• Assignment #1: 10%
• Assignment #2: 10%
• Assignment #3: 10%
• Midterm Exam: 30%
• Final Exam: 40%

NOTES:

Special Arrangements and Grades:     
Note that failure to complete any of the evaluative components for this course will result in a score of zero for that component and a final letter grade of N (incomplete). That is, all assignments and exams must be completed in order to receive a final letter grade for the course. Special arrangements for the taking of an exam must be made in the first two weeks of the semester. Note that it is not guaranteed that you will be granted an alternate sitting for an exam. Make-up exams will be given only in the event of a valid and documented emergency (e.g., documented illness, death of a family member) or university approved conflict (e.g., approved athletic event, religious holiday). There must be a clear association between the reason provided and the inability to attend the exam as scheduled. If you must miss an examination for an emergency or other reason, you should contact the instructor prior to the scheduled exam time or as soon as possible in order to schedule a time to complete the missed exam. You must provide written documentation of the emergency or other reason in order to schedule a make-up exam. If you miss an exam due to a medical illness, you must get your doctor to sign and complete the Certificate of Illness Form available from Student Services (https://www.sfu.ca/content/dam/sfu/students/pdf/certificate-of-illness.pdf). 

Attendance: It is strongly recommended that you attend all lectures and tutorials. If you are unable to attend a lecture or tutorial, please reach out to a fellow classmate to get any notes and materials or information that go beyond the lecture slides. Of note, the lecture slides are not a substitute for a missed lecture. The lecture slides contain a great deal of material that will be covered in lecture, but they do not contain all the information necessary for you to know in this course. That is, all information conveyed in lecture is eligible for inclusion on the exams, and the exams will cover material presented in lecture that may go beyond what is included in the textbook or lecture slides.

Preparation: It is strongly recommended that you read the relevant readings before you attend lecture each week. Completing the relevant readings prior to lecture will allow you to more fully participate in class activities, ask more focused questions, and gain a more nuanced understanding of the material. Students that keep up with the required readings and course activities will generally perform better on the evaluative components of the course than other students.

Participation: Class participation is an important component of this course. It is strongly recommended that you come prepared to actively participate in lecture and tutorials. Activities in tutorials will involve interactive learning, discussion, and demonstrations. Please be prepared to get involved, discuss, learn from each other, and have fun. Your participation and engagement in lectures and tutorials is highly encouraged and valued.

Electronics: Electronic recording of lectures and tutorials is explicitly prohibited without the consent of the instructor and/or teaching assistant. When recordings are permitted, they are solely for the use of the authorized student and may not be reproduced or shared with others without the explicit consent of the instructor.  Laptops and tablets can be extremely useful for note-taking and other class activities. As such, you are welcome and encouraged to bring these to class. However, these devices can be distracting to fellow students around you. As such, please keep your screen on topic. Students using their devices for activities unrelated to the course should sit at the back of the room.   Cellphones should be turned to silent during lecture and tutorials. If you need to use your cellphone during lecture or tutorial, please be respectful of the rest of the class and step out of the classroom. 

REQUIREMENTS:

Canvas: This course will use Canvas. Most course materials will be posted on Canvas (i.e., this syllabus, lecture slides, assignments, and other resources). Important course announcements will also be posted on Canvas. Additionally, you will be able to check your grades for all course components. You are also encouraged to use the discussion board or chat functions to contact other students about missed lectures, post questions or clarifications about the course concepts, or organize study sessions with your classmates. You can access Canvas from the SFU homepage, click on “sign in” then on “Canvas” and sign in with your SFU login information. Once signed in, you will see a list of the courses you are taking that are using Canvas each semester.