Nassau Community College

Mathematics 102- Introduction to Statistics 

 

Professor S. Feldberg                                                                                               

Office: D3091                         Phone: 572-7244                    Email: feldbes@ncc.edu

Web page: http://www.matcmp.sunynassau.edu/~feldbes

Office Hours:  Mondays 12:30 – 1:45 pm, Thursdays 10-11:15 am     

My office hours are times that I am available in my office for students to drop-in or call my office number. These hours are open to everyone, with no appointment needed. If you are unable to make it at these times and need to speak to me, we can try to schedule an appointment that is convenient for both of us.

 

Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of MAT 002 or a working knowledge of Elementary Algebra.

 

Description: Elementary probability, statistics: measures of central tendency and variability, the binomial, normal, and “t” distributions, testing hypotheses, chi square, and linear regression and correlation.

 

Textbook: Introduction to Statistics, 7th edition, by DeSanto and Totoro. You will need to bring it to class every day.

 

Course grading/ policy: There will be three full 75-minute period exams during the course of the semester, a cumulative final, and numerous quizzes. The exams will be announced at least one week in advance, but quizzes will not always be announced in advance. The quiz average will be counted as an exam grade, but your two lowest quiz grades will be dropped. No exam grades are “dropped,” “curved,” or “made-up” due to poor performance. Final course grades will be determined by taking the average of the 5 exam grades.

           

Approximate test dates:  February 15, March 22, April 26, May 17

 

Quizzes will be based on recent homework assignments, and students will receive a grade of “0” for any quizzes missed (no exceptions!). Therefore, quiz grades will be directly affected by homework and attendance. Many quizzes will require that you have your textbook with you in class, and you will receive a “0” if you do not have your own text.

 

Homework is essential to learning mathematics.  You should plan on spending at least the same number of hours as you spend in class working on the material outside of class, working out homework problems, reviewing your notes, and reading relevant sections of the textbook. Homework should be kept organized by date textbook pages numbers written on it and all work shown. You should check your homework answers in the back of the book before coming to class, so that you can ask questions if you have any trouble.


Please be considerate of your classmates, and refrain from activities that are distracting or disruptive. Cell phones, pagers, and other noisy electronic devices should be turned off during class, or you will be asked to leave the class. Cell phones must not be visible at any time during a quiz or test for any reason.

 

Extra Credit (for failing test grades only!): All test grades are counted in your class average.  I will only consider giving extra credit if the following are BOTH true: 1) You show that you have completed all of the homework AND 2) You receive a failing test grade (below 60) on one of the first three tests. You must submit the homework with test corrections within a week of getting back the test.  Students receiving grades below 60 on any test should realize that they are in danger of failing the course, and should take action accordingly.

 

Absences: Students with more than five absences may be automatically withdrawn from the course. You should try to attend every single class, on time. In the event that you absolutely have to be absent, you are responsible for getting the notes and assignments from another student and making up missed work.  If you know of an absence in advance, you need to speak to me in advance so that we can arrange for you to stay current with the work.  If you are ill and miss one or more classes, you need to contact me and make up the missing work. You can also find all the assignments for the semester on my web page. Missed tests must be made up within a week of the test, or a failing grade will be given for the test. It is your responsibility to contact me in person, by phone, or by email by the time the test is given  to schedule a makeup test.

 

Resources: You are encouraged to obtain phone numbers of at least two of your classmates so that you can get homework assignments and notes in the event that you must miss a class. Be sure to read the related material in the text, as it will supplement what is covered in class. I encourage you to work with classmates on the assignments. In addition, you can call or email me, visit my office hours, or speak to me before or after class. Additional resources, solutions manuals and free tutoring also are available in the Mathematics Center (B-130 and B-126)

Calculator: A TI-83 or 83-plus is required for this course. You must bring your own calculator if you wish to use one on quizzes and tests!

 

Problems: I would be happy to help you if you are having problems related to the course. If you are having any trouble, you should speak to me as soon as possible. Do not wait until the end of the semester if you think you might be failing this class! By then, it will be too late.

 

Withdrawal: Any student who wishes to withdraw from this course for any reason should do so officially by filing the appropriate paper work before the last week of the semester. In addition, students who miss class or are late more than five times may be withdrawn automatically from the course.

If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your ability to carry out assigned coursework, I would urge that you contact the staff in The Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD )in Building "U"(behind the old College Union), 572-7241, TTY 572-7617. CSD will review your concerns and determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation are confidential.

 


MAT 102 Grades                                                       Professor Feldberg     Spring 2006

 

Your grade for this class will be determined by:

            Each exam: 20% of the final grade

            Quizzes/ Homework/ Classwork: 20% of the final grade

 

In General:

Students who pass:                                        Students who fail:

Do all of these things:                                     Do at least one of these things:

Attend class all the time, on time                                      Miss class, or are chronically late

Do all the homework                                                            Don’t complete homework or other assignments

Make sure they know how to do all of the work             Don’t come for help when they need it

Make up missed work                                                         Don’t bother to catch up when they fall

Get as much help as they need                                              behind

Do extra credit if they get less than 60 on a test             Figure they'll "catch up"

           

Which category do you want to be in?????

 

It makes little difference whether you think you are “good at mathematics” or “terrible in mathematics.” Mathematics often takes a lot of hard work to understand, and sometimes you might need one-on-one help to master the material.

 

In order to succeed, you will need to set aside time in your schedule for class, homework, and as much help/ tutoring as you need. Free help is available if you have trouble or just feel scared about math. You can ask questions in class, see your instructor during office hours, or get free help in the Math Center. You need to find time to use these resources.