According to university policy, each credit hour represents one hour of classroom or direct faculty instruction and a minimum of two hours of independent student work per week, typically over a 15-week semester. This applies equally to traditional semester-long courses and to accelerated or alternative delivery formats, which must involve the same total amount of learning time.
In practical terms, this means that for a standard 3-credit course, you should plan to spend 6–9 hours per week outside of class actively engaging with course material. For a 4-credit course, the expectation rises to 8–12 hours weekly. This time includes reading, working on practice problems, completing assignments, reviewing notes, visiting office hours or other academic support systems, and preparing for exams.
Regular, distributed practice is essential for learning complex material like mathematics. Research in cognitive science consistently shows that spreading out your study time—rather than condensing it into long, infrequent sessions—leads to better long-term retention and deeper understanding. Setting aside 1–2 hours each day to review concepts and complete coursework is far more effective than a single weekly “cram session.”
Making time for consistent, focused practice is not just about keeping up with assignments—it’s about training your brain to think mathematically. By returning to material frequently, you give yourself repeated opportunities to reinforce knowledge and make meaningful connections, both of which are essential for academic success.
Subsubsection6.1University Sponsored or Sanctioned Activities and Makeup Work
Students represent the university through participation in university-sponsored or -sanctioned activities, i.e. representing the university at off-campus co-curricular events. When the activity conflicts with academic obligations, student-participants will follow a standard protocol to provide their faculty members with prior, written notification of their absences from classes. Faculty members will determine, in consultation with student participants, how missed classes and assignments are made-up in a manner that fulfills academic obligations and accommodates participatory obligations.
Except for absences resulting from sponsored or sanctioned activities, student-participants have the same responsibility in regard to class attendance and assignments as do all other students.
A student’s work in any course will be evaluated to align with the following university grade system and governing policies. Final gradelines as a percent grade may be modified to better reflect these expectations, but only in students’ favor if gradelines are already provided in the individual course description.
Graduate students should be aware that while the Instructor’s Description of assignments and grading remains consistent for both undergraduate and graduate students (as indicated in the third column), the University’s Description of letter grades differs. Specifically, graduate students are held to a higher academic standard.
At the graduate level, the minimum acceptable performance is considered “above average” by university standards. This means that simply fulfilling the basic requirements of an assignment may not be sufficient for a high grade. Graduate students are expected to demonstrate a deeper, more critical understanding of course material, engage with concepts at a higher level of abstraction, and communicate their insights with clarity, precision, and intellectual rigor.
In addition, graduate-level work demands stronger metacognitive skills—such as the ability to reflect on one’s own learning, identify areas for growth, and adjust approaches accordingly. These heightened expectations align with the broader goals of graduate education: to cultivate independent thinkers, researchers, and professionals capable of contributing original ideas to their field.
While course content and assignments may overlap in cross-listed undergraduate/graduate courses, graduate students are evaluated by more rigorous standards, particularly in terms of depth of analysis, scholarly engagement, and critical thinking.
The grade of Incomplete (I) is reserved for special cases. A student and instructor must complete and sign an Incomplete Contract that specifies the assigned grade of "I" for the course and outlines requirements for its completion.
Students have the right to ask an instructor for an explanation of any grade received. Grade appeals are reviewed in instances where students perceive that a final course grade is unfair, arbitrary, or capricious. Students must begin the procedures of this policy within two weeks* of university notification of a final course grade.
*The time period consists of normal university operating days when classes are held. Under unusual circumstances, deadlines may be extended. If the University representative, at any step, fails to review and/or respond within the time limits provided, the student may proceed to the next step. If the student fails to respond within the time limits provided, the appeal shall be deemed to have been withdrawn.
Students should retain copies of all materials associated with this process for their records. Students should also have records of their coursework from the class as part of the appeal process and be able to clearly explain why they believe their letter grade assignment does not align with university grading policies as outlined in Subsection 6.2.
As members of the university community, students are expected to fulfill their academic responsibilities with integrity and honesty. This includes avoiding misconduct such as plagiarism, cheating, or collusion. Violations of academic honesty may result in both academic consequences (such as a lowered grade or failing the course) and disciplinary actions (such as probation, suspension, or expulsion).
This policy exists to protect the use of copyrighted materials included in this course. Recording, sharing, or distributing course content without explicit permission may violate copyright laws. Such actions can result in disciplinary measures by the university and may also carry legal consequences. Additionally, uploading course materials to websites such as Chegg without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited and constitutes a copyright violation.
Students are not permitted to record lectures or make electronic copies of course materials (e.g., slides, formulas, lecture notes) using personal recording devices (e.g., smart phone, tablet, computer, digital recorder) unless prior written permission from faculty is obtained and students who appear in the recordings or course materials do not object. The policy applies to all forms of course delivery (e.g., on-campus, online).
Permission is limited to a student’s educational use during a course. Recordings and materials must be destroyed at the end of each term. Students who do not destroy recordings and materials may be subject to disciplinary action.
Unauthorized downloading, file sharing, distribution of all or part of a recorded lecture or course materials or using information for purposes other than the student’s own learning may be deemed a violation of this policy and subject to disciplinary action.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), students may record and retain classroom lectures and instructional materials as part of an approved accommodation plan coordinated by the Office of Accessibility Resources in consultation with the student and faculty. However, as stated elsewhere in this policy, recorded lectures or copied materials must be destroyed at the end of each term.
