General Information
and Course Policies

The Text. Arnold Ostebee and Paul Zorn, CALCULUS from Graphical, Numerical, and Symbolic Points of View (Second Edition), Harcourt, Inc., 2002
Software. There will be a considerable amount of work done with the aid of the computer algebra system, Maple. The Maple program is available for your use in Peirce 001, RBH 311 (evenings only), and in other public network sites. I will assume no prior knowledge of Maple, so you will learn what you need to know as we go.
Daily Homework. As with any math class, homework is the most important aspect of the course. Homework exercises will be collected and graded regularly (typically about 1 or 2 assignments per week.) The homework may involve computer exercises as well as hand-written computations and explanations. Your homework should be legible, with problem number and final answer clearly indicated. Explanations should be written in complete sentences. Random math expressions floating in space will receive no credit.

HOMEWORK POLICY

  1. Homework is due at the START of class on the assigned due date, unless I specify otherwise. Late homework will not be accepted. If you know you will be missing class for some reason (e.g., an athletic event), turn in your assignment BEFORE you leave. Under extenuating circumstances extensions may be granted, but this should be discussed with me in advance.
  2. Your homework will be evaluated on neatness, completeness, and correctness.
  3. Group work is encouraged, but assignments must be written up INDIVIDUALLY unless you are told otherwise. Copied work will receive no credit - even if the work was discussed in collaboration with a classmate before write-up. (See section on Academic Honesty below.)
Academic Honesty. In general, the rules set forth in the 2002-2003 Course of Study apply. Presenting the work of others as your own is strictly prohibited. In the case of homework, you may collaborate with others in discussing how a problem may be solved, but your write-up must be your own. If you submit work that contains the ideas or words of someone else, then you must provide proper citation. Assistance can not be given nor received (other than by the instructor) on any quiz, or exam associated with this course, except where explicitly allowed by the instructor. In the case of a group assignment, all members of the group should contribute equally to writing the final product. And every member of the group is responsible for the content of the entire paper, not just the section(s) that are written by that person. Don't put your name on a paper written by others. For further information, consult your instructor.
Daily Reading. Reading the textbook before each lesson is a necessity. Come to class prepared with questions and comments for discussion. There will not be enough time to cover all aspects of each topic during class. You will still be held responsible for the material.

Exams. There will be three exams and a comprehensive final exam. Their dates are given below.

Exam I Wednesday, September 25
Exam II Monday, October 28 (Exam II has 2 parts: an in-class portion and a take-home portion. The in-class portion will be the Gateway Exam. The take-home will be distributed after completion of the Gateway (on Oct. 28) and due on Friday, November 1.)
Exam III Wednesday, November 20
The Final Exam Friday, December 13, at 6:30PM

***The final will be 3 hours long***

The Gateway Exam. The Gateway Exam will consist of seven problems that will test a student's ability to apply differentiation rules correctly without the aid of technology. To pass the Gateway Exam, a student must present flawless solutions to all seven problems on the exam. By "flawless", we mean that a solution must be 100% correct in terms of computation AND presentation. A misplaced equal sign (mathematical verb) or an omitted parenthesis would make a problem incorrect. The Gateway Exam is worth 10% of the final course grade.
Since perfect solutions are required, a reasonable number of retakes of the Gateway Exam are permitted according to the following guidelines:

  1. Retakes will be of similar format to the first Gateway Exam, but will consist of different problems.
  2. A student may take no more than 2 retakes per week, and may take at most 1 retake in any given day. No student may retake the Gateway Exam after 5PM on the last day of classes.
  3. A student who passes the Gateway Exam on his/her first attempt will receive 120 points out of 100 (or an extra 2% for the total course grade) for this portion of the course.
  4. A student who passes a retake within three weeks after the Gateway Exam is first given will receive 100 points (i.e., full credit) for this portion of the course.
  5. A student who passes a retake after more than three weeks have passed since the first Gateway Exam was given will receive 50 points out of 100 (i.e., half credit) for this portion of the course.
  6. A student who fails to pass the Gateway Exam on all attempts will receive 0 points out of 100 (i.e., no credit) for this portion of the course.

Grades. Your grade will be based on the daily homework, projects, 3 exams, and the final exam. Each will be weighted as follows.

% of Total

Daily Homework

15

Projects

15

Exam 1

15

Exam II*

15

Exam III

15

Final Exam

25

TOTAL:

100

*Note: The second exam consists of two parts: the Gateway Exam and a Take-home Exam.
The Gateway is worth 10% and the Take-home is worth 5%.

Class participation will be used to help make borderline decisions.

Learning Disabilities. If you have a disability which requires an accommodation in this class, please feel free to discuss your concerns with me, but you should also consult Ms. Erin Salva, (Coordinator of Disability Services; Office of the Dean for Academic Advising, PBX 5453) as soon as possible. Ms. Salva, in consultation with the L.E.A.R.N. committee, has the authority and the expertise to decide on the accommodations that are proper for your disability. Though I am happy to help you in any way I can, I cannot make any accommodations for learning (or other) disabilities without proper authorization from Ms. Salva.
Last Modified: Wednesday, August 25, 2002

Back to the Kenyon Homepage Back to the Math Homepage Back to JAH's Homepage Back to JAH's Calc A Homepage