Math 3121B/9050B Winter 2022
(Course outline version: January 9, 2022; may be updated later.)
Instructor Info:
Nicole Lemire, nlemire@uwo.ca, MC 103C.
Please use your UWO email address when sending an email to the instructor.
Lecture Info:
MWF 3:30-4:30pm, Zoom
When in-person classes resume, lectures will be held in MC 108.
Required Textbook:
Linear Algebra, Arnold J. Insel, Lawrence E. Spence, and Steven H. Friedberg, 4th or 5th edition (Pearson).
Prerequisite:
Mathematics 2120A/B.
Course Description:
Course Website:
All students are responsible to be aware of information, assignments, materials and grades posted at the OWL course site: https://www.owl.uwo.ca/portal.If students need assistance with the course OWL site, they can seek support on the OWL Help page. Alternatively, they can contact the Western Technology Services Helpdesk. They can be contacted by phone at 519-661-3800 or ext. 83800.
What is Expected of the Student:
Students should attend all classes, make a serious effort to understand all course material and do all the assigned work. The student must assume responsibility for any missed classes. It is up to the student to seek out help when needed. Students are expected to keep up with the the material of the course by reading and learning definitions, theorems and results, and doing additional practice problems. They should review all learning materials in a timely fashion, follow class announcements, complete all assignments and write all examinations. Solutions of collected homework problems must be written neatly, and submitted by the deadline. A fundamental component of the course is to prove mathematical theorems.
Evaluation of Student Performance (Math 3121B):
Final Exam: (40%) cumulative, to be scheduled by the Registrar’s Office.
Midterm Exam: (35%) TBA
Assignments : (25%) 5-6 assignments, approximately biweekly.
Evaluation of Student Performance (Math 9050B):
Final Exam: (40%) cumulative, to be scheduled by the Registrar’s Office.
Midterm Exam: (30%) TBA
Assignments : (20%) 5-6 assignments, approximately biweekly.
Project: (10%). Details available on OWL.
Missed Evaluation Components:
- Missing any evaluation component will result in a grade of zero unless appropriate academic accommodation is sought and granted.
- Late homework assignments will not be accepted, unless arranged in advance with a good reason.
- If you miss a homework assignment with proper academic accommodation, your remaining homework grades will be reweighted.
- If you miss the midterm examination with proper academic accomodation, a makeup midterm will be written the next available week. Note that an SRA cannot be applied to the midterm examination.
- If you miss the final exam with proper academic accomodation, a special exam will be written at the designated date for final makeup exams in May, to be determined by the Mathematics Department.
Assessment Policies:
Scholastic Offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site:http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.
Scholastic offences include: Copying solutions from other students, online sources, textbooks, etc.; showing your work to other students; uploading questions or solutions to a web site; and accessing a web site used for providing solutions (even if you do not use any solutions on the site). The penalty for an academic offence involving a midterm or final will be a failing grade in the course. The penalty for each academic offence involving homework will be a grade of 0 on the homework set as well as a penalty of negative 5% on the overall course grade. In some cases, the penalty can include expulsion from the program. All academic offences are added to your student record.
Online access required: We will be using GradeScope for homework and exams. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software. Completion of this course will require you to have a laptop or computer, a reliable internet connection, a working microphone, a working webcam, and a device for scanning (either a scanner or an app that can be used in conjunction with your device's camera).
Senate Policy on Prerequisites:
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
Academic Policies:
The website for Registrarial Services is http://www.registrar.uwo.ca.
In accordance with policy, http://www.uwo.ca/its/identity/activatenonstudent.html, the centrally administered e-mail account provided to students will be considered the individual’s official university e-mail address. It is the responsibility of the account holder to ensure that e-mail received from the University at his/her official university address is attended to in a timely manner.
Students should check OWL (http://owl.uwo.ca) or the course website (if not hosted on OWL) on a regular basis for news and updates for all of the courses in which they are enrolled. This is the primary method by which information will be disseminated to all students in each class. Students are responsible for checking OWL on a regular basis.
Accommodation and Accessibility
Accommodation Policies
Students with disabilities work with Accessible Education (formerly SSD) which provides recommendations for accommodation based on medical documentation or psychological and cognitive testing. The Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities policy can be found at:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic Accommodation_disabilities.pdf
Academic Consideration for Student Absence
Students will have up to two (2) opportunities during the regular academic year to use an on-line portal to self-report an absence during the semester, provided the following conditions are met: the absence is no more than 48 hours in duration, and the assessment for which consideration is being sought is worth 30% or less of the student’s final grade. Students are expected to contact their instructors within 24 hours of the end of the period of the self-reported absence, unless noted on the syllabus. Students are not able to use the self-reporting option in the following circumstances:
- for exams scheduled by the Office of the Registrar (e.g. December and April exams)
- absence of a duration greater than 48 hours,
- assessments worth more than 30% of the student's final grade,
- if a student has already used the self-reporting portal twice during the academic year
If the conditions for a Self-Reported Absence are not met, students will need to provide a Student Medical Certificate if the absence is medical, or provide appropriate documentation if there are compassionate grounds for the absence in question. Students are encouraged to contact their Faculty academic counselling office to obtain more information about the relevant documentation.
Students should also note that individual instructors are not permitted to receive documentation directly from a student, whether in support of an application for consideration on medical grounds, or for other reasons. All documentation required for absences that are not covered by the Self-Reported Absence Policy must be submitted to the Academic Counselling office of a student's Home Faculty.
For policy on Academic Consideration for Student Absences - Undergraduate Students in First Entry Programs, see:
https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
and for the Student Medical Certificate (SMC), see:
http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/medicalform.pdf
Religious Accommodation
Students should consult the University's list of recognized religious holidays, and should give reasonable notice in writing, prior to the holiday, to the Instructor and an Academic Counsellor if their course requirements will be affected by a religious observance. Additional information is given in the Western Multicultural Calendar:
https://multiculturalcalendar.com/ecal/index.php?s=c-univwo
You may also be eligible to write the Special Exam if you are in a “Multiple Exam Situation” (see http://www.registrar.uwo.ca/examinations/exam_schedule.html).
If a student fails to write a scheduled Special Examination, the date of the next Special Examination (if granted) normally will be the scheduled date for the final exam the next time this course is offered. The maximum course load for that term will be reduced by the credit of the course(s) for which the final examination has been deferred. See Academic Calendar for details (under Special Examinations).
Contingency plan for an in-person class pivoting to 100% online learning
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.
In the event of a health lockdown, tests and examinations in this course will be conducted using a remote proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available onWestern’s Remote Proctoring website at:
Support Services
Please visit the Science & Basic Medical Sciences Academic Counselling webpage for information on add/drop courses, academic considerations for absences, appeals, exam conflicts, and many other academic related matters: https://www.uwo.ca/sci/counselling/
Please contact the course instructor if you require lecture or printed material in an alternate format or if any other arrangements can make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) at (519) 661-2147 if you have any questions regarding accommodations.
Western University is committed to a thriving campus as we deliver our courses in the mixed model of both virtual and face-to-face formats. We encourage you to check out the Digital Student Experience website to manage your academics and well-being: https://www.uwo.ca/se/digital/.
Learning-skills counsellors at the Student Development Centre (http://www.sdc.uwo.ca) are ready to help you improve your learning skills. They offer presentations on strategies for improving time management, multiple-choice exam preparation/writing, textbook reading, and more. Individual support is offered throughout the Fall/Winter terms in the drop-in Learning Help Centre, and year-round through individual counselling.
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western (http://www.health.uwo.ca/mental_health) for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Additional student-run support services are offered by the USC, http://westernusc.ca/services.
