Math 127

Spring 2019

Grading Scales

or (whichever gives you the better grade)

Notes: 

Labs:  There will be daily labs, each lab covering the day's material, in addition to electronic homework via MyMathLab.  The lab may or may not be due at the end of the period, the due date will be announced near the end of class.  Each lab assignment will count the same towards your lab grade.  For that reason, when I grade these, I will scale them to 10 points.  It is the score out of 10 that is relevant to your course grade and that I will be recording.  When I scale to 10 points, I will divide your score by the total possible and multiply by 10.  If the decimal portion of the resulting value starts with a 2 or higher, I will round up to the next point, otherwise I will round down.

There will be at least 28 lab assignments, and the best 21 of these will be kept for the overall lab grade.  I do not accept late labs for most reasons - you are expected to ask for them and to submit them early when you have a university-approved absence.  The large number of dropped assignments is intended to allow for short-term illnesses or family emergencies (about a week or less).  Note that more than 20% of the assignments are dropped.  If a longer-term problem arises, come to see me in my office and we can discuss things.

Homework:  The homework is electronic and is accessed through MyMathLab, which is the textbook publisher's homework interface.  You will need MyMathLab access, and note that an electronic copy of the book is available through that site.  The computer grades the MyMathLab assignments, and it is a percentage grade.  There are 31 electronic homework assignments, of which the best 24 will be kept.  Note:  As in most grading programs, MyMathLab is unduly restrictive in what I can do.  In particular, it will not allow me to keep only the best 24 (or drop 7 assignments).  I download the EHW grades into a regular spreadsheet program, and use everyday math skills to keep the best 24.  As a result, the EHW grade in MyMathLab at the end of the semester will generally be a bit lower than your actual EHW grade (though it should match until about Test 4, as I don't start dropping grades until there are more than 24 assignments completed).

When you sign up on MyMathLab, I don't particularly care if you use your MSUM email address or another one, but please use a name that I will recognize as you, or you won't get credit for your work in my gradebook.

Exams:  Each hour exam covers the material since the last exam.  In addition, since the final exam will be comprehensive, I will replace your lowest regular exam grade with your percent grade from the final exam if doing so improves your overall grade.

Final Exam:  The final is comprehensive.  I will write it so that it is 50% longer than a regular exam.  However, I'll give you up to two hours to take the final.  The final exam is at the time scheduled by MSUM for 12:00 Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes, which is Thursday May 9 at 2:00-4:00 pm.

Attendance:  I do not take formal attendance, but it would be a poor idea to miss class unless it is unavoidable.  You will be responsible for getting notes from a classmate if you do miss class.  If you miss an exam, I expect to be notified as soon as feasible about the reason for missing the exam.  Labs that are finished at home are due on the due date, regardless of whether or not you made it to class that day.  It is considered on time if I receive it before 2:00 pm or when I start grading, whichever is later.  If you do not turn it in during class, bring it to my office (slide it under my office door if I am not in).  Do not submit it to my mailbox in the Math Department.  I will check the tutor room for stragglers just before I start grading, so if you're pushing the clock, work in the tutor room.

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