COURSE:                              MATH 258 – 01   Calculus & Analytic Geometry          Fall 2012

 

TIME AND LOCATION:   M T W F  8:00 – 8:50                                               PACCAR 105

 

TEXTBOOK:                        Essential Calculus by J. Stewart

 

INSTRUCTOR:                    Prof. John W. Vander Beek    Office: HK 219                 ext. 3911

                                                e-mail: vanderbeek@gonzaga.edu

                                                web site: http://web02.gonzaga.edu/faculty/vanderbeek/

 

OFFICE HOURS:                Posted outside office door and also on my website.

 

PREREQUISITE:                MATH 157 (If your grade in 157 was C- or lower, we need to talk!)

 

QUIZZES:

            Quizzes will be given according to the attached schedule.  Some of the problems on the quizzes may be taken from the assigned homework problems.  Thus if you keep up on the homework the quizzes should be quite routine.  The will be NO MAKEUP QUIZZES although the lowest quiz score will be dropped so missing or messing up a single quiz will be of no consequence.

 

EXAMINATIONS:

            All four in class examinations will be closed-book in nature.  Generally partial credit is available but the down side is that a simple correct answer without supporting work will not receive full credit.  In order to receive partial credit I expect you to write clearly and logically, not in a jumbled mess.  Only illness or emergencies are sufficient reasons not to take the examination at the scheduled time.  In such cases you must either e-mail me or leave a message on my phone BEFORE the time of the examination.  Under these circumstances we will try to make a mutually agreeable prompt time for the makeup.

 

HOMEWORK:

            Assigned homework has the following three purposes:  1)  To specify the material you will be responsible for, 2)  To provide relevant examples for class discussions, and most importantly, 3)  To provide material on which you may determine you level of understanding of the requisite material. 

            An adjustment you may have to make is that homework will not be collected.  Thus the danger is to not do it or put it off until “later”.  Either is a bad idea.  Like learning to play a musical instrument, mathematics requires daily practice.  Since mathematics is not a spectator sport you cannot possibly know whether or not you understand the material unless you check your ability.  Your success on the quizzes and the examinations is generally dramatically affected by your diligence on homework.  Doing calculus right requires hard work!

            Please note that each class period will usually begin with an opportunity for you to ask questions about homework you have attempted but with which you are still having trouble.  Please don’t ask me to do problems you haven’t even worked on.

 

 

GRADING SYSTEM:                    

During the term there will be four in-class examinations, each weighted 100 points.  There will be a comprehensive final examination weighted 150 points.   The collection of quiz scores will have a weight of 50 points.  Using the consequent total of 600 points, final grades will be based upon the following distribution:

                                                88% - 100% --- A

                                                76% - 87%   --- B

                                                64% - 75%   --- C

                                                52% - 63%   --- D

                                                0%  - 51%    --- F

Plusses and minuses are an instructor’s discretion.

 

CALCULATORS:

            Feel free to use your calculator while doing your homework but don’t become too dependent on it because you may not use them during quizzes or examinations.  The reason for this is that mathematics is more about conceptual understanding than it is about calculation.  I am more interested in finding out about your conceptual understanding than anything else.

 

ATTENDANCE:

            Since this is a four credit course, university policy states that you are allowed a maximum of eight absences.  After that I am permitted to assign a V (equivalent to an F) grade to you.  I do not take strict roll every day but I do pick up on chronic absences very rapidly.

 

FINAL EXAMINATION:

            Our two hour final examination is scheduled by the office of the Registrar is slated for Thursday, December 13 at 8:00 am.  Put it on your calendar right away and make travel plans accordingly.

 

SPECIAL NEEDS:

            If you have a documented disability for which you will need accommodation in this course you must make such arrangements through the DREAM office.  Outside of such arrangements I cannot legally make any accommodations.

 

MATH  LAB:

            If for some reason you are not able to secure enough assistance from me either in class or during office visits you may want to take advantage of the free help available in the Math Lab located in HERAK 224.  The schedule of when tutors will be available in the Lab is posted on the door.

 

ELECTRONIC DEVICES:

            Phones and music devices are both annoying disturbances in the classroom.  Please be courteous enough to turn off all such devices when you enter the room.  Texting during class is not permitted.  Headphones and ear pieces must be removed during class and especially during exams.