| Homepage | Syllabus | Agenda | Gradebook |
Instructor: Vasilios (Billy) Passias
Email: passias2@illinois.edu
Office Hours: 3 P.M. - 4 P.M. on Wednesdays, in 322 Loomis, or by appointment
Class Time: 5-6:50 P.M. on Thursdays in 2025 Campus Instructional Facility (in-person unless noted otherwise)
Class Breakdown:
| Activity | Time Allotted |
|---|---|
| Questions | 10% |
| Lecture | 25% |
| Collaborative Problem Solving | 65% |
Required Supplies: Calculator, Paper & Pencil (or Digital Equivalent)
Course Materials: All notes, practice assignments, and problem sets will be released under the Agenda tab before class. No paper copies will be distributed. If needed, students are responsible for printing out the material before class. Otherwise, a computer or smartphone can be used to access the desired material during class.
Homework Policy: There will be one problem set due at the beginning of class every Thursday. Any in-class assignments that are not finished during class time will become homework and checked for completeness at the beginning of class the following week. Assignments can be submitted on paper, or digitally via the instructor's email (see above).
Grading Scale:
| A+ | 97 | A | 94 | A- |
90 |
| B+ | 87 | B | 84 | B- |
80 |
| C+ | 77 | C | 74 | C- |
70 |
| D+ | 67 | D | 64 | D- |
60 |
Grading Rubric: Every part of a problem is worth 5 points in total (e.g., a three-part problem would be worth 15 points total) and each part will be scored as follows:
5: Perfect solution, devoid of conceptual or technical errors.
4: Solution is conceptually correct, but contains minor mathematical errors (signs, numerical factors, etc.)
3: Solution makes good progress towards the correct answer, but contains minor conceptual errors or larger mathematical errors.
2: Solution does not make meaningful progress towards the correct answer and contains major conceptual errors.
0: No attempt at solution.
Course Grades:
| Attendance | 10% |
| Participation | 20% |
| Classwork | 30% |
| Homework | 40% |
Attendance & Participation: Regular attendance is an important part of success in this class. Please come to class on time and stay on task. Students who arrive on time will receive full Attendance points. Students who are on task for the entirety of the class will receive full participation points.
Classwork: Practice assignments are graded based on completion. To receiver full points, students must finish all problems by the beginning of class the next week.
Homework: Problem sets are assigned in class and due at the beginning of class the following week. Problem sets are meant to prepare you for your discussion quiz the following week. Thus, it is most beneficial to complete teh problem set before your discussion section. If the practice assignments have been completed, problem sets can be worked on in class.
At the end of the semester, each category will be weighted using the grade breakdown above, and the resulting percentage will determine your final grade in the course.