the answers to the quizzes, usually by 6 pm of the day of the quiz; or by answering homework problems, which will be accessible via the CAPA (Computer Assisted Personalized Approach) site. Questions in class will usually be worth one point, with harder questions worth more. The challenge questions must be answered by e-mail to me by their deadline. and will usually be worth several points. Credit will only be given for answers which follow the posted instructions and which are received on time. Your extra credit grade will be calculated by finding the person with the largest number of points added up from both sources and assigning that person an extra-credit grade of 10%; your grade will be normalized (pro-rated) relative to this. This extra credit can significantly improve your grade and you are encouraged to take advantage of it.

You are strongly encouraged to attend the lectures as the quizzes will take place during class, and represent an  important component of your final grade. You can also gain extra credit points by answering questions during class.

I encourage everyone to ask me lots of questions, before, during and after the lectures. If I am going too fast in a lecture this is a great way for you to slow me down! You can also send me e-mail, call me on the phone, or come to my office. I will always be there during my office hours, and if you wish to come at other times, send e-mail or call to make sure that I am in. I find this to be the most fun part of my job as a teacher, and so you should take advantage of this!

This is a brand new textbook published this year. It is current in its information with lots of useful and interesting diagrams/pictures. I suggest you read the text prior to lecture and feel free to make notes directly in the book.

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodations should, within the first week of class: 1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC); 2) bring a letter to me from SDRC indicating you need academic accommodations, and what they are. This and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request.

The following is the tentative schedule for the class. All of the material from the lectures will be posted on Blackboard.