Professor McNicholas, 📧 emcnicho@willamette.edu
Office Hours: My office is Ford 211. In addition to the office hours posted on my website, I’m also available by appointment. https://sites.google.com/willamette.edu/emcnicholas/home
Professor Nyman, 📧 knyman@willamette.edu
Office Hours: My office is Ford 217. My office hours are Tuesday & Thursdays 1:00 - 2:00pm, Wednesday 10:00-11:00am and by appointment
“Mathematics is not a careful march down a well-cleared highway, but a journey into a strange wilderness, where the explorers often get lost. Rigor should be a signal to the historian that the maps have been made, and the real explorers have gone elsewhere.”
-W.S. Anglin
As the culmination of your mathematical studies, this course will make use of your previous mathematical studies while giving you the opportunity to experience the thrill of mathematical discovery. In this course, you will:
develop skills necessary for independent research, including greater mathematical maturity and content knowledge
improve your mathematical writing and public speaking skills
reflect on your experiences as a math major and prepare for what comes next.
Modern mathematics research is highly collaborative. Mathematicians work months to years tackling challenging problems and extending the boundaries of what is known. Making progress on a problem or theorem is tremendously rewarding, in no small part because that progress is so hard won, and comes so infrequently. This course is designed to give you the full experience of mathematics research - the excitement, fear, frustration, and elation. The fall semester will focus on the research process, while spring will focus on written and oral communication of your findings.
Your Credit/No Credit grade will be based on
Attendance
Preparation for group research meetings
Research progress reports
Vocational Assignments
While you will not be assigned a letter grade this semester, the quality and progress of your work this semester will have a large impact on your final grade next semester.
Your letter grade will be based on your level of achievement in each of the following graded course components. Exact grade cut-offs will be determined at the end of the semester, with a grade of 90% and above guaranteeing an A-, 80% and above a B-, and 70% and above a C-.
Weights
30% Final written paper
20% SSRD presentation
25% Math Colloquium presentation
10% Intermediate Assignments** (Graphic, Elevator Pitch, Informal Abstract, etc.)
15% Class Engagement** (class attendance, participation, and meeting preparation)
*Recognizing the uncertainty inherent in our modern times, relative weights are subject to change
** This portion will be graded on a pass/no pass basis.
Inclusivity Statement: Willamette University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a climate of mutual respect and full participation. My goal is to create a learning environment that is effective, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion, assessment of your work, or your achievement, please notify me as soon as possible. I will gladly honor your request to address you by your affirmed name or gender pronoun. Please advise me of this at any point in the semester so that I may make appropriate changes to my records. If I accidentally use an incorrect gender pronoun or mispronounce your name when addressing you, please let me know, in whatever manner makes you comfortable, so that I can make every effort to correct that error.
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Accessible Education Services office in Smullin 155 at 503-370-6737 or Accessible-info@willamette.edu to discuss a range of options to removing barriers, including accommodations.
Missed Classes: Please make every effort to attend all classes and be an active participant in class activities and discussions. If for some reason you are unable to attend class or turn in an assignment, please let me know as soon as possible, preferably before the missed class or assignment. I know how important athletic commitments, personal events, and religious traditions can be, and will do my best to accommodate your personal needs.
Health: As a student, you may experience a range of challenges that can interfere with learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, substance use, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may diminish your academic performance and reduce your ability to participate in daily activities. Willamette services are available and treatment does work. If you think you need help, please contact Bishop Health as soon as possible at http://willamette.edu/offices/counseling/. Crisis counseling is available 24/7 at WUTalk: 503-375-5353 and Campus Safety is available at 503-370-6911. Emergency resources are also available from the Psychiatric Crisis Center at 503-585-4949 and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Willamette is a community committed to fostering safe, productive learning environments, and we value ethical sexual behaviors and standards. Title IX and our school policy prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, which regards sexual misconduct including discrimination, harassment, domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. We understand that sexual violence can undermine students academic success, and we encourage affected students to talk to someone about their experiences and get the support they need. Please be aware that as a mandatory reporter I am required to report any instances you disclose to Willamette’s Title IX Coordinator. If you would rather share information with a confidential employee who does not have this responsibility, please contact our confidential advocate at confidential-advocate@willamette.edu. Confidential support also can 4 be found with SARAs and at the GRAC (503-851-4245); and at WUTalk - a 24-hour telephone crisis counseling support line (503-375-5353). If you are in immediate danger, please call campus safety at 503-370-6911.
Academic Integrity: Students of Willamette University are members of a community that values excellence and integrity in every aspect of life. As such, we expect all community members to live up to the highest standards of personal, ethical, and moral conduct. Students are expected not to engage in any type of academic or intellectual dishonesty and are encouraged to display integrity, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in all they do. Plagiarism and cheating are especially damaging and offensive to the College community as a whole. These acts involve intellectual dishonesty, deception, misrepresentation, and fraud, which inhibit the honest creation and exchange of ideas. Ignorance of what constitutes plagiarism shall not be considered a valid defense. Plagiarism and cheating may be grounds for failure in the course and/or dismissal from the College. For more information, see http://willamette.edu/cla/catalog/policies/plagiarism-cheating.php. If you are unsure of what constitutes cheating, just ask.
On the use of Artificial Intelligence: The ease of use and availability of artificial intelligence is increasing at a rate that is hard to fathom. Open dialogue is crucial as we navigate this momentous shift in technology. For this reason, consult your professor before using AI on any course assignment, and clearly cite AI as a source whenever you do use it. Passing off the analysis, synthesis, or creative work of others as your own, whether surmised by an AI bot or not, is plagiarism.
Intellectual Property & Privacy: Class materials and discussions including recorded lectures are for the sole purpose of educating the students enrolled in the course. The release of such information (including but not limited to directly sharing, screen capturing, or recording content) is strictly prohibited unless the instructor states otherwise. Doing so without the permission of the instructor will be considered an Honor Code violation and may also be a violation of other state and federal laws, such as the Copyright Act. 5
DACA/Undocumented Student Advocate: Willamette is committed to supporting our DACA/Undocumented students in a variety of ways. This year, the coordinator for DACA/Undocumented students is Emilio Solano, Assistant Provost for Institutional Equity and Community Engagement, 503-370-6027, easolano@willamette.edu Emilio can provide those students with a number of external and internal resources that are available.
SOAR Center Offerings (Food, Clothing, and School Materials): The Students Organizing for Access to Resources (SOAR) Center strives to create equitable access to food, professional clothing, commencement regalia, and scholarly resources for WU and Willamette Academy students. The SOAR Center is located in the Putnam University Center’s third floor, across from the Harrison Conference Room. The space houses the Bearcat Pantry, Clothing Share, and First-Generation Book Drive and is maintained by committed students and advisers. Please check https://willamette.edu/student-life/soar/index.html for current hours of operation and email soar-center@willamette.edu for any questions or concerns.
Land Acknowledgement: We are gathered on the historic land of the Kalapuya, who today are represented by the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, whose relationship with this land continues to this day. We offer gratitude for this place, for those who have stewarded it for generations, and for the opportunity to study, learn, work, and be in community on this land. We acknowledge that our University's history, like many others, is fundamentally tied to the first colonial developments in the Willamette Valley. Finally, we respectfully acknowledge and honor past, present, and future Indigenous students of Willamette.
Week 1: 8/26 (M) First Day of Class
Week 2: 9/2 (M) Labor Day - No Classes
Week 4: 9/9 (M) Add/Drop Deadline
Week 7: 10/11 (F) Mid-semester break - No Classes
Week 10: 10/31 (Th) Withdraw Deadline
Week 12: 11/13-11/19 Registration for Spring
Week 14: 11/27-11/29 (W-F) Fall Break - No Classes
Week 15: 12/4 (W) Last Day of Classes
1/20 (M) MLK Day - No Classes
1/27 (M) Add/Drop Deadline
3/17 (M) W Deadline
3/24-3/28 Spring Break
4/16 (W) SSRD
4/29 (T) Last Day of Classes