MATH 1040  INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS     Fall 2008


Cheryl Whitelaw, Office  SC 210,  Phone  865-8179                
E-mail   whitelawcs@suu.edu 
4 credits    (Average 4 lecture days per week)
MATH 1040-01  Daily  11:00 a.m. -  11:50 a.m.,  SC 228
M

Course fee:  $10  used for Tutoring Center, possible teaching assistant or supplementary instruction


Prerequisite:  MATH 1010 or equivalent or Math ACT of at least 23 and fundamental 
computer skills.

     Note:  We will NOT have computer labs this semester.

Catalog description:  An introduction to the basic concepts and methods of statistical 
data analysis.  Descriptive statistics, statistical graphs, statistical estimation 
techniques and hypothesis testing, regression and correlation; chi square application, 
one-way ANOVA. 

Required text:  Elementary Statistics:  Picturing the World, Third Edition, by Ron Larson
and Betsy Farber, Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 2006.  ISBN 0-13-148316-1.

Also required:   calculator with built-in statistics functions (mean and standard deviation)

Grading:   Final exam (150 points), chapter tests (about 100 points each), chapter projects 
(8-40 points each), daily homework (total of 30 points).  No homework or projects for a 
chapter will be graded after the test for that chapter.  There may be a 10% penalty for 
late assignments (project deadlines and tests are announced several days in advance).  
A typical semester without lab assignments might have a total of 800 points.  An assignment 
list that shows the topics and textbook assignments and chapters covered will be handed out 
the first day of class.  The pace is about a textbook section per day.  

Grading: Approximately 90% - 100% A-, A; 80% - 89%, B-, B, B+; 70% - 79%, C-, C, C+;
60% - 69%, D-, D, D+; Below 60% F or UW

Monday, August 25	  Fall Semester Begins
Wednesday, September 3	  Last day to drop without a “W”
Monday, September 8	  Last day to add a class
Monday, October 20	  Harvest Holiday -- no classes
Friday, October 24	  Last day to W or to change to Audit
Wed-Fri, November 26-28	  Thanksgiving Recess
Friday, December 5	  Last day of class
Monday, December 8	  Study Day (no formal class)
Tuesday, December 9	  11:00 a.m. - 2:50 p.m.  Final Exam for 11:00 class



Students with medical, psychological, learning or other disabilities desiring academic 
adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Southern Utah
University Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD), in Room 206F 
of the Sharwan Smith Center, phone (435) 865-8022.  SSD determines eligibility for 
and authorizes the provision of services.


Learning Outcomes of the Course:  The successful student will be able to interpret data
presented in real-life situations and draw logical conclusions.  The student will be 
able to design a scientific approach to a statistical situation and be able to make 
inferences based on a survey.  The student will learn to be aware of the use of 
statistics in the world around him and be able to recognize and interpret data; 
he would also be able to recognize incorrect data, methods, presentation, or 
interpretation.  Descriptive and inferential statistics will be studied.

Integrating Skill Areas into the Knowledge Area in order to fulfill the goals of General
Education:  The course transcends other disciplines by using current data from biology,
sociology, education, elections, and national events.  Emphasis is on critical thinking and
analysis of data (good or bad).  Students have projects to gather and evaluate data using
statistical methods and technological analysis.  Students are encouraged to use data 
applications from areas of their personal interests.

Communication skills are developed for both written and oral interpretation of data and
conveying information for descriptive and inferential statistics.  Analytic skills are a 
top priority, and the use of technology is encouraged.  Students will be able to use 
higher-order thinking to analyze data from a variety of sources.  They will need to 
verbalize and write problem situations in various hypothesis testing situations with 
words and with symbols.  They will then select appropriate mathematical formulas and 
write the conclusions symbolically, graphically, and in words that the general public 
can understand.  They may use data from American institutions such as census data and 
public election data.  Census data may include demographic data of diverse populations 
and ethnic groups.

It is hoped that students in this course would gain life-long skills and knowledge in 
a variety of areas so they can be aware of statistics in everyday life, be able to 
interpret and understand data presented, and be able to interact or use that data in 
making choices or in teaching others.


Assistance:  Free tutoring is available for all students from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in
the Sharwan Smith Center.  The specific schedule for statistics will be announced in class.  

Videocassettes for this textbook are available in the tutoring center.  
The library and bookstore have other reference books and textbooks about statistics.

I will usually be available for help in my office daily 9:00 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.;
after 2:00 p.m. daily; or other times by appointment.

Written tests will consist of problem-solving similar to problems in the textbook homework,
chapter projects, and class discussions.  A calculator, formulas, and  printed tables in 
the text will often be necessary.

"Learning is not attained by chance; it must be sought for with order and
attended to with diligence."  -- Abigail Adams, 1744 - 1818

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup
work, and attendance policy, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed
appropriate by the instructor.