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Guidelines & Expectations

General Guidelines and Expectations:

Students are expected to exercise due diligence in all course-related activities. Read below for a clarification of what this means:

Definition:

Due diligence is a measure of prudence, activity, assiduity, effort, expediency, and/or disclosure, as is properly to be expected from, and ordinarily exercised by, a reasonable and prudent person under the particular circumstances.

This singular theme covers most of the guidelines and expectations regarding your attendance, performance, conduct, and communication, in all of your interactions, both with me and those of your fellow classmates.

If a student fails to be duly diligent, he or she may forfeit any and all rights, privileges and/or opportunities for consideration in connection with the particular circumstances, and in some cases, the student's grade can even be penalized (in an appropriate manner deemed by the instructor). On the other hand, the instructor will generally be very sympathetic and accommodating to students with special needs and/or unusual circumstances if they fully disclose such and do so in a timely manner.

Additional Guidelines and Expectations:

Homework Quality Policy:

Assignments are expected to be professionally written. Hand-written solutions need to be easy to read. The instructor reserves the right to penalize grades when solutions are poorly presented. Always show your work! A good benchmark for how much detail to show is to write your solutions in such a way that you will be able to look at them 6 months later and understand what you have done. In addition, students should observe the following:

Deadlines:

Homework assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date due. It is expected that assignments will be handed-in on time. If something catastrophic happens, which keeps a student from being able to turn-in an assignment on time, then by disclosing notice in a timely manner, he or she can still be duly diligent and thus be eligible for special consideration. In such cases, we can usually make other arrangements. Examples include, among other things, documented university excused absences like: a death in the family, military duty, court appearances, prolonged illnesses, etc. In general, late homework assignments will not be accepted without instructor approval.

Timely Notice:

If a student needs any special consideration during this course, he or she is expected to contact me in a timely manner (time is of the essence). Examples include: exam conflicts, health problems, personal problems, etc. By informing me early on, I will do everything I can to help you.

Collaboration:

Unless specified otherwise, students are permitted to collaborate with each other on assignments. However, they must indicate somewhere on the assignment the names of those with whom they collaborated. Failure to fully disclose all collaborations is considered academic misconduct. The instructor reserves the right to bar any student or group of students from collaborating with certain individuals, parties, or other resources, if he feels it is in the best interests of the student. Along these lines, limits on the number of people with whom the student is allowed to collaborate can also be set by the instructor. While collaborating, it is important to understand that there is a fine line between collaboration and and leeching, which is a form of cheating (see below).

Cheating and Misconduct:

According to BYU Academic Honesty policy, "Cheating is a form of dishonesty where a student attempts to give the appearance of a level of knowledge or skill that the student has not obtained."

It is also considered cheating to willfully allow or permit someone else to cheat.

People who engage in any form of academic misconduct will have their grade penalized (sometimes very harshly) and the offense may be reported to the Honor Code Office. Extreme cases of academic misconduct, such as cheating on an exam or term project, will likely result in automatic failure in the course.

Office Hours:

The purpose of office hours are to (i) provide administrative support for the course (e.g., discuss grades, special needs, get advice, etc.) and (ii) provide answers to thoughtful questions. It is not for "free tutoring", "repeat lecturing", or "leeching" from other students' questions. I expect students to come to office hours prepared.

BYU Honor Code:

I fully support and sustain all aspects of the BYU honor code. Students are expected to do the same.

Preventing Sexual Harassment:

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds. The act is intended to eliminate sex discrimination in education and pertains to admissions, academic and athletic programs, and university-sponsored activities. Title IX also prohibits sexual harassment of students by university employees, other students, and visitors to campus. If you encounter sexual harassment or gender-based discrimination, please talk to your professor; contact the Equal Employment Office at 801-422-5895 or 1-888-238-1062 (24-hours), or http://www.ethicspoint.com; or contact the Honor Code Office at 801-422-2847.

Students with Disabilities:

BYU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified persons with disabilities. If you have any disability that may adversely affect your success in this course, please contact the Services for Students with Disabilities Office at 422-2767. Services deemed appropriate will be coordinated with the student and instructor by that office.

Children in the Classroom:

The study of mathematics requires a degree of concentration and focus that is exceptional. Having small children in class is often a distraction that degrades the educational experience for the whole class. Please make other arrangements for child care rather than bringing children to class with you. If there are extenuating circumstances, please talk with your instructor in advance.