| Instructor
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Dr. Monica K. Hurdal, Department of Mathematics, Florida State University
Office: 113 Love Building Phone: 644-7183 (office); 644-2202 (dept. front desk) Email: mhurdal@math.fsu.edu Webpage: http://www.math.fsu.edu/~mhurdal/ |
| Office Hours | Please refer to http://www.math.fsu.edu/~mhurdal/ for updated office hour information. Appointments can also be made. |
| Class Times | There are no officially scheduled class meeting times for this course. Meetings between the student and instructor are scheduled as needed and can be in person, via email, phone, e-chat (such as Skype). It is recommended that some form of weekly meeting or communication occurs. | Course Objectives |
This course provides students with the opportunity to carry out research in the field of mathematics, leading to the completion of an Honors Thesis. Normally a minimum of two to three semesters are spent working on a research project. The topic of the research project is determined by the instructor and student together. Upon completion of the project, the student will give a presentation about their research and defend their thesis orally before their Honors Thesis Committee. |
| Eligibility | This course is for undergraduate students in the Department of Mathematics who have been admitted into the Honors in the Major Program. Please see http://honors.fsu.edu/Honors-in-the-Major for details on admission into this program. |
| Text Book
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There is no specific text for the course. Students will do in-depth research from a variety of sources including journals, textbooks, computer programs, and the web. Students should form the habit of reading from a variety of sources about current developments in computational and mathematical biology. It is especially important to browse the web on a regular basis because sources of information are increasingly web based. |
| Research Project
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Students are required to carry out research in the field of mathematics and their research topic is determined by the instructor and the student. The research project is carried out independently by the student with guidance from the instructor. The final outcomes of the research project include an Honors Thesis, presentation, and oral defence during the student's final semester of Honors Work. Typically students log and write up their research results during the entire duration (i.e. multiple semesters) of their Honors Work. |
| Grading | Letter grades will be based on progress and effort made toward completing the research project and successful completion of an Honors Thesis. Communication, meeting attendance, meeting preparedness, research effort, and progress will be considered when determining the course grade. Letter grades will be assigned as follows: A: Excellent progress and/or effort; B: Good progress and/or effort; C: Satisfactory progress and/or effort; D: poor progress and/or effort; F: unsatisfactory progress and/or effort. Plus or minus grades may be assigned. A grade of I will not be given to avoid a grade of F or to give additional study time. Failure to process a course drop will result in a course grade of F. |
| Courtesy and Attendance | Meetings between the student and instructor are scheduled as needed. I expect you to arrive at meetings on time and to be prepared with research questions and results, and to be able to discuss relevant materials. If you must cancel a meeting, please give sufficient advance notice. |
| University Attendance Policy | Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness. |
| Academic Honor Policy | The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University's expectations for the integrity of students' academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to ". . . be honest and truthful and . . . [to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University." (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://fda.fsu.edu/Academics/Academic-Honor-Policy.) |
| Americans with Disabilities Act |
Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:
(1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. Please note that instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodation to a student until appropriate verification from the Student Disability Resource Center has been provided. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the:
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| Syllabus Change Policy | Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice. |