Probability & Statistics, Spring 2013

Math 266 - Probability & Statistics - Spring 2013 - Prof. Mark Janeba

Meetings
MWF 9:10-10:10 a.m.
Ford 201

Office: Ford Hall 216
E-mail: mjaneba@willamette.edu
Phone/Voice Mail: (503) 370-6123
Office hours: www.willamette.edu/~mjaneba/hours.html

Text: John E. Freund's mathematical statistics – with applications,
by Irwin & Marylees Miller, 7^th edition, ISBN 0-13-142706-7,
published by Pearson / Prentice-Hall
Covering roughly chapters 1-6,8,11,13, with some additions and omissions.

Course Content and Goals:

Upon completion of this course, successful students will:

Have demonstrated ability to compute a variety of both:

simple and intermediate probabilities involving discrete random variables, using combinatorial methods, basic probability laws, and known discrete probability distributions, as appropriate, and

basic and intermediate probabilities involving continuous random variables, including those requiring the use of integration;

Have demonstrated a strong conceptual grasp of basic single-variable descriptive statistics;
Have demonstrated both:

a conceptual understanding of random variables resulting from sampling, and
an ability to calculate and interpret basic parameters of their distributions;

Have a demonstrated conceptual understanding of, and ability to calculate with, inferential statitics such as confidence intervals and hypothesis tests; and specifically,
Demonstrate the ability to make judgments and draw appropriate conclusions based on quantitative information.

Grading:

Course Points
Weekly quizzes at 25 points each, except on exam weeks, drop 2 lowest:	150-200 points (approx)
Three one-hour exams at 100 points each:	300 points
Possibly a group project at 75 points:	0-75 points
Comprehensive Final exam:	200 points
Total:	650-775 points (approx)

For each graded piece of work, I will post cutoff scores for grades of A-, B-, C, C-, and D. At the end of the term, if your point total is more than the total of the A- cutoffs, your grade will be an A- or better, and so on. However, see the notes below on grade adjustments. Cutoffs will never be higher than this:


A-	B-	C	C-	D
90%	80%	70%	67%	60%

... but they are often lower.

Tentative hour exam dates: To be announced
The final exam is on Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 8-11 am
For borderline grades, I tend to pay more attention to the final exam score.
At the end of the term, I will consider those students who have done unusually small or unusually large shares of their group's project (if we have a project) and adjust their grades accordingly.

Exam makeup policy: Exam make-ups or early hour exams are given only for verifiable illness or for university-sanctioned intercollegiate activities. For collegiate activities, you must see me before you leave to arrange a makeup time. In any case, contact me in advance except in emergencies.

Final exam time is Saturday, May 4, 2013, from 8-11 am, as set by the University; early finals will not be given. Please make your travel plans now. Really. I mean it. If someone else will be making your travel plans, it would be wise to notify them immediately of your commitments.

The project, if we have one, will be done by assigned groups. One paper per group is to be submitted, and a common grade is given.

Quizzes, Homework, and Participation

Quizzes are 15 to 25 minutes long, with problems that resemble homework. We will usually have a quiz in any week without an exam or a project due. Some weeks may be more crowded.

Homework is assigned daily but will not be collected; however, skipping or putting off homework will damage your grade badly. Don't let this happen to you. Careful and precise exposition of your work is required on exams & quizzes. Such writing does not come automatically, so it will help to practice careful writing on your homework.

Please come to class prepared to discuss the previous night's homework.

Accommodations for students with disabilities:Accomodations required by students with disabilities will be provided upon reasonable advance notice and verification of requirement/eligibility from the Office of Disability Services (Bishop Wellness Center). If you forsee needing an accomodation, it is probably best to inquire at the Office of Disability Services at the start of the semester.

Policy on in-class distractions and cell phones: It is important to respect the concentration and attention of each student in the class. Class time is limited, precious, and the tuition is quite expensive per minute. Arriving late for class is not acceptable barring genuine emergencies. Electronic devices not required for the course must be turned off during class time. Exceptions include calculators, and special-needs aids such as lecture-recording devices. If your cell phone rings during regular class time, you will be required to bring pastries or cookies for the entire class at the next class meeting. During exams and quizzes, the penalty is more specific: two points for each ring, or one point per second of audible sound, whichever is greater. Please help me hold distractions for your fellow students to an absolute minimum.

Academic Honesty Expectations

All exams and quizzes are to be taken with books and notes closed (except as noted on the exam paper), completely on your own. Anything you can electronically store on an ordinary graphing calculator is acceptable unless otherwise directed, but written notes are prohibited. Use of laptop and tablet computers, smart phones, and anything else capable of communication with the world outside the classroom will not be allowed during quizzes and exams.

On written group assignments, you may (and should) discuss the problem, methods of approach, examples you have found, and even the solution(s), with anyone. You may use any source you find useful, but you must acknowledge your sources in writing in the assignment. Grading is based primarily on the amount of work and thought that students have applied to their sources and the extent to which they have demonstrated understanding of them.

Plagiarism is the copying or paraphrasing of any work from another source without proper written acknowledgement. You should not see (or hear) the written report or report-draft of any student outside your group until reports are graded. I will treat any such occurrence as plagiarism. All group members are responsible for knowing all the sources their group's members used in making a report. All involved with plagiarized projects will receive failing project grades.

In keeping with college policy, plagiarism will be reported to the dean (see student handbook). Systematic or organized plagiarism on exams or quizzes will result in course failure. If you are uncertain about some aspect of the academic honesty policy, it is your responsibility to get clarification from the instructor.

Last Modified January 13, 2013.
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