Recitation Comments:

About Recitations: Recitations are for your questions and to help clarify material that is confusing. I will have some material prepared, but recitation works best when it is driven by the students. Please do not think that any question is too basic to ask in recitation--chances are several of your classmates want to ask the same question, and you will be doing them a favor.

Office Hours

Mondays 3:00-4:00, Wednesdays 12:00-1:00. DRL 3C13 (my office). If these times do not work for you, we can try to set up an appointment.

Note: Office hours are for YOUR benefit, not mine. It is in your interest to make use of them!!

Homework Policy

Homework is due IN LECTURE on the due date. Late or improperly submitted homework will never be accepted. Late or improperly submitted homework will never be accepted. Late or improperly submitted homework will never be accepted. If you know in advance you will be unable to turn in homework when it is due, you should plan to turn it in ahead of time. If you are unavoidably prevented from submitting homework for a good reason, you still may not turn it in late (this doesn't mean that you shouldn't still attempt the homework). If you have a conflict with a religious holiday, you must let me know BEFORE the fact. I will not be sympathetic if you do not tell me in advance. I will drop your lowest homework score to allow for missed assignments or for assignments that pose special difficulty.

Homework must be neat, well-organized, and legible. In addition, it must be STAPLED (no paper clips, folding over the top-left corner, or anything like that). As I said in the first recitation, I will only grade those pages of homework which are stapled to the first page. Please write in paragraphs, sentences, and English words (oh my!) when they are called for. I should not have to decipher what you are doing--you should tell me if it is not absolutely clear from the problem.

Each homework will be graded out of 20 points. I will pick three problems and grade those problems on everyone's assignment--they will be worth 5 points each. 5 additional points will be available for general completion of the assignment. Homework will account for 10% of your final grade.

Quiz Policy

In each recitation, from September 24th onward, we will have a quiz in recitation, which will consist of one or two problems from the homework. It will be given in the last 5 or 10 minutes of recitation, depending on the week (**:40/45-**:50). There are no make up quizzes, unless you have a good excuse and notify me PRIOR to the quiz. Because of this policy, your lowest quiz will be dropped. Quizzes will account for 10% of your final grade.

Exam Policy

Major premise: Exam policy is generally the province of faculty.

Minor premises: I am not faculty and Prof. Rimmer is.

Conclusions: You should go to Prof. Rimmer with any questions you may have about exam policy, not to me. Also, make arrangements for alternate exam times through Prof. Rimmer, not through me.

Final Course Grades

See Prof. Rimmer about how the various assignments get merged together to form a final grade. If you don't like your final grade, Prof. Rimmer is the only one able to consider grade adjustments (although as a general rule, he will not except in the case of a blatant error). Likewise, talk to Prof. Rimmer about taking an incomplete.

Academic Dishonesty

I will tolerate no cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty. I will report cheating to Prof. Rimmer and, if we deem appropriate, to the Office of Student Conduct. See the Pennbook for the relevant University policy, and consult with me or Prof. Rimmer to clarify any ambiguities.

Some useful links

Prof. Rimmer's Math 240 page

Department's Math 240 page:    general information for Math 240