Syllabus for Mat 108 Section# 3714
Fall 2010 Semester
MW 2:45 - 4:05 in LC 18

Lecturer: James Lamatina
Office Room # / Phone #: ES 132G / 442-4768 (2-4768)
Office Hours: MWF 12:00 - 1:30
Email Address: [email protected] (Preferred)


Quick Links:

Course Description:

A MAT 108 Elementary Statistics (3 Credits)
Frequency distributions, measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability and sampling, estimation, testing of hypotheses, linear regression and correlation.
Only one of A MAT 108 and B ITM 220 may be taken for credit. Not open for credit by students who have taken A MAT 308.

Prerequisite(s): 3 years of high school mathematics.

The reason for the prerequisite is to make sure you have some knowledge with calculators and some statistical evaluations.

A MAT 108 does count for 3 credits of the General Education Requirement.

Textbook:



"Intro Stats" 3rd Edition by De Veaux, Velleman, and Bock

Calculator:

Any calculator that has a square root function is required for the course. Cell phones, mobile devices, etc. are not allowed to be used as a calculator.

Coursecompass:

Students are required to sign up to the Coursecompass website at www.coursecompass.com. Every student MUST SIGN UP BY Wednesday, September 15th. If you're in a situation in which you are unable to sign up, then notify me as early as possible (don't wait until the last minute).
Any student(s) that tries to sign up after this date will need my permission and WILL NOT MAKE UP any of the work that was already assigned.

First time users to this website will need the following 3 things:

1. A valid email address (preferably your Albany email address). The reason for the email address is so that when you have a question for me about a problem, I can email it back to you. If you placed an invalid or mistyped email address, then I will go through the instructions of fixing this situation but only once for each student.

2. A CourseID# provided by the instructor. For this course, the CourseID# is lamatina22163.

3. A MyMathLab code (this can be obtained by purchasing a NEW edition of the book that is packaged with a MyMathLab code or purchasing online through the website).

If you are asked for the zip code for the University, then type in 12222.


For users who have used the site before (MyMathLab, MyStatLab, MyEconLab, MyPsychLab, MasteringBiology, MasteringChemistry and/or Mastering Astronomy):

You can go to the Returning Users link with the username and password that you've used before. However, you will still need the CourseID# and the MyMathLab code as previously mentioned.


If you need any help on what was previously mentioned, then you can go to the following website: www.pearsoncustom.com/ny/pearsonatalbany

Once registered, the first thing you should do is click on the MyStatLab Browser Check link (found in the Announcements page) to make sure your computer has the proper files to run the player.

If you don't have a computer or if you have issues with your computer, you can go to the INFORMATION COMMONS area in any of the University's 3 Libraries. Their computers will have the programs installed to run the website.

Coursecompass Support:

The website works for all computers. If you have an issue working with the website, you can contact Tech Support at 1-800-677-6337 during the following hours:

Monday - Friday: 12pm - 8pm

You can also use the 24/7 Live Chat Support which can be found at www.247xl.custhelp.com. Just click on the Chat tab and fill in some information.

If you're still experiencing issues while Tech Support is working on the solution to the problem, then it might be best to work with the library computers as previously mentioned.

Important Dates:

The following is a list of dates that you should be aware of during the semester:

Monday, September 6th - Wednesday September 8th: No Classes

Wednesday, September 15th: Last day for students to add Semester Length courses with Permission Numbers
Last day for students to drop Semester Length courses without a "W"

Monday, November 8th: Last day to file S/U or A-E grading options for Semester Length courses
Last day for students to drop Semester Length courses with a "W"

Wednesday, November 24th: No Class

Wednesday, December 8th: Final Class


Weather:

If the weather is severe, you can either go to the University Website or call 44(2-7669) to see if classes are cancelled. DO NOT CONTACT me if classes are/are not in session.

Note: ALWAYS EXPECT for classes to be in session.

Attendance:

Attendance will only be taken on Examination days (bring your SUNY ID or any valid Identification with you). However, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND attending all of the lectures as it may affect your grade by not showing up to class.

For any class lectures that you missed, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to either contact me or fellow students to find out what was covered and/or any important announcements.

Chapters:

The following is the order of the Chapters for the course:

Chapter 2: Data

Chapter 3: Displaying and Describing Categorical Data

Chapter 4: Displaying and Summarizing Quantitative Data

Chapter 5: Understanding and Comparing Distributions

Chapter 6: The Standard Deviation as a Ruler and the Normal Model

Chapter 7: Scatterplots, Association, and Correlation

Chapter 8: Linear Regression

Chapter 9 (Optional): Regression Wizard

Chapter 11: Understanding Randomness

Chapter 12 (Optional): Sample Surveys

Chapter 13: Experiments and Observational Studies

Chapter 14: From Randomness to Probability

Chapter 15: Probability Rules

Chapter 18 (Part I): Sampling Distribution Models (For Proportions)

Chapter 19: Confidence Intervals for Proportions

Chapter 20: Testing Hypotheses About Proportions

Chapter 21: More About Tests

Chapter 22: Comparing Two Proportions

Chapter 18 (Part II): Sampling Distribution Models (For Means)

Chapter 23: Inference About Means

Chapter 24: Comparing Means

Chapter 26: Comparing Counts

Class Lectures:

Each class lecture will be shown in PowerPoint presentations. You can obtain a version of these lecture notes by clicking on the Lectures tab of the Coursecompass website. They will be posted before the lecture starts. If you write notes slowly, then I highly recommend copying the notes before class.

Only a few examples or a few steps on how to do the examples will be shown in these presentations. Hence, attending lectures are important.

The first presentation slide for each class will only be up for a few minutes depending on the amount of notes. Therefore, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to show up to class on time.

Class Behavior:

During each class lecture, I expect every student to be at his or her utmost behavior. Please follow the rules for the class:

1. Have all cell phones, mobile devices, and/or music players turned off or on silent mode.

2. Laptops are not allowed in the class. You can bring them with you if you were traveling with it but it must remain closed or in a case.

3. If talking amongst others, keep it at a minimal volume.

4. Make NO inappropriate or rude comments and/or gestures.

5. NO engaging in any non-participatory activity. Some of these activities are reading non-class related material, studying for tests doing homework or papers for other courses, writing notes to other students, etc.

6. NO sleeping in class.

Failure to follow any of these rules will result in leaving the class and/or a conversation with me.

Extra Help:

My scheduled Office Hours are listed at the top of the website (Page #1 if you printed the syllabus). You DO NOT need to call or email me to say that you are coming. However, if you can't attend the hours and want to arrange for another time, then you can email me for a possible appointment (State in the email your availability).

Besides my office hours, there are other options to get help:

1. The Math Department has a Tutoring Room, ES 138, where students can attend to get help with no charge. It will start around the second week of the semester and runs everyday from around 9:00 - 4:00 (closes at 2:35 on Fridays). During peak hours from 11 - 2, it may be treated as a first-come, first-serve basis.

2. The Math Department does have a list of private tutors that may be willing to help. You can ask for this list in ES 110. A private tutor will charge for their sessions.

Disability:

If you are a student who has a Disability and visited the Disability Resource Center, then I will need the documentation they provided for you to give to your professors.

If you are a student who has a Disability but haven't visited the Disability Resource Center, then visit them at CC 137. You must provide documentation of your disability.

For those who showed me the documentation will have extra time (whether alone or with a scribe) to work on the examination in the Disability Resource Center. Remember to schedule the exam date with them in advance.

Student Athletes:

If you're a student athlete that will be competing during the semester, I will need a schedule (should be provided to you) listing the dates & times that you may be away from class.

If you need a Mid Semester Progress Report filled out, please hand them to me in a timely manner and I will have them completed within the next class day.

Homeworks:

All homework assignments will be assigned and worked on through the Coursecompass website. There will be a total of 22 homework assignments. EXPECT homework to be assigned at the end of each class lecture. The assignments will be due the minute before next week's class lecture. THE DUE DATES for each assignment are also shown on the website. Each homework assignment will be worth 10 points.

Note #1: You will have 3 tries to get a question or each question part correct (unless there are only 2 or 3 possible multiple choice answers). After the third incorrect attempt, the question or question part will be marked wrong and the correct answer will be shown. However, you will have the opportunity to redo the question again (most likely with different words and/or values) by clicking on the Similar Exercise link on that question. Note: The Similar Exercise link will not show up until the question is fully completed. Therefore, you have an unlimited amount of attempts to get a good grade on each assignment as long as it's within the due date.

Note #2: If you received a 100 on any or all questions of an assignment and want to do the question(s) again within its due date, then it is best to go to Gradebook tab and click on the Review link for that assignment. That way if you answered a question or question part(s) incorrectly, your grade will not be affected.

If you went through the Homework option and received a lower score on a question, a window will pop up asking if you want to save the new score or keep last saved score. If you said Save this score (Rather than saying Keep last) even though it is lower, then you will need to do the question again to get back the score you had. DO NOT CONTACT saying you had a higher score because I will only see your work on the last saved attempt.

Note #3: You don't have to finish all the homework problems in one session. You can do a few of them and save the rest for later. To exit out, click on the Save Tab.

Note #4: Each assignment has an Ask My Instructor link in which a new window will pop up and you can send an email to me about the problem. If you use this option, YOU MUST write down the work that you did for the problem so I can find your mistake. If you don't write down any work or comment that you can't do the problem, then I won't help you and you will need to seek help elsewhere.

The deadline to ask me any questions using Ask My Instructor on any assignment is the midnight before the assignment is due. Any questions asked after that will not be answered and will need to seek help elsewhere.

Note #5: If you come to my Office Hours and need help on a problem, you must have some work or idea on how to do the problem. If you come in with nothing, then I will ask you to go to the Tutoring Room.

Note #6: Coursecompass DOES NOT LOSE any work. If you typed in a solution but closed the assignment before checking the answer, then the solution will disappear. If you feel that there is a problem, then either call Technical Support at 1-800-677-6337 or go to the computers in the Information Commons area of any library.

Note #7: If you feel that you were marked wrong for a possible correct answer, then either contact me during my Office Hours or by email. Please let me know which question and/or part that you need me to look at. If it turns out that it's a problem for the majority of the students, then I will make an announcement to everybody as early as possible.

Note #8: Assignments that are grayed out means that the assignment is omitted. These assignments are either extra problems or possible Bonus assignments. The reason for this is so they won't affect the overall grade after completion or not working on them. For the possible Bonus assignments, bonus points will be given on another assignment once the assignment is past its due date.

Quizzes:

Quizzes will also be assigned and worked on through the Coursecompass website. There will be a total of 6 quizzes for the course. The quizzes will be assigned on Wednesdays. I will announce in class if I assigned a quiz. The quizzes will be due the minute before the following Wednesday's lecture. THE DUE DATES for each quiz are also shown on the website. Each quiz will be worth 35 points.

Note #1: Unlike homework assignments, you will have only 1 try to answer each question (Homework assignements were at most 3 tries). Also, each student will be limited to 2 or 3 attempts of each quiz within the due date (Each homework has unlimited attempts within the due date). The HIGHEST SCORE from the attempts will be your grade for the quiz (all attempts will be shown in the gradebook).

Note #2: If you do a multiple attempt on the same quiz, you will be given different questions for each problem. In order to get a better grade, YOU WILL NEED to do EVERY question again. THERE IS NO OTHER OPTION.

Note #3: You will have an unlimited amount of time to answer the questions in each quiz. However, you may experience your computer being frozen, lost internet connection, and/or idle time logout. If this has happened, you will likely receive an Incomplete grade for the quiz (you can check this under the Gradebook tab). If you've received an Incomplete grade, then email me ASAP. I will allow you to continue the work on that same quiz attempt (you will not lose an attempt by doing this). I will email you back saying that you have been granted to work on it again.

However, if you email me on the day the assignment is due, then I will not grant access on working that quiz attempt. Therefore, you will have to lose that attempt and work on another (if you still have any attempts remaining).

Again, if you continue to keep having problems working on quizzes with your computer, then go to the library as mentioned earlier in the Coursecompass section.

Note #4: You can only email me if you have a question on the wording of the problem. I WILL NOT answer emails asking for help or how to start the problem while you are taking the quiz or after it is completed.

Note #5: When under a quiz attempt, you CAN'T OPEN up the homework and/or Study Plan in a new window. If you try to do so, then either an attempt or an Incomplete grade will be marked as your quiz grade. If you lost an attempt because of this, you WILL NOT be given an extra one.

Note #6: (Mentioned Earlier in Homework) If you feel that you were marked wrong for a possible correct answer, then either contact me during my Office Hours or by email. Please let me know which question and/or part that you need me to look at. If it turns out that it's a problem for the majority of the students, then I will make an announcement to everybody as early as possible.

Exams:

There will be a total of 4 exams for the course consisting of Multiple Choice (Scantron process explained later) and a few Short Answer questions. The first 3 exams will be worth 125 points. The Final exam will be worth 250 points. The exams will have some (NOT ALL) of the equations needed for the questions on the exam. When the exams are given back, I will post the Answer Key for the Multiple Choice questions (I will try to post the Short Answer questions once make up students are done with the exam).

You may use your calculator to answer any Multiple Choice questions. However, YOU MUST SHOW ALL WORK for all the short answer questions. Failure to do so will result in getting little or no points for that problem.

The Final Exam IS CUMULATIVE. There will be NO EXEMPTIONS.

The following table is a list of TENTATIVE DATES for each exam (except for the Final):

Exam #1
Wednesday, September 22nd
Exam #2
Wednesday, October 20th
Exam #3
Wednesday, November 17th
Final
Wednesday, December 15th 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm in LC 18

You will be given at least a week notice if the exam date (except for the Final) stays the same or has been changed to a different date.

Since my Final is not a Departmental exam, the date of my Final is as previously mentioned. Therefore, you should schedule accordingly to be available at that time. Failure to take the Final at that date and time will receive a 0 on the exam.

If you have 3 Finals on the same day, then you can move one of them to a different day only if it's a Departmental Exam or a Final that was rescheduled.

Scantron:

The answers to all Multiple Choice questions for each exam are to be placed on the first page of the Scantron sheet. You can either use a No. 2 pencil or a pen to fill in the answers. If you made any mistakes using a pen, I will have extra Scantron sheets.

Be sure to transfer your answers correctly on the Scantron. If you marked on your exam paper the correct answer but placed the incorrect answer on your scantron, then you WILL NOT receive the credit for that question. Also, if no answers are placed on the Scantron when turned in, then you will receive NO CREDIT for all the Multiple Choice questions. Once the exam papers are available to be handed back to the students, the Scantron will not be handed back. If you want to see your Scantron results, then you have to stop by during my Office Hours.

You will also need to fill out some areas of the second page of the Scantron. The following areas and a description are shown below:



NAME: The LAST NAME (according to MyUAlbany) is to be inputted first. After the last name is completed, then place a space. Finally, input your First name. Each of the letters (including the space) is to be bubbled.

IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: The Identification number is your 9-digit Student Identification Number (Not the number on your SUNY ID card). If you don't know your Student ID number, you can find this at the MyUAlbany website. Each of the numbers has to be bubbled.

VERSION: Each exam will have a version number. Make sure you correctly bubble in the right version of the exam. If you don't, then your answers will be based off from another answer key and I will not fix this issue.

These are the only areas you need to fill out on the second page. Filling out the other areas would be time-consuming.

Make sure to fill out your name properly as well as knowing your Student ID number. The FIRST TIME that I have to fix the situation will be a warning. All other times, may lead to points being taken off.

Exam Review:

There will be a Review Session on the Friday before each exam (except for the Final) is given. The date and time will be provided for you as soon as it becomes available. Also, the class lecture just before the exam will be strictly review.

Because of these Review Sessions, there will be NO OFFICE HOURS on the day of the examination.

For the Final exam, I will be handing out a Review Sheet on the topics that will likely be on the Exam along with limited Office Hours.

Exam Notes:

On Exam day, please read and note the following:

1. The exams are passed out in a certain way. If you want to get started on the examination as early as possible, then sit near the front of the room. If you sit near the back of the room or show up a little late, then I am not responsible if you didn't finish the exam on time.

2. Keep your area cleared except for a writing utensil and a calculator. Make sure to have a calculator with you for the exam since I don't have any spares. There is no need to bring scrap paper. It will be provided along with the exam.

3. (Mentioned Earlier) Cell phones, mobile devices, and music players should be turned off or in silent mode. If you are caught with noise from any of these devices, then points will be taken off.

4. (Mentioned Earlier) Have your SUNY ID card or any other valid ID available for attendance. If you don't have valid ID with you, then points will be taken off.

5. If you need to step out, please notify me and turn your exam over before leaving.

6. When completed, turn in the exam and leave the room quietly.

Cheating:

If anyone is caught giving or receiving the following unauthorized help:

1. Use of notes, books, or other aids

2. Arranging for another person to take the exam for you

3. Looking upon someone else's exam or allowing another student to look at your exam

4. Talking during the exam

5. Passing information about the exam,

then the student(s) who is/are involved will receive a 0 for the exam. Also, the issue will be reported to the Office of Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Medical Excuse Policy:

In compliance with the University Senate Policy, the University Health Center will only provide medical excuses to students for medical conditions that meet the following conditions:

A University Health Center provider is involved in the medical care;
AND
The condition is deemed significant by a medical provider in the University Health Center;
AND
Based on examination by a University Health Center provider, the student is advised not to attend class.
OR
The student has proof of a documented hospitalization.

In general, the following conditions WILL NOT WARRANT a medical excuse:

1. A request for a medical excuse from the Health Center for verification of an illness after the illness is over.

2. You miss class or an exam for an appointment at the University Health Center.

3. A respiratory infection without significant fever.

4. Gastroenteritis (vomiting or diarrhea) unless there is fever and/or severe dehydration.

5. Musculoskeletal conditions (minor ankle injuries, wrist sprains, etc.) which do not prevent ambulation.

Students are encouraged to communicate directly with faculty regarding class attendance and/or completion of class assignments when the illness or injury does not meet the criteria previously mentioned.

Regarding Flu:

Due to the anticipated high incidence of Flu Illness among the campus community, ill students with suspect flu should be aware that a Health Center Medical Excuse is not necessary for missed classes.

For more information, you can read the following document www.albany.edu/health_center/HealthInfo/flu_tips.doc.

Make Ups:

Although University officials will consider each student's request on its own merits and not attempt to define ahead of time the validity of all the possible reasons a student might give for missing a class or an exam, there are four types of reasons for which excuses will generally be granted:

1. Illness, Tragedy and Emergencies: If the cause is documented hospitalization or other significant medical reason, a tragic or traumatic experience, or other personal emergency, the student should contact his or her professor or the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (LC30) as soon as the student is able to do so. In general, students are expected to provide appropriate documentation. In cases where abscences exceed one calendar week, the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education will review the documentation and, if appropriate, notify the instructor(s) involved of this fact and of the date(s) for which the student has been excused. An instructor in this case may not penalize the student concerning instruction and assignments that were missed. If an exam was missed, the instructor must administer a make-up exam.

Written notes from the University Health Center will only be provided to students in instances where absence due to documental illness exceeds one calendar week in duration. There will be no provision for notes in instances where an illness-related absence is less than one calendar week in duration, except in cases where the student has missed an exam. In these situations the UAlbany Health center Medical Excuse policy will be strictly adhered to. In cases where the student has an illness-related absence extending beyond 2 calendar weeks in duration, the absence must be reviewed and approved by the University Health Center, then brought to the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. The Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education WILL NOT ACCEPT requests for absence notes submitted more than one calendar week after the requested period of absence.

2. Compelling Time Conflicts: If the cause of the absence is a major academic conference at which the student has a significant participation, a field trip in another course, or some other compelling time conflict, the student must notify the professor involved as soon as possible, providing verification of the conflict. If an excuse is granted, the instructor is expected to provide, if at all possible, an alternative by which the student will not be penalized as a result of the conflict.

3. Athletic Events: Mentioned earlier in the Student Athletes section.

4. Religious Observance: Any student who is unable to attend classes on a particular day or days because of his or her religious beliefs shall be excused from any exam or any study or work requirements. The student should notify his or her professor in advance and will have the opportunity to make up the work.

It shall be the student's responsibility to provide sufficient documentation to support any request. NOTE Any fraudulent excuses are considered violations of academic integrity and are grounds for academic or disciplinary penalties.


In summary, I will allow students to make up any missed homework assignments, quizzes, and/or exams only if documentation is shown to me or to the Office of the Vice Provost (LC 30). Notify me about the incident or excuse ASAP. You WILL NOT be granted to work on the assignments if the documentation is shown to me at least a calendar week after the requested period of absence.

If the Office of Vice Provost is working on your documentation, then I will allow the student to work on the missed assignments. However, if I don't receive the documentation from them within a 2-week period after the request, then the assignments worked on will be graded a 0 and this will be documented.

For Homework assignments and Quizzes: Students will have a few days (depending on the situation) to make up the missed work.

For Exams: The make up date will be a week from the upcoming Friday (around 3:00) in which the examination was given in a specific room. For example, the tentative date for the first exam is Wednesday, September 22nd. Therefore, the make up for that exam will be Friday, October 1st. If the documented absence is within the time of the make up exam, then we will work on another make up date.

Grade Summary:

The grade is determined by the number of points you received divided by the total number of possible points. The final average is rounded to the nearest whole number. The following is an example of how the class average is determined:

Points PossiblePoints Obtained
20 Homeworks
200
182
5 Quizzes
175
163
Exam #1
125
121
Exam #2
125
110
Exam #3
125
98
Final
250
221
Total
1000
895


Note: As you can see from the table only 20 (not 22) homework assignments are shown and 5 (not 6) quizzes are shown. The reason for this is that I will drop AT MOST 2 Homework Assignments and AT MOST 1 Quiz for each student at the end of the course only if these assignment grades are below their overall class average. There will be NO EXAM GRADES dropped. If NOT ALL your homework assignments and/or quizzes were dropped, then the total possible points will be higher than the 1000 points shown in the table.

Final Grade:

The following table shows the final average that you need for the corresponding letter grade for the course:

93 and higher
A
90 - 92
A-
86 - 89
B+
83 - 85
B
80 - 82
B-
76 - 79
C+
73 - 75
C
70 - 72
C-
66 - 69
D+
63 - 65
D
60 - 62
D-
59 and below
E


With the grade example shown earlier (895 out of 1000 points), the student will receive an A- for the course.

Students may select S/U grading in undergraduate courses or sections that are normally graded A-E. With this S/U option, you will need a C grade or higher (C- doesn't count) in order to receive a Satisfactory grade. The request for this option must be submitted via www.albany.edu/myualbany by 11:59pm on the deadline date specified in the academic calendar (Mentioned Earlier). Students can find the "S/U Grading Option" link on the Academics tab, below the "Enrollment Services" area in MyUAlbany. Students may also use this link if they decide to change back from S/U grading to A-E grading.

Note: Matriculated undergraduate students are limited to a maximum of 2 courses of 'S' by selection in courses below the 300 level except where, in specific courses approved by the UAC Curriculum Committee, departments, schools, or programs require A-E grading for majors. These 2 courses off 'S' by selection may be in addition to all 'S' grades received in department or school designated S/U graded sections or courses.

Final Note:

If you know any student(s) that is in my other class, then they may not get the same assignments and/or due dates. Hence, THE CLASSES WILL BE DIFFERENT and you should only pertain to the class you are signed up for.

Syllabus Rights:

In the case of any changes in the course that needs to be addressed in the syllabus, I have the right to change the syllabus for these necessary changes. Everyone will be notified of these changes immediately.