Homework is an important part of this class and will be the dominant component of the course grade (80%).
You may discuss the homework problems with your classmates, but each student is required to provide their own solutions. Homework will be due at 5 pm on the due date listed on the assignment. A late penalty of 20%/day will be applied for late problem sets. (This penalty is imposed per business day, so from Fri to Mon counts as 1 day).
The remaining 20% of your grade will be based on a final project on a topic of your choice. You will need to discuss the topic of your project with Prof. Shelton ahead of time and get it approved. For the final project, you will both submit a write-up (LaTeX, no more than 15 pages) and deliver a 20-minute presentation on your topic to the class. This is less fun over Zoom than in person, but we will try to set up some ways to keep things convivial.
The Grainger College of Engineering is committed to the creation of an anti-racist, inclusive community that welcomes diversity along a number of dimensions, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity and national origins, gender and gender identity, sexuality, disability status, class, age, or religious beliefs. The College recognizes that we are learning together in the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, that Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous voices and contributions have largely either been excluded from, or not recognized in, science and engineering, and that both overt racism and micro-aggressions threaten the well-being of our students and our university community.
The effectiveness of this course is dependent upon each of us to create a safe and encouraging learning environment that allows for the open exchange of ideas while also ensuring equitable opportunities and respect for all of us. Everyone is expected to help establish and maintain an environment where students, staff, and faculty can contribute without fear of personal ridicule, or intolerant or offensive language. If you witness or experience racism, discrimination, micro-aggressions, or other offensive behavior, you are encouraged to bring this to the attention of the course director (Prof. Shelton) if you feel comfortable. You can also report these behaviors to the Bias Assessment and Response Team (BART). Based on your report, BART members will follow up and reach out to students to make sure they have the support they need to be healthy and safe. If the reported behavior also violates university policy, staff in the Office for Student Conflict Resolution may respond as well and will take appropriate action.
Further information about campus and classroom climate policies and resources can be found here.