Math 263 (sect 004) - Introduction to Statistics and Biostatistics

Prof. Kennedy - Fall '15

Home page for this section: www.math.arizona.edu/~tgk/263_f15/index.html
Math 263 course page : www.math.arizona.edu/~stats

Instructor: Tom Kennedy (Professor, Mathematics)
email: tgk@math.arizona.edu (Please include Math 263 in the subject line)
Office: ENR2 S318, Phone: 626-0197

Administrative drops: Seats in 263 are limited and in high demand.
Students who miss two of the first three classes will be administratively dropped unless they contact the instructor by Friday, Aug 28, 4:00 pm. University policy on administrative drops.

Office hours: Office hours will be announced in class and posted on the web. There is also tutoring provided by the Mathematics Department: Schedule and location. Note that a * next to the instructors name indicates they are familiar with MATH 263.

Course place and time: MWF 10:00-10:50, Chavez 109

Textbook: The text for the course is Introduction to the Practice of Statistics, 8th Edition, by David S. Moore & George P. McCabe The hard copy of this is insanely expensive. The authors should be ashamed of themselves. However, webassign includes an electronic version of the text, so you can avoid this scam.

WebAssign: You must have a WebAssign account for this course. To create your account go to http://webassign.net, click on the Log-In button, then click on the I Have a Class Key button. The class key for this section is arizona 8220 1302 . Note that every section of 263 has a different WebAssign key. You must do this even if you have used Web Assign in the past or are using it for another course this semester. There is a 14-day grace period (from the first day of classes) before you must purchase/ submit your access code for this class.

On multiple choice web assign questions you only get one attempt. On free response questions you get 3 attempts. There are a few problems that call for esssay type responses. You should skip those problems.

Calculators : Each student is required to have and know how to use a graphing calculator, such as a TI-83 or TI-84, that can do statistical calculations, including correlation and linear regression. You must have a calculator for the exams. Calculators cannot be shared during exams. The instructor will use a TI-84 in the classroom. Very little class time will be spent on teaching you how to use the calculator. You need to figure this out on your own. I can probably answer questions about the TI-83 or TI-84, but for other calculators (especially HP's) I will probably be useless.

Excel: Each student should have access to MS Excel on a PC or on a Mac and know the basics of using it. This course will not teach Excel. You will need the Analysis ToolPak add-in. You will not need Excel during exams. You must turn in computer generated documents the Excel assignments. They must have the relevant graphs/tables/data from Excel included in the documents.

Homework: There will be on-line homework in WebAssign and written homework that must be turned in on paper. The written homework will include Excel problems. All homework assignments will be posted on the course web page at least one week before their due date. There will typically be one written homework assignment per week. WebAssign homework will be assigned more frequently.

No late homework will be accepted. For the written homework, your lowest two homework scores will be dropped. If you do not turn in a homework for any reason including illness, it counts as one of your two dropped homeworks. There are no extensions on the homework for illness or any other reason. For the webassign homework I will drop the two sections (not assignments) with the lowest score.

Exams: There will be three in-class exams and a comprehensive final. The dates are The dates for exams 1,2,3 are tentative. The University regulations for final exam week will be strictly followed, in particular those regarding students with multiple exams on a single day. Now is the time to find out if you have a problem with multiple exams on a single day. Cell phones and any other electronic device (other than calculators) must be turned off during all exams. Silent or vibration modes are not allowed. For the three in-class exams you may bring a 3 x 5 note card with notes on both sides in your handwriting. For the final exam you may bring a 5 x 8 note card with notes on both sides in your handwriting.

Grading: The weighting for course grades will be If a student earns a higher percentage on the final examination than on one of the three in-class exams, then the student's lowest exam score will be replaced by the percent scored on the final examination. You will have to take the in-class exams and earn a score to qualify for this policy. The final course grade will be determined by the total number of points as follows: Missed Exams: If you miss one of the three in-class exams for a legitimate documented reason, your final grade will be computed by multiplying your total number of points by 7/6 and using the above cutoffs. A make-up exam will not be given for one missed exam. In the highly improbable event that you miss two exams for legitimate documented reasons, I will give a make up for the second missed exam at my convenience.

Dropping the course: September 6 is the last day to drop without a grade. November 1 is the last day to withdraw through UAccess with a grade of W. After November 1 you need the Dean's signature and this requires extraordinary circumstances.
Incompletes: University policy is that an incomplete may be awarded only at the end of the semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. It should not be awarded if the student must repeat the course. The following conditions must be met: Attendance and email : You are responsible for all announcements made in class including announcements of exam dates, homework due dates, as well as all material covered in class. Students are responsible for information sent by email to their official university email.

University Policies : Students are responsible to inform themselves of University policies, in particular:
Code of Academic Integrity,
Student Code of Conduct,
Official Student Email Policy.

Accomodations based on disability: If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with the instructor to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Resources (621-3268; drc.arizona.edu). You should notify the instructor of your eligibility for accommodations as soon as possible.

Course prerequisites: Appropriate Math Placement Level or Proctored/Prep for College Algebra 88+ or Proctored/Prep for Calculus 65+ or MATH 109C, 110, 112, 113, 116, 120R, 122B, 124, 125 or 129 (Transfer credit for MATH 124, 125,129 okay).