MT330:
Prerequisites
Meeting Times, Location, & Course Delivery Details
This class will be a traditional face-to-face class. In the event class cannot meet in-person (professor illness, severe weather, building/campus closure, etc.) we may meet synchronously over Zoom or you may be assigned videos to watch. Details will be given that morning by email as well as an announcement on Blackboard.
Contact Information
Textbook:
Introductory Linear Algebra: An Applied First Course (8th Edition), Kolman and Hill, 2005. ISBN: 9780131437401
Course Materials:
- Calculator
- Students will need a calculator for this course. You may use a graphing calculator or a calculator app on your phone, such as Calculate84, for class, homework, worksheets, and projects. You will not be allowed to use calculators with matrix functions on quizzes and exams. I will provide TI-30Xa calculators for you to use on quizzes and exams
- Scanner or Scanner App
- Adobe Scan is free and I've used it on both Android and Apple devices. Sometimes it is a bit glitchy and I need to email the document to myself before it truly creates a sharable PDF.
The intent of this course is to provide the student with the ability to solve systems of linear equations and introduce the properties of matrices and vector space concepts. Linear algebra has progressed and developed in response to a continual stream of problems from both natural and social sciences and engineering. The student should not only master the basic techniques of this branch of mathematics, but also appreciate the dynamic nature of this area of study. Use of technology (computers and scientific calculators) is an integral part of this course and to the solutions of matrices in general.
See Blackboard for a tentative course calendar.
| Category | Percentage of Overall Grade |
| Homework | 10% |
| Quizzes and Worksheets | 20% |
| In-Class Tests | 45% |
| Final Exam | 25% |
The grading scale will be as follows:
| Min. % | Grade |
| 93% | A |
| 90% | A- |
| 87% | B+ |
| 83% | B |
| 80% | B- |
| 77% | C+ |
| 73% | C |
| 70% | C- |
| 60% | D |
Instructor Course Policies
It is courteous to email your professor ahead of class to let them know you will be absent, or to email after class apologizing for your absence. (When emailing your professors, please note which class you are enrolled in.) Unless you are missing a test, you will never need to explain the reason for your absence.
If you are absent on a Quiz day, any in-person quiz can be taken in-person or by using Zoom, but the make-up must be scheduled by 3 pm the day of the missed quiz.
Missing a test/exam is a serious matter and should only be done under the most extenuating of circumstances. Appropriate documentation is necessary for an excuse to be validated. (See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Attendance Policy.) Tests should be made up as quickly as possible. In the event that a student has an acceptable excuse and notified me in advance, the student will have two school days to make up the test for full credit, or an additional three school days to make up their test for half credit. In the event that a student does not have an acceptable excuse, or if a student fails to notify me in advance, the student will have two school days to make up the test for half credit, or an additional three school days to make up their test for quarter credit.
Any instance of cheating will result in a zero for the assignment, may result in an “F” grade for the course, and could result in referral for committee review. See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Academic Integrity policies as they pertain to examinations, plagiarism, classroom behavior, and the process for handling academic misconduct charges.
Homework
One to three sections from the book will be assigned for homework each lecture. Homework will be collected Tuesdays and Thursdays and graded for completion, not accuracy. At the top right corner of your homework, you should write your name, due date, and MT330 M1. On the top line of your homework, you should write your textbook section(s), and the homework problems assigned. If there is more than one textbook section assigned for the same day, you need to clearly indicate where the next section begins in your work by labeling the new section and listing all problems assigned for that section, but you do not need to start each section on a new page. You should write out each problem, and then show all your work (work down, not across) to get the solution to the problem. See the image at the bottom of this section for an example of how to label the top of your homework.
Homework should be scanned and submitted on BlackBoard by the due date. There is some leeway after the due date—if you submit a homework assignment after the due date but before I finish grading that assignment, I will still grade it the same as though you had turned it in before the due date.
Each assignment is graded out of 5 points. 5/5 means the homework looks like it was done completely and is scanned (with the pages presented in order) as one PDF document (if more than 1 piece of paper). 1/5 means the student turned in a blank piece of paper with their name on it. At the end of the semester, students who have scored a 4 or higher on all homework assignments will receive a 10-point bonus towards their test points tally (you can think of this as one test scored will be raised 10% if you earn this bonus).
For your homework, the work must be your own work. You are not allowed to use generative AI unless
it has a computer algebra system built in (so Wolfram Alpha and Photomath are allowable while
ChatGPT and Gemini are forbidden). You are allowed to receive help, but you must have attempted the problem and you must credit anyone who helps you as well as any website, app, or AI you refer to for help (including the answer section in the textbook). By acknowledging their contribution, you do not make your work any less valuable (hence, it will not lower your grade) and you express gratitude for the help you received. You are not allowed to copy from other people or from any other source.
Out of Class Work Expectation
You should be working/studying for this class at least 8 hours per week outside of class. Those hours include homework time and time spent learning in the Math Center. Time to practice is good, however DO NOT WORK FOR MORE THAN FOUR HOURS ON ANY ONE ASSIGNMENT. If one assignment takes longer than that, either I messed up and assigned an unreasonable amount of work or you are struggling, and this is no longer good practice. Stop after four hours, write that you’ve worked for four hours on your homework, and then come to me for help.
Quizzes
There will be frequent quizzes given throughout the semester, usually on Thursdays. In case of absences, any in-person quiz can be taken using Zoom, but the make-up must be scheduled by 3 pm the day of the missed quiz. At the end of the semester, the lowest quiz score will be dropped. Quizzes (and tests) are graded for accuracy. In order to receive full credit, you must show your work, and do all work correctly (points will be taken away for incorrect work, even if you make enough mistakes that your mistakes “undo each other”). There are different ways of working problems and if you are curious about whether your method is correct and/or if it shows enough work, please come to my office and ask me.
Tests
There will be 3 in-class exams and a final. The tests are currently scheduled for February 5, March 5, and April 7. The final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 10:15 am-12:15 pm. Missing an exam is a serious matter and should only be done under the most extenuating of circumstances. Appropriate documentation is necessary for an excuse to be validated. (See the current Student Handbook for the college’s Attendance Policy.) Tests should be made up as quickly as possible. In the event that a student has an acceptable excuse and notified me in advance, the student will have two school days to make up the test for full credit, or an additional three school days to make up their exam for half credit. In the event that a student does not have an acceptable excuse, or if a student fails to notify me in advance, the student will have two school days to make up the test for half credit, or an additional three school days to make up their exam for quarter credit.
Class Behavior
Please refrain from wearing scents (cologne/perfume/body odor/etc.) that could disturb the learning environment of the classroom. I will not tolerate disruptive behavior, be it use of cell phones, talking out of turn, passing notes, yawning loudly, and/or falling asleep. There is no tobacco use in the classroom. All music should be turned off before entering the classroom. Unless you have a documented accommodation, phones and
earbuds/headphones should be put away before class begins. There is no texting/gaming/watching videos on your phones during class. There is no packing up to leave this class before class is over. If there is a genuine reason you need to receive a call (e.g., awaiting an important call from a family member) let me know before class begins.
You are required to use your Wilmington e-mail account for this course. I will use it to relay messages about the course. If you send me an email and I haven’t responded by the next school day, please email me again to make sure I’ve seen your email. Please include your class/section in your email.
Institutional and Program-Level Policies
All exams will follow the Final Exam Schedule. Students scheduled to take three or more final examinations on one day may request to arrange their examination schedule, so no more than two exams occur on one day.
Requests for early or late exams are considered only under extreme circumstances. Prior to the exam period, the student must file a written request on the Early/Late Exam Form available in the Student One Stop Center, Academic Records, and on the WC portal. The form must be signed by the Instructor and the Academic Dean, approving the alternate exam time. This process must be completed prior to the scheduled exam period.
Undergraduate: SP25 Final Exam Schedule Graduate:
Out-of-class Work Expectation A minimum of 2 hours of out-of-class student work is expected for each hour of in-class time for traditional face-to-face courses. For online and hybrid courses, the combination of face-to-face time and out-of-class work should be equal to 3 hours per credit hour per week. |
Instructional Course Delivery |
Academic Integrity Policy The use of generative AI is prohibited except where expressly allowed in assignment instructions. |
Class Attendance Policy |
Accessibility and Disability Services
Accessibility and Disability Services
Wilmington College provides accommodations and services for student with a variety of disabilities, including chronic illnesses, psychological, physical, medical, learning, and sensory disability amongst others. If you anticipate or experience barriers based on disability and feel you may need a reasonable accommodation to fulfill the essential functions of this course, you are encouraged to contact:
Spencer Izor, Associate Vice President of Compliance - Title IX/ADA Coordinator at spencer.izor@wilmington.edu or 937-481-2365 or Nathan Flack, Academic Resource Manager at 937-481-2208 to learn more about the process and procedures for requesting accommodations, or by visiting College Hall Room 306a or the Robinson Communication Center, Room 103.
Religious Accommodations
Wilmington College strives for an inclusive climate and welcomes students from all backgrounds, faiths, and experiences. If religious observance impedes your ability to participate fully in classroom activities or a principal holiday from your religious tradition occurs during the semester and conflicts with class meetings or activities, please make the professor aware of this immediately to determine if a reasonable accommodation is possible.