Tests and Grading Grades will be determined on the basis of 4 tests (each 100 points) and a few popup quizzes. The lowest test grade (of a home-taken test) will be dropped. The final  grade will be awarded as  follows:  90%-100% =A;  80%-90% = B;  70%-80% = C; 60%-70% = D;   I will  then go over each person's work individually and  modify  the tentative  grades  slightly,  taking into account factors that are hard  to quantify such as improvement, an outstanding  final exam, etc.  There is no preordained median for this course. It could be  higher or lower in any given year,  depending on how the class does. However, I would not hesitate to give 90% of the class an A if they earned it.
Exam dates (subject to change)
Tests I, II and III Feb 9, Mar 3(5), Apr 7
Final Examination May 10, at 7:15 pm
Please check the test dates in your other courses and let me know as soon as possible if there are conflicts.  The usual  solution in such cases is to give the exam early or  late on the scheduled day.  NOTE March 5 is the last day to withdraw from the class without receiving an automatic “WF”.  Conditions under which an incomplete  “I” is given  can be found in the 2004 General Catalog. You will not be able to use your notebook or textbook on all tests. No calculators. An answer alone will not suffice the credit. You must explain how you arrived at your answer
Important!!! The following policy on Administrative drops was adopted on the December 2003 Senate meeting. If a student is administratively dropped from a class, his/her grade is NOT counted as a W. So, any student who does not attend the class regularly during the first two weeks and did not take the required prerequisite courses well be automatically dropped. "1323.30 Involuntary Withdrawal" article.
Makeup policy NO make-up exams or quizzes will be given.  A missed exam  may be made up only in the event of a  verifiable, unavoidable  absence (e.q.,  a doctor’s note is necessary if illness is an excuse).   Failure to  take the final exam will result in a grade of  “F” for the course
Attendance policy   A sign-in sheet will be passed around each class day, except on test days. Please, sign each one in the same way. A student is considered present only if he/she has arrived on time  and remains until the class is dismissed. Coming to class late or leaving early is disruptive and thus discouraged. The instructor may drop a student from the roll for exceeding four class absences. Students are responsible for all material cove- red  in the book and  in class.  Those who have excellent attendance but are on a grade borderline will get extra consideration at the end of the class.
Homework The homework is the most important part of the course. No matter how well you think you understand the material presented in class, you won't really learn it until you do the problems. Late homework will not be accepted except in very unusual circumstances. We will, however, drop the lowest homework and quiz grade. You are free to devise whatever strategy for learning the material suits you best. This may involve collaboration with other students. We believe, however, that most people will get the maximum benefit from the homework if they try hard to do all the problems themselves before consulting others. In any case, whatever you turn in should represent your own solution, expressed in your own words, even if this solution was arrived at with help from someone else. Remember, you are doing the homework in order to learn the material; don't try to defeat the purpose of it. Do not get behind your work. As a guide, consider spending 2 hours of your time studying for each hour of class time. On a  test you must be able to work the problems within the period of time allowed. Therefore, it is recommended, as part of your  preparation for each test , that you select 8 to 10 problems and try to work them within a period of one hour. The quizzes will consist of 2-3 problems usually selected from the problems assigned as homework. Success in the course is highly correlated with regular attendance and punctual completion of homework. The homework assignment sheet lists the due dates for each assignment. Homework should be written neatly. When explanations are requested, your answers should be written in good English form. Once each week, usually on Thursdays, you will submit a "Homework Report", consisting of your work on about ten exercises selected from the most recent two or three daily assignments. For the week of an exam, you will submit the Homework Report on Tuesday. The list of exercises for the homework report is in the homework assignment sheet. If you include more exercises than listed, please circle the official exercises that are due. Only selected exercises on your homework report will be graded. If you visit the office of your instructor or TA , please bring your homework reports with you. We can help you better when we see how your homework is written.
At the top of each homework report, write your name, section number, the date, and the homework report number. The papers must be stapled or placed in a binder. Loose papers cannot be accepted. Also, late homework reports will not be accepted. If you expect to miss a recitation class, you may give your report to a classmate to turn in. A missing report counts as zero, unless it is excused and not counted. If you fail to submit a report on time, please write a note to your TA that explains the circumstances. If the TA or Instructor feels that the excuse is reasonable (such as for illness or participation in university athletics), the report will be "excused" and not counted. One homework report (with the lowest grade) for each student will be dropped automatically, in addition to reports, if any, that have been excused. Most reports will be graded on the basis of 10 or 15 points, depending on the amount of material covered by the assignment. At the end of the semester, your total score will be converted to a percentage and a homework grade.

Cheating/Plagiarism All work submitted for grading must be your own. A first occurrence of cheating/plagiarism will result in a grade of  “O” for all concerned parties, as well as a form indicating academic dishonesty will be filed with the Dean of Students. A second occurrence will result in a grade of “F” for the course for the concerned parties, with a transcript.