bolker@mcmaster.ca) Office hours 1:30-2:20pm Tues, 10:30-11:20am Thurs, 314 Hamilton Hall; web page.pangw6@mcmaster.ca). Office hours 3:30 - 4:30pm Weds, 12-1pm Fri., 414 Hamilton Hall.pocucan@mcmaster.ca) and Steve Cygu (cygus@mcmaster.ca), Aghigh Farhadi (marking only).All assignments are due on Avenue to Learn, unless otherwise stated. We will penalize late work by 25% per day.
Marks can be adjusted in this class. If you follow the correct steps we will be happy to adjust your mark on tests or assignments. If you deviate from the steps they may still adjust them but they will be less likely to. :-)
Here are some exceptions.
The instructors reserve the right to change the weightings in the grading scheme. For students in good academic standing, other weights might be considered. In either case, the final mark will be computed using this weighting and the new weighting(s). The highest score for a particular student will be their final mark. At the end of the course the grades may be adjusted but this can only increase your grade and will be done uniformly. We will use the grade equivalence chart published in the Undergraduate Calendar to convert between percentages and letter grades.
Contact Dr. Bolker or Dr. Pang as soon as possible. Failing that, contact the Associate Dean’s Office in BSB 129.
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
If you are absent from the university for a minor medical reason, lasting fewer than 3 days, you may report your absence, once per term, without documentation, using the McMaster Student Absence Form. Absences for a longer duration or for other reasons must be reported to your Faculty/Program office, with documentation, and relief from term work may not necessarily be granted. When using the MSAF, report your absence to bolker@mcmaster.ca. You must then contact Dr. Bolker immediately (within 2 working days) by email to learn what relief may be granted for the work you have missed, and relevant details such as revised deadlines, or time and location of a make-up exam. Please note that the MSAF may not be used for term work worth 25% or more, nor can it be used for the final examination. Further details can be found here: https://www.mcmaster.ca/msaf/index.html and here: http://academiccalendars.romcmaster.ca/content.php?catoid=13&navoid=2208#Requests_for_Relief_for_Missed_Academic_Term_Work
Should an accommodation for missed work be granted, the percentage for a missed test will be added to your final exam. The percentage for a missed assignment or quiz will be distributed amongst your remaining assignments or quizzes.
If you must miss a lecture, it is your responsibility to find out what was covered. The best way to do this is to borrow a classmate’s notes, read them over, and then ask your instructor if there is something that you do not understand.
Once a final examination is written, the final grade cannot be adjusted to take into account any special situation. For more detail, and to download the “Petition For Missed Term Work Form,” visit the “Procedures & Forms” web page located at the address http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/associatedean/current-students/procedures-forms.html.
We will be using the learning software Avenue to Learn. Students should be aware that private information such as first and last names, user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation may be visible to other students in the course. By taking this course you consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please discuss them with the course instructor. Grades will be posted on AtL.
The expectations for this class are fairly simple: however, if you have any questions please ask. See the McMaster Office of Academic Integrity’s web page for general information.
You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behavior in all aspects of the learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and academic integrity. Academic dishonesty — knowingly acting or failing to act in a way that results or could result in unearned academic credit or advantage — can result in serious consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or suspension or expulsion from the university. It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For information on the various kinds of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic Integrity Policy, specifically Appendix 3, located at http://www.mcmaster.ca/academicintegrity. The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty: plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not your own or for which other credit has been obtained, improper collaboration in group work, copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.
The instructors and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check their McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any changes.
Students who require academic accommodation must contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to make arrangements with a Program Coordinator. Academic accommodations must be arranged for each term of study. Student Accessibility Services can be contacted by phone 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or e-mail sas@mcmaster.ca. For further information, consult McMaster University’s Policy for Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities.
This outline will be linked from the course home page. However, it is your responsibility to check the course home page and syllabus regularly for further announcements, course handouts, assigned work and its due dates, information about test dates and locations when this information becomes available, downloadable course related material, etc.. Recorded marks for tests and assignments will be posted on Avenue to Learn. You should check these once they become available and bring any discrepancies to the attention of the instructors or the TA as soon as possible.
Materials for this course have been developed over several years by Drs. B. Bolker and M. Valeriote at McMaster University. Most material is available for re-use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license.