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Preface Welcome Message

September 2023

TJ posing with a "V" sign on vacation in Vietnam

Hello all!

You can call me Professor/Prof. Yusun, Dr. Yusun, or TJ; my pronouns are he/him/his. I did my PhD at Simon Fraser University, in the area of operations research.

The past few years have brought with it multiple challenges for students and faculty alike. We have all been affected in different ways by many different events since, and it is understandable that you may not be in the optimal mindset to study.

A fall day at UTM. On the right, trees with green and orange leaves; the walkway is on the left. In the foreground, a blue signpost offering directions to the various buildings at UTM.

Things are starting to move back to more familiar ground: classes will be in-person, and we hope to be able to welcome every one of you into an energizing and enriching classroom experience. The MAT202 teaching team would thus like to make a number of commitments to you:

  • In all aspects of the course, we will be clear and organized, and reduce as many barriers to your access and learning that we can.
  • We will be reasonably available to help you with your learning.
  • We will do my best to listen when you speak. Your voices are important to us.
  • We will treat you with respect and dignity, and make our class a safe learning environment for you and your peers.

In return, all we ask is that:

  • You uphold academic integrity in everything you do.
  • You sincerely attempt to engage actively in the course (material, classes, tutorials, and discussions) and submit assessments by their due dates.
  • You treat your classmates, TAs and instructor with respect and dignity, and make the class a safe learning environment for everyone.
  • You expect to make mistakes, and view them as opportunities to learn and grow.
  • You reach out to me and communicate any thoughts or concerns you may have about the course, or anything that you want me to know.

Moreover, there will be technology difficulties and failures throughout the term... This is to be expected, and we will manage. In your time at UTM so far, I also hope that you've learned a bit about yourselves—your strengths, weaknesses, motivations, desires, and needs—and that you are able to take these lessons with you in the new academic year.

Finally, let me reiterate that we want you to succeed, and we will try our best to facilitate this. But also remember that your success depends on the actions you take. We are in this together.

Prof. TJ Yusun