Math 121 – Statistics
Section 04, Fall 2012
Dr. Matt Willis
Office: Bagby 110
Email: mwillis@hsc.edu (this is the best way to reach me!)
Office Hours: MWF 10:30-11:30am, T 3:30-4:30pm, or by appointment.
Class meets: MWF 9:30am-10:20am in Bagby 020, T 12:30-1:20pm in Bagby 022.
Required Textbook: The Basic Practice of Statistics by David S. Moore (5th edition)
Required Calculator: Texas Instruments TI-83 or above.
Course Description: This is a fundamental statistics course with emphasis on the application of
basic statistical concepts and procedures. No statistical background is assumed for taking the
course. Topics covered include: probability theory, normal and binomial distributions, the
Central Limit Theorem, t-tests and regression analysis. Students are expected to be able to
perform data management and basic statistical analysis after taking this course.
Attendance: Classroom attendance is mandatory. Excused absences must be documented. I
must be contacted before class for an absence to be excused. Excessive absences (more than
4) will be brought to the attention of the Dean of Students, with the potential of a student
being withdrawn from the course. You are responsible for what you miss in class and for the
homework due when you are gone. Bottom line: it is extremely difficult to succeed in this class
without strong attendance.
Make-ups: There are no make-up exams and no make-up homework. None. If you have a
conflict with one of the exam dates, let me know well in advance, at least 2 weeks prior.
Grading: Grades will be based on a ten point scale, with plusses/minuses given at the teacher’s
discretion.
Homework: 10%
Tests (3 exams at 20% each): 60%
Final exam: 30%
Exams: All exams are taken in class. The tentative exam dates are:
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Exam 1: Friday, September 21
Exam 2: Friday, October 19
Exam 3: Monday, November 19
Final Exam: Saturday, December 15, from 9am-noon
Textbook: We will be using “The Basic Practice of Statistics”, fifth edition, by David S. Moore.
You can either purchase a physical textbook, or the e-book through Stats Portal. Instructions
for starting Stats Portal can be found here (this should be done ASAP):
http://courses.bfwpub.com/help/bps5e/fdoc/bps5e_syllabus_attachment.pdf
Homework: All homework will be assigned and collected through Stats Portal, so you will need
access regardless of your textbook choice.
Honor Code: The Honor Code applies to all work in this class. Working with others on Lab
Assignments and Textbook Homework is encouraged, but simply copying answers directly from
another person’s paper is not acceptable. Also, copying answers from a textbook or online
reference is not acceptable.
Special Accommodations: Please let me know at the beginning of the semester if you need
special accommodations due to a learning disability. The policies relating to learning disabilities
may be obtained from the Dean of the Faculty or the Associate Dean for Academic Support.
Students are required to contact the Office of Academic Success in order to verify their
eligibility for appropriate accommodations.
Classroom Conduct: Please be sure to turn off or silence your cell phones before class begins.
In addition, please be sure to stay awake during class.
Other Issues: If at any point during the semester a problem arises with anything related to this
class that I should know about, talk to me ASAP. The longer you wait on an issue the less likely
it is that you will be able to fix it. This advice is not specific to this course, but is extremely
important.