Math 231 Policy Information Spring 2003Instructor: Dr. Laura Taalman Home Phone: 442-8800Offices: Nicholas House and Burruss 115 Office Phone: 568-3355Website: www.math.jmu.edu/~taal email: [email protected] HoursMondays and Wednesdays 2:00–4:00 at Nicholas House, or by appointment.Class TimesMWF 10:10–11:00 in Burruss 032, Tuesday 11:00–12:15 in Burruss 034.TextbookWe will be using the bound copy of Integrated Calculus, Taalman, 2002 printing date. This copy isdifferent than the old looseleaf copy, so make sure you have a bound copy. If you bought a looseleaf copylast semester and are in this class, you may have a bound copy for free; see me.Class Websitewww.math.jmu.edu/~taal/231 2003.html. Keys to quizzes and tests will be posted on Wednesdays. Feelfree to look at my 231 websites from previous years if you like; however, be warned that I will not usethe same quizzes and tests, and that we may cover slightly different material in a slightly different orderin this class.What is Math 231?The Math 231–232 sequence covers all of the material in Math 235 as well as precalculus and algebramaterial, and some material from the beginning of Math 236. This course is for those people that feelthey need more precalculus or algebra preparation while learning calculus. You should not necessarilytake this course simply because you have not had calculus before (many people in 235 have not takencalculus). You should not take this course because you think it will be “easier” or “less work” than Math235. In fact, most 231–232 students feel that this course is harder and more w ork than Math 235, butthat this course gives them a better understanding of the material and enables them to successfully learncalculus while improving their algebra and precalculus skills.GradesThere will be three tests (100 points e ach), eleven quizzes (10 points each), one final exam (200 points).According to the whims of random probability (and the roll of a die) there will be approximately sevencollected homeworks (10 points each), seven collected “Problem Z ero” assignments (5 points each), andten attendance quizzes (2 points each). There will be a few very small opportunities for extra credit; forexample, e ach new typo that you find in the book will be worth 1 point. I will drop your lowest quizscore, your lowest homework score, and your lowest “Problem Zero” score. At the end of the semester Iwill use the following formula to determine your numerical score:numerical score =earned(T + Q + H + Z + F + A + E)possible(T + Q + H + Z + F )I will use statistics to give you a letter grade for the course based on this numerical score. (However, I donot use a predetermined scale such as 90=A, 80=B, etc.) I reserve the right to decide borderline gradesbased on class participation, effort, and whether your performance improved or declined over the courseof the semester.AttendanceIf you must miss class on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday you do not have to tell me about it. However,you should give your homework to a classmate so they can hand it in for you if it is collected thatday. You may not make up missed homework or “Problem Zero” c ollec tions or attendancequizzes. On the other hand, I must know of any Tuesday abscences in advance. At my discretion, Imay excuse you from a Tuesday quiz or a test if you ask me in advance. If you miss a quiz or a testwithout first being excused, you will not be allowed to make it up. However, if you have aproblem or emergency and could not speak to me in advance, you should still come to me and explainyour situation. My sympathy with your plight will be determined by how quickly you speak with me.Problem Zero and HomeworkEach day a student in the class will roll a die to determine if Problem Zero or homework will be collected.Occasionally I may “force” collection (especially if the dice have not produced any collections rece ntly).Problem Zero will be graded for effort and completeness. A careful reading of the text is consideredpart of the homework, and should be reflected in your work for Problem Zero. Collected homeworkswill be graded for completeness and sometimes for accuracy on selected problems. I am well aware thatpartial answers are in the back of the book for many of the assigned problems; simply copying down thoseanswers will not be considered sufficient. The single most important predictor of your grade in this classwill be how much homework you do.Quizzes and TestsTuesday quizzes will consist entirely of homework problems (poss ibly with minor changes). The syllabuslists which sections are fair game for each quiz. Tests will cover all material covered since the previoustest, and will consist mostly of homework problems. The final exam will be cumulative.CalculatorsA graphing calculator is required for this course (I recommend the TI-83). However, there will be quizzesand exams on which the use of calculators is not permitted, so don’t use your calculator as a crutch! Ifyour only calculator is a TI-89 or a TI-92 please see me as soon as possible, since I will ban those twocalculators from every quiz and test.Getting HelpPlease feel free to ask me for help! You can call me at my home number (see above) anytime beforemidnight, including on weekends. Feel free to stop by or call my office anytime, even outside of my offi cehours. If you can find me I will be happy to help you. You can also get help at the Math and ScienceLearning Center (Wilson 104) most days of the week. The Math Department also keeps a list of privatetutors that you can hire for an hourly fee, but talking to me or going to the Learning Ce nter is absolutelyfree!FAQ and Random Smatterings of Advice• If you want to report a typo in the book you have to tell me in person (not via email or phone) sowe can look it up in my book.• I’m bad with remembering names, so bear with me if it takes me a while to link your name to yourface; remind me what your name is if I look confused!• I do not use a predetermined grading scale, so don’t try to guess your grade in my course; ask meinstead. Remember that you can NOT assume that 80% is a B, 90% is an A, etc. (Technically,this means that there is not a “curve” in this class, since there is no scale to curve to; however, itis effectively somewhat the same as having a curve.)• We are using the bound copy of the b ook, not the looseleaf copy (they are slightly different).• Read each section in the book before starting the