52-113-02 Introduction to Statistics

Dr. Suzanne Buchele

Amended Syllabus, Fall 2008

Class Calendar: See Assignments Tab in Segue Course Management System

Time and Place:  T/Th 1:00 -2:15pm, Olin 207

Instructor:  Dr. Suzanne Buchele (taking over for Dr. Walter Potter)

Contact Info:   MBH 304, email: bucheles@southwestern.edu, phone: x1361

Office Hours:  MWF 11-11:50am, TTh 9:00-10:00am, or by appointment.

Texts:  Understandable Statistics, by Brase and Brase, Houghton Mifflin, 2008 (required). A calculator with a statistics mode is required (a TI-83 or TI-84). You will use Excel for some assignments.

Course Description and Content:  Introduction to Statistics is designed to provide students in the social and biological sciences with the skills necessary to perform elementary statistical analysis. Descriptive measures, probability, sampling theory, random variables, binomial and normal distributions, estimation and hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, regression and correlation will be covered. Analysis and critical thinking skills will be utilized throughout the topics covered.

Prerequisites: None, except the right 'Mindset'.

Attendance:  Attendance will be very important in this class.  Being present at the lectures assures that you will hear an explanation of the material presented and that you are able to practice what you learn with the help of me and your classmates.  It is my job to help and guide you through the material in this class, but I can't learn it for you. All students are responsible for all material and announcements presented in class.  If you miss a class, see another student for information.  Beginning the week of September 16, Six unexcused absences will result in you receiving an F in the class. In addition to being disruptive to the class, three late arrivals will count as one absence for the purpose of the attendance policy. Class time will consist of lecture, some video, and some not-for-grade in-class exercises which are important for your engagement and understanding of the material. 

Exams:  There will be five exams, each worth 12% of the course grade, and a comprehensive final worth 20% of the course grade.  The exam in the final exam period will include a class exam and a comprehensive final exam.  Up to one exam score can be replaced with the final exam score. Each exam and the final exam will be cumulative (you will be responsible for all previous material). Exams will be announced a week in advance and may not take the whole class time.  The final is scheduled by the University for Thursday, December 11 from 8:30-11:30am.

Projects:  There will be approximately four individual projects, cumulatively worth 12% of the course grade. The projects will be a single problem that will require both technology (Excel) and critical thinking and analysis.

Homework:  Homework will be assigned in each section that we cover. Homework will be odd-numbered problems (with answers given in the back of the book) that I expect you to do, although they will not be graded. Beginning the week of September 16, you must keep your homework together in a journal that I will collect at exams and check to make sure that you are doing it. Your homework journal is 8% of your course grade. Please ask in class or in office hours if you have questions or problems about particular homework questions.

Grading:  In-class exams are worth 60% of the course grade, projects are worth 12% of the course grade, your homework journal is worth 8% of your course grade, and the final exam is worth 20% of the course grade.  Final grade assignments will be according to the following percentage scale:  98-100%: A+;  92-97.99%: A;  90-91.99%: A-; 88-89.99%: B+;  82-88%: B;  80-81.99%: B-; 78-79.99%: C+;  72-78%: C;  70-71.99%: C-;  68-69.99%: D+;  62-68%: D;  60-61.99%: D-;  below 60%: F.  Neither exams nor final grade assignments will be scaled.  See How to Succeed in Math 52-113 for helpful suggestions.

Late/missed work or exams:  There is a zero-tolerance policy for late projects.  It is your responsibility to start your work early enough to ensure you complete it, even if some unexpected things occur.  I understand that bad things happen (illnesses, accidents, deaths) and I would like to hear if you are having problems that are preventing you from completing your work.  However, I will under no circumstances make any special arrangements after the fact, that is, after (or, 5 minutes before) the work is due or the exam is to begin.  Unless you are unconscious at the hospital, you must email me or speak to me before an assignment is due for me to accept it late.  And, I will do so only under extremely unusual circumstances (my computer crashed, I'm not feeling well today,...won't be enough).  The same goes for exams: unless you are unconscious at the hospital, you must email me or speak to me before the exam if you will miss it, and I do not guarantee that I will accept your reason for missing the exam as valid.  University excused absences will be honored, of course, but per University policy I will still need to hear from you before the exam or project you will miss.

Honor code:  I take the honor code very seriously.  In general, projects are to be completed completely independently.  Obtaining work from another student, or from any outside source, or working with another student, is a violation of the honor code.  Please ask if you have questions about what constitutes honor code violations for this class.  I do reserve the right to ask each of you about your work to ensure that you fully understand its details. For homework that is assigned but not collected or graded, I still recommend that you work independently to ensure that you fully understand the details of the problems and solutions, since your grade is based on individual work (on exams).

Accommodations for Students with disabilities:  Southwestern University is committed to assisting students with disabilities.   Reasonable accommodations may be made once a student has registered his/her disability and has the appropriate documentation on file with the Office of Academic Services (3^rd floor Cullen).  Professors must be notified of the accommodation at least two weeks before the accommodation is necessary, or as soon as reasonably possible.

Disclaimer:  This syllabus is a guideline.  Particulars may be discussed and changed in class.