My Teaching Policies - - Last modified on
These seem like common sense to me, but others
may disagree. So, I have written them out to minimize unpleasant
surprises. Read them over once, and then we'll focus on the math.
Sorry about the length.
Email me for more info.
Back to Home page.
The Main Rules: (ignoring these may affect your grade)
Any beepers/cell phones, etc must be turned off during class.
Arrive and leave on time [or see me and explain].
If you miss a class, get notes from a classmate.
If you must miss an exam, try to see me beforehand, and document your excuse.
There will normally be no make-up exams.
If you turn in homework late for a good reason, write a note of explanation at the top, and see me.
If you find a grading error, write a note to me at the top of your paper and return it promptly.
Contents:
General Comments
Exams, Grading
The Final
Partial Credit
Scaling
Missed exams, Incompletes
Homework
Independent study
General Comments. Policies announced in class, or in the syllabus for your course, supercede those on this page.
Most of the policies discussed below are about rules and grades. But I am mainly here to help you learn the material. If you need help, please come by my office hours with an organized list of problems. You can also come by about your grades. Or try email - I can usually give you hint on your HW, or discuss problems with the course, etc, within a day or two.
I believe that class time is very valuable. You can ask questions about the lecture (and please correct me if I err!), but avoid wasting the class's time on personal matters like your HW grade, problems in reading the book, and so on. Save those for after class, email, or my office.
Likewise, I will spend only minimal class time on policy, schedules, grading scales, exam-advertisements, and other non-math topics. I expect you to promptly read the syllabus and any handouts (or web pages) relevant to the course.
Also, you are expected to read the text and to attend the lectures - and get notes from a classmate if you miss a day. You are expected to do problems until you have mastered each section, to review pre-requisite courses as needed, and to ask questions when you get stuck. You are encouraged to wonder about anything and everything. But do not fall behind!
Exams and Grading: Typically, each exam/quiz consists mostly of problems similar to the previous homework assignments. And a conceptual question or two [more in advanced classes] such as a True-False section, a proof and/or a definition. I try to give a fair, accurate, and consistent grade to everyone. My exams test a variety of skills such as calculations, word problems, proofs, memory of formulae, True-False, etc. The final is required and won't be dropped.
For optional reading about which answers must be simplified, how I assign partial credit, etc, see my grading policies.
Only a pencil - no calculators, books, papers, etc - is allowed during the exams.
Beware of hoaxes! It is extremely unlikely that I would cancel an exam at the last minute. If that's necessary, it will be posted near the classroom on FIU letterhead. Even then, don't leave until at least 10 minutes past starting time.
I am willing to explain ambiguous problems during a test, and the general form the answer should take. I am not willing to discuss whether your answer is right. I am sometimes willing to 'sell' a minor definition/formula for a few points, so that you don't get a zero on a big problem. Ask.
I do not believe that pre-tests, review sheets, etc should be more effective exam preparation than steadily doing the homework, so creating these things is not a priority for me. But I do prepare them sometimes. Check my exam page for them, or ask me about them.
Working the HW successfully and independently is a good omen for success on the exams. But parts of the exam(s) [such as proofs, true-false, etc] will relate more to the reading and lectures. And there may be a moderately easy problem or two that won't resemble any homework exercises. But typically, about 70 percent of the exam problems will.
I can usually return exams by the next class (except in summer). I will grade Problem One for everybody, then Problem Two, etc. This improves grading consistency, but means I may never look at your scratch work and may miss your notes to me if they are not in plain view.
You will normally have space for your answer, just below each question. You are welcome to answer on the back, or on scratch paper (which I provide) but you must leave me a note on where to look. You are required to hand in your scratch paper, unless it's blank - this sometimes helps me decide about partial credit and cheating.
I don't generally believe in extra credit, but sometimes give a little. If you have an idea for an extra project (fairly early in the term) or for a way to help the class (perhaps by finding serious errors in the web site, writing applets, etc) just contact me. To keep this from affecting the scale, no more than 3 points are possible per student, and no more than 1 extra point on the average. I will not even discuss this during the last weeks of the semester!
I will try to identify any cheating that may occur in the course. I sometimes make multiple versions of exams, check ID's, etc. To avoid unfounded suspicion, show all your work, turn in any scratch paper you use in exams, and avoid sitting next to your study partners during exams [you may make the same mistakes!]. Do not wear a hat, visor, etc during an exam.
The Final: Covers the whole course but emphasizes the last weeks. Material after the previous exam may account for about half the final exam. The final is held in the same room as the lectures. In summer semesters, it is the last class meeting (usually 75 minutes) but in Fall/Spring it is about 2.5 hours.
Partial Credit: Partial credit will be given at my discretion - your opinion on this matter is not needed. I am relatively generous with this, if your method is clearly explained and fundamentally correct. But:
- a nonstandard method requires an extra-careful explanation
(I have to understand it to grade it).
- a proof that is 'correct' (meaning no calculation errors) may
get little or no credit, if it is not clearly explained.
- an answer that is not perfect will usually get at least 1-2
points taken off.
- I do not give much partial credit for short answer problems (eg
5 points or less), or for bonus problems, and none for
True-False.
If I make an objective error in grading, such as adding the points wrong, or not seeing your answer, return it to me with a note on top of page one and I will correct it. You can ask me to review my partial credit decisions, but I do not change these often. Arguing will not help here. However, if you want my help in understanding the problem, or the right answer, I will be happy to talk with you.
I often provide answer keys to exams on my exam page (or my office door) based on demand. Check my website and let me know if you need answers. Similarly, partial keys for homework may be available upon request (especially if the text has no answers).
Scaling: Your semester grade is based on your average exam/HW scores - not on improvement, effort, etc. I do not always put letter grades on exams. I set the official scale after all the grades are in. But I will normally announce various unofficial scales during the semester to let you know how you are doing, and you are always welcome to ask me about this. See your syllabus for a typical scale.
Why scale? Some professors believe they can write exams and grade so accurately that scaling is not necessary. But weird things happen. For example, large classes in which nobody gets higher than a D. In general, that's just not right. So, scaling mainly protects you from mistakes such as grading too harshly. It is only fair that it can work the other way too, but this happens only rarely.
How do I scale? For a typical large class (Calculus I, for example) the average grade should normally be a C+. So, assuming the average is 68 to 69, I'd probably choose a scale with C's going from about 61-70. [The C+'s would be about the top 1/3 of these numbers, etc].
Exceptions: If the class average is very low (about 50/100), or if I feel strongly that the class is worse than normal, then the average grade need not be a C+. This could be based partly on my judgment (class participation, office visits, effort on homework, etc) but more likely on objectively comparing standard questions from year to year. I am avoiding any promises, but I don't think the average grade in any of my classes has ever been below a C.
Exceptions are more likely to be in your favor. For example, many of my graduate classes (and some strong undergraduate classes) have had B averages or higher. If the numerical average is very high, I may reluctantly raise the scale above the tentative one in the syllabus, but I've done this only twice that I can recall, out of about 80 classes. I believe the class average remained a B- or better in both cases. Bottom line: the scale is my decision to make at the end. I make no promises, except that I'll try to be fair and not surprise anyone.
Also note: students who drop, or miss the final exam, are not fully included in the class average. Students who miss an exam, for whatever reason, may be put on a different scale (see below).
Because I scale, 'extra-credit' problems on exams don't make much sense (though I sometimes put them on for fun). I do not provide artificial ways to 'raise your grade' at the end. Of course, the final counts the most and it can raise your grade if your skills improve during the term.
Missed exams, the Incomplete grade: If you must miss an exam, see me ASAP, and bring me documentation such as a dated doctor's note, with brief explanation. If an exam conflicts with a religious holiday, inform me at the beginning of the term. Make sure I have your name! If you have a good excuse, I will normally replace that exam score with a weighted average of your other scores (in MAS 3105, this includes your lowest quiz score). I may also adjust that score slightly up or down, based on the difficulty of the missed exam (based on the class's average scores), etc. I don't like make-up exams (see below).
If I judge that the excuse is weak, or you fail bring the doctor's note, you may get a zero for the exam. However, you should contact me anyway, since I don't like to give zeros.
If the missed exam is the final, it cannot be dropped, and you should ask for an Incomplete grade (I). These can be given only in special cases such as last-minute medical emergencies. I can not give you an "I" if you are also missing other exams (etc) - see College policy - but you might appeal to the Dean for a 'late drop' in this case. Many students never come back to finish their I, in which case the grade becomes an F.
I do not drop, or try to contact, students for non-attendance. They must take action themselves to drop, before the FIU deadline, or they will receive an F.
I generally don't allow make-up exams. When I do, then for security purposes, it is a new exam - no exceptions. So, I offer no promises to scale the make-up exam like the regular exam, and may weight the student's exam scores differently to de-emphasize the make-up. Bottom line: any make-up exam is a favor, intended to give you a chance at a fair grade, but you assume some risks.
Note: if you begin taking an exam, it counts. If you feel sick before an exam, you should try to see a doctor and/or contact me about what to do.
Homework (HW): Refer to your syllabus for more precise info about HW counts in your course. In some of my courses, it does not directly affect your grade.
Do the HW by yourself and turn it in on stapled looseleaf paper. Label the problems clearly and do them in order. For maximum credit be neat, show all your work, and explain your reasoning (unless it's very obvious). This is a good habit for exams and it helps avoid any suspicions of cheating.
I hope you will discuss the ideas of the course with your classmates. But unless I say otherwise, do all assigned work alone, without using solution manuals, special software or answer keys (except perhaps to check your work). If possible, treat HW like an exam. You may use a calculator, get hints from me, and/or discuss similar problems with friends. But plagiarism will be punished.
Homework is due at the beginning of the class, so we can then discuss the answers. If it's late it gets less credit, usually half of normal. I accept late HW for two weeks, except at the end of the semester.
Normally, a student assistant will grade your HW based on completeness, neatness, and an estimate of its correctness. The estimate is based on a careful look at a few randomly selected problems (the same ones for all students). You may sometimes have a little bad luck on that, but it will usually be balanced by good luck on other HW's. It is not likely to affect your grade (compared to my selection of problems on the exams, for example). However, if you feel your average HW score is unfair at the end of the term, return them all to me on the last day of class and I will review them.
If we have a grader for the class, I will share my policies with him (her), but he will make his own decisions about partial credit, etc. For consistency, I will rarely overrule those. If you disagree with his grading, write a note to him at the top of page one, and return it promptly to me. The grader should make clear which problems were graded, for how many points, and why any points were deducted. Let me know if you are ever confused about your grade.
Independent study: Such a course is mainly for very good students who want to learn something beyond the norm, and who don't need much instruction. It is not intended for solving course scheduling problems. I have supervised these in various areas of analysis and in actuarial math. If interested, contact me (or any other FIU prof).
Your Opinions: Send constructive criticism of these policies via email ASAP, ideally near the beginning of the term.
Contacting me: I would prefer that you come by DM419B during office hours or send me email, which I always answer - usually pretty quickly. Phone messages are OK, but are often less clear than email. If you come by my office at other times, and I am in, I will probably try to help you, but not if I have a class coming up (AMs are usually bad). You can leave homework in my mailbox near DM 416, or slide it under my door.
Are we having fun yet? OK, so maybe these policies are pretty long and boring and some may seem too strict. But I am rumoured to be a pretty nice guy deep down, and I'd like to help you learn some math. Also, I hope you will find the course more enjoyable than reading my policies has been!