Course Policies


I. Class Attendance 
II. Classroom Etiquette 
III. Course Preparation
IV. Class Meetings

A. Homework 
B. Presentations  
V. Meeting Deadlines 
VI. Examinations
VII. Grading Policies
VIII. University of Florida Academic Honesty Guidelines 
IX. Attributes of an Engineer


 

 

Engineering is an honorable profession, and I expect engineering students to behave in a professional manner. After you graduate, you will probably have a professional position and be working for someone else. In such a job, you will sometimes be in meetings with your supervisor and other people. At other times, you will work on your own to complete tasks assigned by your supervisor.

For purposes of this class, you should consider that you are working for me. I am your supervisor and our class meetings are biweekly staff meetings. I will evaluate your job performance during the semester. Your attitude and job performance during our staff meetings will determine whether you get a raise, remain employed, or get fired at the end of the semester.

Here are my rules which specify my expectations for engineering students. They are similar to the expectations that you will find in the workplace.


 

 

I. Class Attendance (Staff Meeting)

Just as you are expected to be present at your job, you are expected to attend my class. Either you or the department have decided that my class has information that will be valuable for your career as an industrial engineer. (Even if you would rather not be taking this course, this is no different than having to take a job you do not really like, or having a job that you like but having to perform tasks that you do not like.)

Leave: Each student will have one class period of annual leave, two class periods of sick leave and one class period of personal leave per semester. You must claim annual leave or personal leave in advance by submitting a written request to my teaching assistant. Annual or personal leave will not be granted on exam days. You must claim your sick leave by submitting a sick leave notice to my teaching assistant by the next class. Annual leave and personal leave may be used as sick leave if you have used up your sick leave and you have a doctor's statement that you were sick.

Students who have used up their leave time will be counted absent from class. For each absence, one point will be deducted from the student's final grade point average. For example, if you have three absences and your final average is 91, you will receive an 88 in the course.

On the days that you choose to take leave time, you are still responsible for finding out from other students what was announced or covered in class. I do not repeat class announcements or class lectures for students who did not attend. Copies of missed homework assignments or solutions can be obtained from my teaching assistant.

I will pass out a seating chart during the second week of class, and students will sit in that location for the rest of the semester. This helps me learn student's names and also helps me and my teaching assistant to take attendance and to record class participation.


 

 

II. Classroom Etiquette

You are in college, not high school, now and I expect you to exhibit adult behavior in my classroom. This includes showing respect for your professors and your fellow students.

Differences of opinion between adults are acceptable, but rudeness will not be tolerated.

Class will start on time, both at the beginning of the class period and at the designated time after any break; class will also end on time. Students who arrive late disrupt the rest of the class. Therefore, students who are not in their seats when class starts will be counted absent.

When you attend class, I assume you are there to learn something. Therefore, I do not allow socializing during class time. This applies to the start of class as well as any other time during the class period. When I walk into the classroom, I expect you to stop talking and pay attention to the lecture. I will ask students who are disturbing the rest of the class to leave, and they will be counted absent for that class period.

The information covered during lectures is information that you need to understand to become proficient at your job (i.e. taking this course). I expect you to pay attention during the lecture, to take notes on what is said, and to ask questions about points that you do not understand. If you are sleeping or reading the newspaper or working on the homework for another class, you will be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that class period.

Cell phones must be turned off before you come into the classroom and pagers must be set on vibrate only. If the class is interrupted by the noise of either a cell phone or a pager, the student responsible will be asked to leave the classroom and will be counted absent for that class period.

Visiting speakers or students giving presentations must be accorded the same courteous attention that you would like to receive if you were giving a presentation.


 

 

III. Job Preparation

There is no "wipe-the-slate-clean" approach to learning engineering. Each course is a building block for some later part of the curriculum. If you are missing one or more building blocks because you have forgotten what you covered in a previous course, you are unlikely to do well in your chosen field.

I expect each of you to have a good grounding in certain basic skills when you take this class. These include proficiency in basic engineering mathematics and an understanding of basic engineering principles. You have already taken a number of math and engineering courses that provide you with many of these skills. I expect you to have retained the information that you gained in these courses so that you can use it in my course. At a minimum, you must be proficient in:
 

You must be able to use a hand calculator, but you must also have enough of a sense of basic arithmetic to be able to recognize when you have a wrong answer on the calculator because you have made an error entering the numbers. You must bring a calculator to every class.

You must be proficient in the use of personal computers. At a minimum, you must be able to use a spreadsheet program and a word processing program.

You must have the ability to communicate in English, both orally and in writing.

You must have some basic common sense--a fundamental need for any successful engineer.


 

 

IV. Class Meetings (Staff Meetings)

A. Homework (Staff Reports)

Handwritten homework problem solutions must be written on engineering paper. No other paper will be accepted - PERIOD!!! Computer-printed pages are acceptable for problems that are done using the computer (such as Word, Excel, Minitab, etc.). See additional requirements for submitting homework.

You should only have one problem per page for clarity. If you have more than one problem per page, only one of them will be graded, except when announced otherwise.

Sloppy homework solutions will be returned ungraded - and uncounted.

Plots or graphs required for homework problem solutions must be drawn carefully on graph paper by computer or by hand with ruler-drawn axes. Free-hand curves will NOT be accepted.

For any computer problem, homework or project required to be turned in, do not erase your file until your graded solution or paper has been returned. Save a copy on both your hard drive and floppy drive.

If you submit a major project report for grading, make a safety copy to keep for your protection in addition to your computer copy on the hard drive and floppy drive.

Answers alone, without the supporting work, are worth zero on homework solutions. Make sure you show the steps for how you reached any answer.

Unless specifically stated otherwise, students are free to DISCUSS solutions of homework problems among themselves. However, each student is required to submit a homework paper that is his or her own work, and is not a direct (or near direct) copy of another student's work.

Copying another student's homework solutions is CHEATING, and as such a grade of zero on that homework will be assigned to the person involved, or will receive an equal share of the single grade.

Every engineering student is expected to be knowledgeable in some computer language such as C++ or FORTRAN and in the use of IBM-compatible PC's. Also, every student is expected to have an engineering calculator, and is expected to bring a calculator to every class meeting.

Homework papers must be turned in before solutions are passed out. No credit will be given for papers handed in after the solutions have been distributed.  Late homeworks submitted after the class in which they are due, will be penalized at a rate of 10%/day, unless you have prior permission from the instructor.
 
 

B. Class Participation (Staff Presentations)

Students will be called on to put their homework solutions on the chalkboard and explain them to the rest of the class. A student who is called on to present his/her solution and who has not done the homework will receive a failing grade in class participation for the day.


 

 

V. Meeting Deadlines (Examinations, Course Projects)

My course syllabus lists dates of all examinations so students can plan their schedules in advance. I do not give makeup examinations except in cases of serious illness or family emergency. If you are going to miss an examination because of a serious illness or family emergency, you must notify me, my teaching assistant or the ISE office in advance if you want to make up the examination. A doctor's note must be presented. Notification after-the-fact will only be accepted as an excuse if you have proof to show you were physically unable to call in advance. My ISE office phone number is (352) 392-1464, Extension 2009.

VI. Taking Examinations

Concepts in this course are cumulative, but examinations will be centered on only the material covered since the previous exam. Even so, you are still responsible for understanding any topic or concept that has been covered in class throughout the semester. In other words, even though you have been tested on something once, you may encounter another question requiring you to know and understand the same principle in another examination later in the semester.

Answers alone, without showing the supporting work, are worth zero on any examination. Make sure you show the steps for how you reached any answer.

Sloppy work or misspelled words on examinations will be penalized.

Calculators: Every student is expected to bring a properly functioning calculator to each test. No sharing of calculators is allowed. I suggest that each student also have an inexpensive solar-powered calculator for backup.

Cheating: Any student caught cheating on an examination will receive a zero on that examination and may also be subject to Honor Court Discipline. Cheating includes tendering and receiving information during an exam. Also, if a students paper is graded and that student then changes his or her work on that same paper, and then attempts to have the paper re-graded, THIS WILL BE REGARDED AS CHEATING.

Making up an exam: If you are going to miss an examination, or other course deadline, you must notify me or the ISE office in advance, if you want to make up the work. Notification after-the-fact will only be accepted as an excuse if you have proof to show you were physically unable to call in advance. The ISE office number is (352) 392-1464.

Headgear: Students may not wear baseball caps or other headgear with visors that cover the student's eyes while taking an examination in this course.


 

 

VII. Grading (Performance Evaluations)

Students will receive the grades they earn in my class. Students who want an A must demonstrate that they can do A work. Students who have not demonstrated that they understand the basic principles of the course will receive a failing grade. Giving a passing grade to an engineering student who does not understand the course can result in serious consequences to society. See Engineering Disasters.

Final grade averages are rounded off to the nearest one-tenth point, and grades are assigned on my standard scale as follows
 

Average Grade

Letter Grade

90.0 and above

A

88.0 to 89.9

B+

80.0 to 87.9

B

78.0 to 79.9

C+

70.0 to 77.9

C

68.0 to 69.9

D+

60.0 to 67.9

D

Below 60.0

E


 

Course averages and grades are both computed using the standard scale given.

Course averages are computed using the weights given in the Course Syllabus. For example, if examinations count 90% and homework counts 10%, then a student with a 77% exam average and a 90% homework average would have a course average of 78.3% for a "C+" grade. As another example, consider the following:
 

Item

Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

Homework

Weight

30%

30%

30%

10%

Score

82

75

83

50

The course average in this example is 77.0% for a grade of "C."

Errors on homework or test grades must be brought to my attention within seven days of the date papers are returned in order to have a grade changed. Any student who alters his or her paper, after it has been graded, in an attempt to gain a higher grade will be guilty of CHEATING and subject to HONOR COURT DISCIPLINE.

VIII. University of Florida Academic Honesty 
Guidelines

The academic community of students and faculty at the University of Florida strives to develop, sustain and protect an environment of honesty, trust and respect. Students are expected to pursue knowledge with integrity. Exhibiting honesty in academic pursuits and reporting violations of the Academic Honesty Guidelines will encourage others to act with integrity. Violations of the Academic Honesty Guidelines shall result in judicial action and a student being subject to the sanctions in paragraph XI of the Student Conduct Code. The conduct set forth hereinafter constitutes a violation of the Academic Honesty Guidelines (University of Florida Rule 6C1-4.017).

Cheating. The improper taking or tendering of any information or material which shall be used to determine academic credit. Taking of information includes, but is not limited to, copying graded homework assignments from another student; working together with another individual(s) on a take-home test or homework when not specifically permitted by the teacher; looking or attempting to look at another student's paper during an examination; looking or attempting to look at text or notes during an examination when not permitted. The tendering of information includes, but is not limited to, giving of your work to another student to be used or copied; giving someone answers to exam questions either when the exam is being given or after taking an exam; giving or selling a term paper or other written materials to another student; sharing information on a graded assignment.

Plagiarism. The attempt to represent the work of another as the product of one's own thought, whether the work is published or unpublished, or simply the work of a fellow student. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, quoting oral or written materials without citation on an exam, term paper, homework, or other written materials or oral presentations for an academic requirement; submitting a paper which was purchased from a term paper service as your own work; submitting anyone else's paper as your own work.

Bribery. The offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any materials, items or services of value to gain academic advantage for yourself or another.

Misrepresentation. Any act or omission with intent to deceive a teacher for academic advantage. Misrepresentation includes using computer programs generated by another and handing it in as your own work unless expressly allowed by the teacher; lying to a teacher to increase your grade; lying or misrepresenting facts when confronted with an allegation of academic dishonesty.

Conspiracy. The planning or acting with one or more persons to commit any form of academic dishonesty to gain academic advantage for yourself or another.

Fabrication. The use of invented or fabricated information or the falsification of research or other findings with the intent to deceive for academic or professional advantage.