STAT 291 - Syllabus

Instructor

Samuel P. Wilcock, PhD

Professor of Statistics; Dept. of Computing, Mathematics, and Physics

• Contact Information
  •     Office: F328
  •     E-mail: SWilcock@Messiah.edu
  •     Phone: x7092
• Education
  •     Garden Spot High School, New Holland, PA
  •     B.A., Messiah College, Major: Mathematics (minor: Statistics)
  •     M.S., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Major: Statistics
  •     Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Major: Statistics
• Personal
  •     Married, 5 Children (Ages 5-15)
  •     English and Jewish ancestry
  •     Straight, Cis, He/His

Textbook

Jay L. Devore, Probability and Statistics for Engineering and the Sciences, Eighth or Ninth Edition

• This text can serve as a valuable resource for you throughout this course, and beyond. There will be no required readings, but I strongly suggest you read through the sections in the book as we go to insure that you are understanding what I cover in class. Also, once you are out of the course, the text, along with the handouts that are given, and the rest of your notes, can serve as a reference for you to look back to when you come across statistics on the job, or in your daily life.

Attendance Policy

Class attendance is not required, but is strongly encouraged whether in person or any synchoronous online meetings. Active participation with any class session or material will aid you in learning the material that we are covering, and is therefore encouraged. In addition, you should come to class prepared with any material you have been told to bring along and have completed any assigned readings or practice and watched any suggested videos. This may include having physical or electronic access to handouts, tables, calculators, etc. Late graded material will only be accepted with a medical excuse. You should also be aware that an announcement made in Canvas will be considered sufficient warning about any changes to the course including deadlines and assignments. It is your responsibility to check email and Canvas regularly to be aware of any changes that have been made. I will not reteach material during my office hours that has already been covered in another venue, but will gladly halp you apply the material.

Proviso

The instructor reserves the right to penalize a student if excessive absences from in person classes or synchronous class meetings are noted. If such a situation should arise, the student will receive one warning via email or Canvas message, after which continued absences may result in a lowering of the overall course average by up to one percent per occurence of unexcused absences. It is expected that this proviso will rarely be invoked.

Office Hours

My office hours will be by appointment only. You may feel free to come and ask any questions about course material or anything else you may need help with. There is no limit to how many times you may use my office hours, but I ask that you sign up for one slot at a time. I would rather you use these times frequently and ask questions, than not use this resource and therefore do poorly in the class. Please email with some time for me to see and reply as well as several options that work for you since I may have other commitments that affect my availability. Please do not email requesting a meeting in just a few minutes as I may not be able to be that flexible. Check Canvas for more information about my expected availability and links to sign up for times (regular semester only).

Before Coming

Before coming to my office hours, whether in person on virtually, please take the time to adaquately prepare. You should organize your specific questions for me. Also, make sure that your notes, text, handouts, or any provided resources (videos, Canvas posts, etc.) do not already answer your question(s). This implies that you should already have read the sections of the text that correspond to the topics about which you have questions when you come to my office. I will assume that you have done this already. Your work with the text should include reading through the examples in the text, and possibly even working some of the problems from the section/chapter.

Class Preparation

Each day in class Dr. Wilcock will be introducing a new section (the only exception are days set aside for review or exams). You should look over the coming section to get the main idea of the section we will be looking at that day. Dr. Wilcock will breifly summarize the main idea or problem type, and the important theorems and definitions from the section. Then we will turn our attention to using these tools to solve example problems. You may find it helpful to go back and reread the section more carefully after class to better understand the topic(s). Dr. Wilcock will not be using the examples from the text, so the examples you read in the text will augment the lecture examples and help you better understand the topics that will be covered in the homework. During the assigned class periods, you should be prepared to focus exclusively on this course. It is also your responsibility to find the time between class sessions to come to class prepared for the day's learning.

Homework

In each section there are homework questions. I would suggest that you look over the questions to make sure you understand the material. Answers to odd numbered questions are available in the back of your text. Even numbered questions may be discussed with me during my office hours. In some cases I may hand out additional problems to work on that we will discuss in class. These sheets will be more helpful to you if you take the time to at least attempt to complete the work before class. When working on the homework problems, or the handout sheets, you may work with friends, see the tutors in the math help room, or stop by my office if you need help. There will not be any collected or graded homework. If at some point you would like a blank copy of these handouts to practice for quizzes or exams, you may print them off from this site.

Minitab/R

There will be several computer projects using Minitab in this course and one project with R. Each project will be worth 10 points. You may work with classmates, or ask me questions while doing the projects. If you would like to turn in one project as a group, you should make sure all of your names are included, and be aware that you will all receive the same grade. You may also each turn in your own project for separate grading. The intent of the projects is to show you how to use the computer to greatly simplify the processes that we will be covering in class. This will enable you to know what the computer is doing, and therefore understand how to interpret the output, while being able to work with larger datasets than we will generally see in class, and gain intuition beyond what we can achieve by strictly lecturing.

Quizzes

Several 10 point quizzes will be given during the semester. These quizzes will be announced the class period before they are given, and the material for the quiz clearly defined. No make-up quizzes will be given, so it is important that you come to class so you know when to expect the quizzes. The exact number of quizzes is not determined, but I will aim for between seven and ten quizzes.

Exams

Two midterm exams will be given, and then there will be a comprehensive final at the end of the semester. Each exam will be given in class, and no makeup exams will be given. For each exam we will spend some time in review and you will be clearly informed as to the material for which you are responsible. Also, for each exam the instructor will provide you with a sheet containing all of the formulae for which you are responsible. A copy of this sheet will be made available to you prior to each exam, so that you may familiarize yourself with it. A fresh blank copy will be provide with your exam. This copy should not be written on, and should be returned at the end of the exam. Our final exam is scheduled 8:00-10:00 on Monday 16 December 2019. The coverage and point value of each exam will be as follows:

Grading

Graded material will fall into the categories of quizzes, computer projects, and exams. The total points earned will be divided by the total number of points available during the semester. This will be converted to a percentage, using the usual convention of rounding .5 and above up. The percentage will then be compared to the usual table (seen below) to find the appropriate letter grade.

• 93 - 100 = A
• 90 - 92 = A-
• 87 - 89 = B+
• 83 - 86 = B
• 80 - 82 = B-
• 77 - 79 = C+
• 73 - 76 = C
• 70 - 72 = C-
• 67 - 69 = D+
• 60 - 66 = D
• 0 - 59 = F

ADA Statement

Americans with Disabilities Act: Any student whose disability falls within ADA guidelines should inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester of any special accommodations or equipment needs necessary to complete the requirements for this course. Students must register documentation with the Office of Disability Services (Murray Library, Suite 115). If you have questions, call extension 7258. Note: It is the responsibility of the student to inform the instructor at the beginning of the semester. The instructor will work with any student who needs accomodations as long as they are documented by the Office of Disability Services, and the instructor is informed at the beginning of the semester.

Harassment and Violence Statement

Messiah College prohibits all forms of discrimination and violence, including harassment, stalking, interpersonal violence, and sexual assault. If I learn of any potential violation of our harassment, stalking, sexual assault, and/or interpersonal violence policy by any means, I am required to notice the College. Students may request confidentiality from the institution, which I will communicate to the appropriate office or the Title IX Coordinator (Amanda Coffey). Confidential resources are available on or off campus:
Engle Center Counseling Services (x5357)
Engle Center Health Services (x6035)
Don Opitz, College Pastor (x6520)
YWCA Carlisle (1.888.727.2877)
YWCA Harrisburg (1.800.654.1211)
Confidential resources can walk students through all of their reporting options, including making a formal report to the Title IX Coordinator if and when they are ready. They can also provide students with information and assistance in accessing academic, medical, and other support services they may need. (© 2015, adapted from Victim Rights Law Center)

Academic Integrity

It is expected that you are familiar with the Academic Integrity policy of the College, found in the Student Handbook. In particular, you should be aware that any use or provision of unauthorized aids on exams or other graded material will not be tolerated. This means that it is not only a violation of the policy to obtain unauthorized aid, providing such aid to another student is also a violation of this policy. If an offense is suspected, the instructor will notify the student(s) involved by email. Students will have one week from the sending of this email to provide defense of their actions. If no defense is given, or it is found to be insufficient to the instructor, then penalties will be assessed. On the first offense, no credit will be granted for the assignment. Any further offense will result in a failing grade for the course. There will be no make-up work given to compensate for either penalty. In addition, the instructor may choose to decline signing a drop or withdrawal request if a student has violated this policy. Students should carefully read all assignments to determine what is allowed, and what is prohibited.