Math 105: Class Policies

Class Policies

Math 105:
Instructor: Kathleen M. Shannon
Office: DH 104
Phone: 543-6476
E-Mail: KMSHANNON@salisbury.edu

Office Hours: Can be found on: my schedule I will be in my office much more frequently than this. Drop in or call. If I'm not in my office look around the department (seminar room, other faculty offices, the computer lab etc.). I will also be available by appointment.
There are answering machines on both of my phones and I do not object to calls about homework or problems (grade inquiries should be made in person) at home at reasonable (avoid a.m.) times.

Tests: There will be two tests at approximately midterm and near the end of the term on dates and material announced in class. I do not generally give make-up exams. If a test is missed for a good reason (eg, car accident on the way to class, hospital stay, illness, bereavement) I will generally use the remaining information I have to award a grade in a fair and consistent manner. If a test is missed for insufficient cause, it will be a 0 and will be used in your grade. There will also be a final exam during the final exam period.

Attendance: Is Required! You are responsible for any material announcements, etc you missed by missing class or coming late. In addition, you must attend 90% of the classes to be eligible for an A, 80% to be eligible for a B, 70% to be eligible for a C and 60% to be eligible for a D. In a normal semester 90% means missing no more than 4 classes; 80% missing no more than 9 classes, 70% no more than 13 classes and 60%, no more than 18. Regular attendance does not guarantee the mentioned grade; in fact it is likely that you will need much better attendance than the requirement in order to achieve the listed grade. This is a necessary but not sufficient condition.

Homework: ALL HOMEWORK MUST BE TYPED! I suggest using a word processor and proof reading a first draft BEFORE printing the final draft. You may hand write in any special characters or complicated mathematical expresions

A large portion of your grade in this class will be determined by your homework/essay assignments. These and any in-class assignments will be graded on the following scale:

Check + ------- 5 pts Excellent!! You have something worth saying and say it well.
Check * ------- 4 pts Very Good!! Either eloquent or good points. Shows you have productively given the assignment some thought.
Check ------- 3 pts Fine. You have apparently read the assignment and put some thought into your response.
Check ? ------- 2 pts Needs improvement. Either you haven't expressed yourself well or you haven't really thought about the assignment or you missed the point. Everybody misses something sometime but regular ? or - grades are cause for some concern. See me if you need further clarification or advice.
Check - ------- 1 pt You haven't really done the assignment, either you missed part, you didn't take it seriously or your essay doesn't make sense.

Straight check's end up as a borderline B/C grade. Some assignments will not lend themselves to fine distinctions so that there may be some assignments where everyone receives a check. On the more complex assignments the following can be very helpful: (1) Write and rewrite.(2) Ask a friend to read your assignment and see if it makes sense. If your friend consistently thinks your essays are terrific but you don't get "good" grades, try another friend. (3) Don't wait until the last minute. (4) Rewrite after you have been away from it for a while (e.g. the next day). (5) Read the assignments carefully - make sure you understand the question. If you don't - ASK!!! Many of the assignments in this course will be open ended. In other words there will be no one "right answer." There are frequently, however, "wrong answers" and there are always good and poor answers. Because the questions are open ended, and because I want you to think about and find your own answers, I can't tell you in advance what I want. Periodically I will read "good" student responses as examples in class and I am always happy to discuss assignments with you on an individual basis. You are always welcome to discuss your work with me during office hours. You are also encouraged to discuss assignments with each other. Make sure to credit each other in your essays if you do so. If you are not satisfied with the grades you are receiving you should definitely talk to me about how to improve your essays. Late papers will generally not be accepted. (The exception to this rule is that I will often accept papers if I have not begun grading the set yet and we have not discussed them in class) However, there will be a limited number of "make-up" assignments (1 or 2) which can be used to replace missed homework or homework which has received a "low" grade.

In addition to homework, you will be required to make regular (and specific) posts and responses to posts on a discussion board in MyClasses.

At the University Writing Center in the GAC, trained consultants are ready to help you at any stage of the writing process. It is often helpful for writers to share their work with an attentive reader, and consultations allow writers to test and refine their ideas before having to hand papers in or to release documents to the public. In addition to the important writing instruction that occurs in the classroom and during teachers’ office hours, the center offers another site for learning about writing. All students are encouraged to make use of this important service. For more information about the writing center’s hours and policies, visit the writing center or its website at www.salisbury.edu/uwc.

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