APM 301– Introductory Statistics

Summer 2008 (First Session)

Textbook: Introductory Statistics (8th edition) by Weiss (Note the change to this textbook!!)

Prerequisites: MAT 117 or instructor approval.

Graphing Calculator and Software Packages: A graphing calculator is recommended. Recommended calculators are TI-83, 83 Plus, or 84 or Casio 98*** series.

Attendance Policy :

In accordance with ASU policy, class attendance is MANDATORY, the following rules will be strictly enforced by all instructors. As the class meets twice a week for only five weeks, we will move quickly and cover a lot of material in every class period. Missing one class is equivalent to missing almost 2 weeks of a 50 minute class during the semester. Thus, attendance to every class is required. Students who exceed the number of allowed absences will receive a grade of EN. Students who feel as though they are excused from class or an exam because of religious observances, medical reasons, or family emergencies are expected to contact the instructor before the class session/exam for which the student will be absent. The best way to reach me is via e-mail. Justification for after the fact absences will require corroboratory documentation and still may not be accepted. Please note that work emergencies do not constitute documented emergencies.

Homework,  Quizzes and Project:

Homework:

• Homework will be assigned and collected daily. Absolutely no late homework will be accepted.
• Students are encouraged to work together on homework, but each individual student is required to write up and turn in his own work.
• All homework assignments will be posted on the webpage and problem solutions will be given in the book or on the webpage.
• All written homework MUST have all relevant pages stapled together and your name should be written on every page.

Quizzes:

• Quizzes will be given every class day.  These quizzes will take place during the first 5-10 minutes of class and will consist of one or two problems from the previous day’s homework.

Project:

The purpose of this project is to be able to apply statistical methods that you learn in this class to real world data that you either collect yourself or find from a source.

• By Wed, June 4, you need to have formed groups of 3-4.
• By Mon, June 9, your group needs to submit roughly 3 proposal ideas for further research.  This includes having some question you want to answer and how you propose going about it. This does not include knowing the correct statistical test to use.
• By Wed, June 25, your group needs to submit a status report. detailing how far along you are in your research/analysis.
• The entire project is due the last day of class, Wed, July 2. It is to be typed up, detailing the motivation for your research, any relevant background information about your research, how the data was obtained, relevant statistical tests, and interpretation of the tests.

The following is a tentative schedule for the sections covered throughout the semester:

Point Allocation & Grading Scale:

Disclaimer: The instructor has the right to change this syllabus at any time. Any changes will be announced in class. It is the student's responsibility to attend class and thus to be aware of such changes.

First-Year Mathematics Courses

Departmental and University Policies and Procedures

Course Withdrawal: A student may withdraw from a course with a grade of 'W' during the withdrawal period. The instructor's signature is not required.

Instructor Initiated Drop: At the instructor's discretion, any student who has not attended class during the first week of classes may be administratively dropped from the course. However, students should be aware that non-attendance will NOT automatically result in their being dropped from the course.

Final Exam Make-Up Policy: The Final Exam Schedule will be strictly followed. Make-up finals are not allowed, with the only exceptions being (1) religious observance, (2) more than one final exam scheduled at the same time, or (3) more than three final exams scheduled on the same day. Make-up exams will NOT be given for reasons such as a non-refundable airline ticket, vacation plans, work schedules, etc. Students should consult the exam schedule before making end-of-semester plans.

Attendance: Instructors will take attendance on a regular basis. A key to success in any mathematics course is regular attendance. In addition, it is the student's responsibility to be aware of any announcements made in class regarding course policies or assignments.

Incomplete: A grade of Incomplete will be awarded only in the event that a documented emergency or illness prevents a student who is currently passing with a C or better from completing a small percentage of the course requirements. A student with an incomplete must make up the final within one calendar year.

Honor Policy: The highest standards of academic integrity are expected of all students. The failure of any student to meet these standards may result in suspension or expulsion from the University or other sanctions as specified in the University Student Academic Integrity Policy. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, tampering, plagiarism or facilitating such activities.

Ethics: It's highly unethical to bring to your instructor's attention the possible impact of your mathematics grade on your future plans, including graduation, scholarships, jobs, etc. The instructor may exercise an option to withdraw you from the course if they think you are compromising the ability to assess your work independently of any other consideration. Students found to be involved in academic dishonesty will be removed from the class and a grade of XE for the course will be submitted to the registrar. A grade of XE is reserved for "failure due to academic dishonesty" and may be petitioned after 1 year. The student will be advised to repeat the course with another professor, possibly at another institution. This is the least action taken. Further, more serious actions may be taken if the situation indicated that such actions are appropriate.

NOTE: THIS SYLLABUS MAY BE MODIFIED AT ANY TIME BY ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE IN CLASS.