Fall 2024
Introduction
Professor: Jeff
Johannes
Section 1
W 3:30 - 4:20p Fraser 114
Office:
South 326A
Telephone: 245-5403
Office Hours: Monday 3:30 - 4:30p South 336,
Tuesday 4:00 - 5:00p South 336, Wednesday 1:00 - 2:00p Welles 131,
Thursday 8:00 - 9:00p South 336, Friday 12:00 - 1:00p South 338, and
by appointment or visit
Email Address: Johannes@Geneseo.edu
Web-page: http://www.geneseo.edu/~johannes
Overview
The class will begin with students sharing their
interests in mathematics and motivations for becoming mathematics
majors. Through various faculty visits and departmental colloquia, students will
be introduced to a wide range of topics and problems in
mathematics. The class will culminate with detailed
student presentations of interesting mathematics problems.
Aside from all that, we will begin each class by discussing any
thoughts and reactions to your first-year experiences at
Geneseo.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion students will be able
to
- Describe several areas of mathematics beyond calculus,
- Recognize several members of the mathematics department at
SUNY Geneseo
- Express their interest in mathematics, and
- Write precisely about mathematics.
Grading
Your grade in this course will be
based upon your performance on various aspects. The weight
assigned to each is designated below:
Participation
30%
Introductory Presentation
10%
Support Reports
10% total
Colloquium Reports
15% each
Final Presentation
20%
Participation
Since most of the class is discussion, the class
will only truly be helpful if you are here and participating.
If you are present for a discussion you will receive one
participation point that day. If you also participate to the
class as a whole (answer a question, ask an insightful question, or
offer important relevant commentary) you will receive two
participation points for that day. Present each day and never
speaking in class will earn 80%. Speaking every other day will
earn 95%. Scores between will be scaled linearly.
Support Reports
We will occasionally have conversations about the
ways to seek support outside of class-time to develop your strengths
in your mathematics major. You will receive credit based on
whether you are taking advantage of the opportunities to further
your dedication to and understanding of mathematics.
Presentations
You will give two evaluated presentations during this
course. The first will be at least three minutes long, will
include notes, and will describe what led you to becoming a
mathematics major. Your second presentation will be about some
mathematics not taught in your high school or college classes that
you find interesting. Your second presentation must be six to
eight minutes long.
Reports
After attending a mathematics department colloquium
or faculty visit (or other approved mathematics presentation) you
may write a report. You are required to write two (2) reports for
the course. In your report, please explain the main point of
the presentation and include a discussion of how this presentation
affected your views on mathematics.
A – Well written, answers
the questions, and is interesting and insightful
B – Well written and
answers the questions
C – Well written or
answers the questions (convinces the reader that you were there)
D – attempted
Papers are due the week after the presentation. I will gladly
comment on papers before they are due.
Feedback
Occasionally you will be given anonymous feedback
forms. Please use them to share any thoughts or concerns for
how the course is running. Remember, the sooner you tell me
your concerns, the more I can do about them. I have also
created a web-site
which
accepts anonymous comments. If we have not yet discussed
this in class, please encourage me to create a class code.
This site may also be accessed via our
course page on a link entitled anonymous
feedback. Of course, you are always welcome to approach
me outside of class to discuss any issues as well.
Accessibility Accommodations
SUNY Geneseo is dedicated to providing an
equitable and inclusive educational experience for all students. The
Office of Accessibility (OAS) will coordinate reasonable
accommodations for persons with disabilities to ensure equal access
to academic programs, activities, and services at Geneseo.
Students with approved accommodations may submit a semester
request to
renew their academic accommodations. Please visit the OAS website
for information on the process for requesting
academic accommodations. Contact the OAS by email, phone, or in-person:
Office of Accessibility Services
Erwin Hall 22 585-245-5112
access@geneseo.edu
Religious Holidays
It is my policy to give students who miss class
because of observance of religious holidays the opportunity to make
up missed work. You are responsible for notifying me no later
than September 11 of plans to observe the holiday.
Military Obligations
Federal and New York State law requires
institutions of higher education to provide an excused leave of
absence from classes without penalty to students enrolled in the
National Guard or armed forces reserves who are called to active
duty. If you are called to active military duty and need to miss
classes, please let me know and consult as soon as possible with the
Dean of Students.
Tentative Schedule to be modified as we make plans for visitors
August 28
Introductions
September 4 Introductory
Presentations
September 11 Rest of introductory
presentations
September 18 Aaron Heap
September 25 Christopher Seaton
(Newton 204)
October 2
First support reports
October 9 Sedar Ngoma
and Research Forum (Welles 138)
October 16 Major
advising
October 23
Actuary
October 30 Caroline Haddad
November 6 Hossein Shahmohamad (Newton 204)
November 13
November 20 History of Calculus (Newton 204)
December 4 Final Presentations
Wednesday, December 11 9-11a Final Presentations