Help for Undergraduate Students

From MathsDept

• excerpt from the Mathematics 2011 Mathematics Undergraduate Handbook (3M, .pdf) 2007.

TIME ALLOCATION PER COURSE

In addition to time spent attending lectures, laboratories or tutorials, students should plan a minimum of six hours per week studying notes and working on assignment problems. Approximately 10 hours per week (total) should be devoted to a 15-point course taught over one semester.

STUDY GUIDES

During the initial lectures of Mathematics courses, a Study Guide for the course will be distributed. This contains the name(s) of the person(s) teaching the course, their office number, hours when they are available for help, assignment due dates, procedures for handing in and collecting assignments, semester test dates, textbooks required, coursework requirements etc. It is the responsibility of students to obtain a Study Guide, read it carefully, and then follow the information given in it.

COURSEWORK/ASSIGNMENTS

Coursework consists of tests and assignments. Credit is given for coursework as well as for final exams; the proportion for each course varies. Details of this, test dates and assignment due dates are given in the Study Guide. Due to the volume of assignments to be processed, and the mechanism for distributing them to the student markers, it is not possible to accept late assignments.

SICKNESS OR BEREAVEMENT

Students who know they will be unable to sit a test should approach their lecturer as soon as they find out. The lecturer may be able to arrange another time to sit the test, or make other arrangements

If temporary illness, injury, or exceptional circumstances beyond your control prevent you from sitting an examination or seriously impair your examination preparation or performance, you may be eligible to apply for aegrotat or compassionate consideration. The requirements are strict and it is essential that you get the right advice by contacting the University Health and Counselling Service, or the Examinations Section of Student Administration.

Applications for Aegrotat and Compassionate Consideration An application may be made for aegrotat or compassionate consideration, by candidates who may have been prevented from being present at an examination, or who consider that their preparation for or performance in an examination has been seriously impaired by temporary illness or injury or exceptional circumstances beyond their control. This also applies to tests, but not assignments.

Application forms are available online, or from the relevant campus Student Health and Counselling Services and Examinations Office. The application form must be submitted to the University Health and Counselling Service within one week of the date that the examination affected took place, or if more than one examination has been affected, then within one week of the last of those examinations. Following the decision of Senate on an application for Aegrotat or Compassionate Consideration, a student may apply for reconsideration of that decision no later than four weeks after the student is notified of Senate’s decision. Please refer to The University of Auckland Calendar for the official regulations.

GETTING HELP

There are several ways of obtaining help with mathematical problems. Because there are such large numbers of students in first and second year courses it must be the responsibility of a student to seek help when needed. This help will be more effective if a student seeks it after first trying to read the relevant parts of the text and lecture notes and identifying the specific questions he or she would like to ask.

ASSISTANCE ROOM

The Mathematics Department on City Campus operates an Assistance Room for help with mathematics courses. Room B25 is situated in the basement of Building 303, Science Centre. Assistance Room is primarily for Stage I students, with some assistance available for Stage II and III students. One or more tutors will be available to help students with problems arising with assignments or the understanding of a course. The assistance room is staffed from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday during semesters. During study breaks it will also be staffed, but for reduced hours.

The Mathematics assistance room is coordinated by: Alastair McNaughton Ext 85244 Room 330 - Mathematics Department Room 723.343 - Tamaki Campus Email: a.mcnaughton@math.auckland.ac.nz

At Tamaki Campus a part-time assistance room may be settled, if the need arises.

INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE TEACHING STAFF

All lecturers designate several hours (known as office hours) per week when they will be available in their office to assist students with mathematical questions. These times are usually posted on their office door and announced either in the Study Guide or during lectures. Most lecturers will also give assistance at other times when they are free.

EXTRA TUTORIALS

These are offered for some courses during the week and in weekends when there is a demand, and especially immediately prior to Semester Tests and Examinations.

ONE-TO-ONE TUTORING

Individual assistance for students doing Stage I courses can be obtained by filling in an appointment sheet at the Department of Mathematics Office (Room 303).

MāORI AND PACIFIC ISLAND STUDENTS TUTORIAL ROOMS

Assistance with mathematics is available for these students in the Tuakana Rooms, Rm 120 and 122, Level 1, Building 303, Science Centre. Tutors are in the room at various times. These times are listed on the door to the room.

All Stage 1 Māori and Pacific students will be contacted by a mentor. These mentors will also provide tuition in the tutorial room. If we do not manage to contact you by the start of semester, please visit our [www.math.auckland.ac.nz/Students/MP/ Maori and Pasifica website] to find out whom you should contact. Individual assistance is available from:

Sina Greenwood Ext 88776 Email sina@math.auckland.ac.nz Room 405 - Mathematics Department or

Garry Nathan Ext 84931 Email g.nathan@math.auckland.ac.nz Room 118 - Mathematics Department

OTHER SPECIALISED TUTORIALS

We are willing to run specialised tutorials for any group who present sufficient demand, e.g. Mandarin or Cantonese speakers.

BUYING TEXTBOOKS

A list of prescribed texts will be available at the Student Resource Centres during enrolment. Some of the texts produced by the Mathematics Department will be sold at these centres. However, textbooks and some course books will be available at the University Bookshop in the Kate Edger Information Commons. Because some of the textbooks will be different from those used in previous years, students should not buy any mathematics books for their course without consulting the new list. Texts for some courses are in the Short Loan Collection at the Kate Edger Information Commons.

CALCULATORS

Some courses prohibit or restrict the use of calculators in tests and examinations. Restrictions may include such capabilities as: • alphanumeric keys, • storage of formulae, • programming capability, • communication capability.

The Study Guide for each course should indicate whether or not calculators are to be used and what restrictions if any are to be placed on them.

COMPUTER ACCESS

Many students have access to computers in their own homes. It is not, however, necessary to own a computer to do mathematics, statistics or computer science. The laboratory facilities of the departments are available for students who do not own their own computers, and in any event, computing packages are available on the laboratory machines which are unlikely to be found on most home computers. The hours that the laboratories are open include evenings, weekends and holidays.

USING THE COMPUTER LABORATORIES

On the City campus the Department shares three 120 machine computer laboratories with the departments of Statistics and Computer Science. These are located in the Science Centre, Building 303. Mathematics students have booking privileges in the basement laboratory, but may use the other two laboratories when they are not being used by Computer Science students. On the Tamaki Campus there are two undergraduate Laboratories in Level 1 of Buildings 721 and 723, and a further Laboratory for advanced science and technology students in Level 2 of Building 731. Because the Laboratories are used by a large number of students and will be very busy around assignment due dates, students are strongly encouraged to work on their assignments early. Students who leave their work to the last day may find all the machines are booked! All students enrolled in science courses have access to the laboratories. The login name is their NetAccount name - the NetAccount password is also used. Student ID cards are needed to use a computer laboratory.

Handouts are available on: • Using a PC • An Introduction to the Undergraduate Labs • Getting Started Using UNIX

Demonstrators are rostered in the laboratories and they are available to assist students. They can be easily identified by the bright orange or yellow sashes they wear. Their role is not to do assignments for students, but rather to assist students to gain a better understanding of the computer packages being used, and of course to cope with technical problems. Specifically, if the computer being used is, or becomes, faulty (e.g. disk jams in the drive), do NOT attempt to remedy the fault personally but ask a demonstrator.

The Computing Laboratory is coordinated by:

Dr Allison Heard Ext. 88816 Room 414 - Mathematics Department Email: heard@math.auckland.ac.nz More information about labs can be found at: www.scl.ec.auckland.ac.nz

MATLAB

From 2006 all first and second year undergraduate mathematics courses (with the exception of MATHS 101) will be using the computer algebra system Matlab and its Symbolic Math toolbox in both teaching and assessment. The program is available in the undergraduate computer lab and will also be accessible via the information commons. For more information and a tutorial on getting started with Matlab go to the web page at www.math.auckland.ac.nz/matlab

LECTURE AND TUTORIAL ROOMS

Each course gets its lecture and tutorial rooms allocated one or two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester. Students need to log to the Student Services in order to check the venues of their classes. For certain popular classes, you need to chose a stream and a time that suits your schedule. To locate a lecture room use www.ltmu.auckland.ac.nz/find_a_pool_room.htm.

COMMUNICATION AND STUDENT REPRESENTATION

Each class elects a representative each semester to attend meetings to discuss matters concerning students and the department. Generally two meetings are scheduled each semester. Those meetings are attended by the elected student representatives and departmental staff. Any problems affecting students may be raised at these meetings. Students are able to approach their class representatives if they want a matter raised. Student representatives also attend meetings of the Science Faculty, the Board of Studies of Mathematical and Information Sciences and the Mathematics Department. The departmental coordinator is:

Greg Oates Ext 88605 Room 322 - Mathematics Department Email: oates@math.auckland.ac.nz

Any student with a complaint about the way he or she has been treated by the Department is invited to discuss the matter with the Head of Department. If the prospect of approaching the HOD is daunting, other avenues for complaint are through the class representative, or the Departmental Manager for Mathematics, Daniela Rovere (Rm 336, Ext 88063), or any approachable lecturer. Complaints such as inaccurate marking of tests or assignments are usually best dealt with by the lecturer.