Department of Mathematics Handbook 2019/20 FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES Financial Mathematics BSc (Hons) Mathematics BSc (Hons) / MMath Mathematics with Music BSc (Hons) Mathematics with Statistics BSc (Hons) / MMath Welcome _____________________________________________________ 4 Welcome from the Department of Mathematics ________________________ 4 The University and Student Partnership Agreement ____________________ 7 About the Department of Mathematics ______________________________ 9 Academic Calendar ____________________________________________ 11 Staff at the Department of Mathematics _____________________________ 12 Communication _______________________________________________ 12 Your Personal Tutor ____________________________________________ 13 Attendance __________________________________________________ 14 Attendance in the Department of Mathematics _______________________ 15 Teaching Methods _____________________________________________ 16 Digital Study Tools_____________________________________________ 17 Captured Content _____________________________________________ 17 The Mathematics Department’s Teaching Philosophy __________________ 18 Resources available in the Department of Mathematics _________________ 19 Health and Safety _____________________________________________ 19 Reporting an Incident __________________________________________ 19 Your Degree Programme_______________________________________ 20 Programme Structures __________________________________________ 21 Project ______________________________________________________ 28 Placements __________________________________________________29 Professional Training Placements _________________________________29 Assessment __________________________________________________ 30 Referencing Guidelines _________________________________________ 31 Grade Descriptors _____________________________________________ 31 Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Requirements _____________ 31 Prizes ______________________________________________________ 32 External Examiners ____________________________________________ 33 Have Your Say ________________________________________________ 33 Course Reps ___________________________________________________ 33 Staff/Student Liaison Committees (SSLCs) _____________________________ 34 Boards of Studies ________________________________________________ 35 Module Evaluation Questionnaires (MEQs) _____________________________ 35 The National Student Survey (NSS) ___________________________________ 35 ‘Shape Your Surrey’ Student Survey __________________________________ 35 Help and Support _____________________________________________ 36 Welcome WELCOME FROM THE EXECUTIVE DEAN OF FACULTY Welcome from the Department of Mathematics All the Members of Staff of the Department of Mathematics welcome you to the University and wish you well in your degree studies here. The Department is an active teaching and research community of academic staff and students. Most of our teaching staff are nationally and internationally known researchers in their particular fields. We also have excellent research links with other departments within the University and with outside organisations, nationally as well as internationally. We believe that this expertise and enthusiasm for our subjects is of great benefit to our teaching. There is a friendly atmosphere in the Department and a genuine willingness, however busy we are, to help and encourage our students. This Handbook provides an overview of the Department and its degree programmes. It contains advice and it attempts to answer questions that are frequently asked by students. It also spells out what we expect from you and what students can expect from us. Please do take some time to familiarise yourself with the contents, which should help you understand the system here. The Departmental Rules, on top of the University Regulations, are also contained in this Handbook. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this Handbook at the time of your arrival. However, changes will almost certainly be made during your time at the University. For example, members of staff may change administrative duties or important facilities may be moved to different rooms. You will be notified of such changes as they occur and you can find the most up-to-date information on SurreyLearn where also the latest version of this Handbook can be found. If you have any comments or queries about this Handbook or you find any errata, please do get in touch with the Director of Learning and Teaching Dr Jan Gutowski ([email protected]) or the UG Programme Leader Dr Martin Wolf ([email protected]). Our teaching is designed to inspire you to enquire more deeply into the mathematics you encounter, to thing strategically about your future, both in terms of employment and the opportunities afforded by a degree in the mathematical sciences, and to help you to become independent learners. You will acquire valuable mathematical/analytical skills which provide excellent preparation for employment. You will be helped to develop your ability to think independently, and undertake critical analysis of the methods you will employ, and any assumptions which are made. This ensures that the comprehensive “mathematical toolkit” you will acquire is not a static body of knowledge, but is adaptable and will help you to make best use of your knowledge in a changing workplace, which is a key benefit for future career development. You will also be taught transferable skills, including the option of a placement year co-ordinated by a Departmental academic with expertise in industry. This provides both general, and mathematics specific, preparation for a wide variety of mathematically oriented careers. Your mathematics teaching will mostly be given via ‘live demonstration’ using black/white boards or visualizers, supported by online notes/material. This is the most effective method for conveying complex mathematical concepts in the quickest and most accurate manner. As your studies progress, and you acquire the foundational mathematical skills needed to understand more advanced material, we will further support your teaching with digital content such as recorded coursework solutions, weekly lecture summaries, or recorded lectures. These are carefully introduced to help you to further develop as mathematicians. You will find studying at university quite different from studying at school or college, where your subject teachers may have given you a lot of individual attention and guidance. At university, there is less personal contact with staff and often less direct feedback on your academic performance. The pace of work tends to be faster, as there are only 30 weeks in an academic year. In order to develop your capacity to function independently as a mathematician, you will often be asked to tackle mathematical problems for which you have not seen similar worked examples. It is your responsibility to organise your time and direct your own study. It is important that you acquire an appropriate attitude to studying at an early stage. We expect your studies to take around 40–45 hours a week. Do not assume that you can spend less time on your work and still succeed—you will be disappointed and might be unable to continue with your degree programme. Regular practise and self-assessment are essential to becoming a proficient mathematician. We recommend that you work through the most recent lecture notes on a daily basis to identify any gaps in your understanding. Do not expect to understand all the material immediately when it is presented in class. Mathematics requires considerable effort to learn. Talk to fellow students about what you find difficult and use the opportunity to learn from one another. Make also use of the University Library and the internet (e.g. the Mathematics Stack Exchange). At times, you may need to ask Module Convenors or your Personal Tutor for further clarification of an idea. Given that you will be set some very challenging problems (as well as easier ones), you should not expect your marks to be as high as they might have been at school or college. For instance, marks will normally be given for setting answers out logically as well as for correct calculations. So do not panic if you are no longer able to attain marks of 80–100%; you will be in the majority. If you are working steadily and using the opportunities that we give you, you will overcome many of your difficulties eventually. Some ideas do take time to sink in. Think of your degree programme as a marathon, not a sprint. Assessment in mathematics modules is normally by test, during the semester, and by exam, at the end of each semester. Some of the modules also comprise essay and group work, assessed coursework, and presentations. In addition, you will be given a schedule of unassessed coursework for each mathematics module. You are required to work on the coursework questions and to hand in your solutions to the Module Convenor by the given deadline. The purpose of the unassessed coursework is to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and resolve any difficulties. Unassessed coursework is also a means for you to provide feedback to the Module Convenor. As mentioned, you are strongly encouraged to also find sources of help in books and online. However, the work that you hand in must be your own, not a copy (or near-copy) of someone else’s. To help you adjust to the different style of learning, you will have seminars