Please read this syllabus carefully. You will be responsible for all the information given here, and for any modifications to it that may be announced in class.
Text: The textbook for this course is Calculus (5th edition), by James Stewart.
Instructor: Darryl McCullough, Professor of Mathematics
| Office: | 804 Physical Sciences Center |
| Phone: | 325-2743 |
| Email: | dmccullough@math.ou.edu |
| Office hours: | Mo 2:00-3:00, We 1:30-3:30, and by appointment. |
Class Participation: You are expected to attend and participate in all lectures, and are responsible for all information given out during them.
Homework: It is absolutely essential to work a large number of problems on a regular basis. Problem assignments will be given in class or posted on the course web page. The homework assignments are the bare minimum for most students to gain basic familiarity with the material. As manager of your own education, it is up to you to work whatever additional problems may be necessary for you to master the subject.
You may consult with other students about the homework problems, indeed I encourage you to do so. However, you will need to write up the solutions clearly, carefully, and in your own words. That is the only way to achieve and retain understanding. It is a complete waste of time to just copy from a solutions manual or from someone else's work.
Answers to the odd-numbered problems appear at the end of the textbook. For help, you can come to my office hours, or make an appointment with me to come at another time. Email is the best way to contact me.
Testing: There will be three in-class examinations. Their dates and coverage will be announced in class.
The final examination will be held in the usual lecture room on Monday, December 13, 1:30 to 3:30 p. m. University regulations require that you take it at that time.
Grading system: Your grade will be based mainly on your performance on the examinations. After each exam, I will let you know where you stand.
The assigned homework must be turned in on time, with the problems in the same order in which they appear in the text, and with the logic of the solution clear and complete. The main reward for doing a good job on homework is that you will learn calculus, which will correlate with survival on the exams. I will examine your homework cursorily, and my composite impression of your semester's homework may affect your grade to the following extent: an especially good job may get you the higher grade if your test scores leave you on a borderline, while a bad job--- assignments not turned in, more than occasional missing problems, or more than occasional solutions that are poorly worked out or erroneous--- will lower your course grade by one letter.
If you miss more than four lectures, your course grade will be lowered by one letter. I have no concept of an excused absence-- I assume that you are an intelligent person, so if you are not in class, there must be a very good reason why you could not attend.
Withdrawal Policy: Until September 3, there is no record of a grade for dropped courses. From September 7 through October 29, you may withdraw and receive a ``W'' grade, no matter what scores you have so far achieved. After October 29, University regulations specify that you may withdraw only in ``very unusual circumstances,'' and only with the permission of the Dean. Avoidance of a low grade is not sufficient reason to obtain permission to withdraw after October 29.
Grade of Incomplete: The grade of ``I'' is a special-purpose grade given when a specific task needs to be completed to finish the coursework. This is typically a term paper or other special assignment, so rarely makes sense in a mathematics course. An ``I'' cannot be given to avoid receiving a low grade.
Calculators: This is a course of mathematical concepts and techniques, not a course of mechanical computation. You may use a calculator when working on the homework assignments, if you wish, but use of calculators or other mechanical aids during exams is prohibited.
Academic Misconduct: In the unlikely event that cases of academic misconduct arise, they will be dealt with according to University policies.
Students with Disabilities: If you have a disability that may interfere with the demonstration of your abilities, please contact me as soon as possible to arrange accomodations necessary to ensure your full participation in the course.
Final Grades: Grades will be posted on our course website as soon as they are available. You may pick up your graded final exam from me any time within one year of the end of the course, after one year they will be discarded.
Internet Resources: On the Internet there are numerous websites that contain calculus theory, tutorials, and problems with solutions. Our course web page has links to some calculus sites, and if you follow it to the UC Davis Calculus Page, there is a much longer list there.
Advice: Stay caught up. Always use good mathematical notation. Live with calculus.