Instructor:   Dr. Tim Howard
Office:         215 Faculty Office Building
Phone:         706-568-2172
Email:          thoward@colstate.edu
Web site:     http://math.colstate.edu/thoward/
Office Hours:  Please find my office hours listed on my web site at http://math.colstate.edu/thoward/summer2001-schedule.html .

Text.  Precalculus, Second Edition, by J. Douglas Faires and James DeFranza.  Published by Brooks/Cole.

Text Sections Covered.  We will cover Chapters 1-4, excluding Section 1.5.  A tentative lecture schedule can be found on the course web site.

Calculator.  You must have a scientific calculator or a graphing calculator for this course.  I highly recommend a graphing calculator; you may be able to rent one from the Math Department for the semester.  Please see me if you have any questions about which calculators are appropriate.

Grading.

     Course grades will be based on homework assignments, tests, and a comprehensive final exam according to the following weights:
 

To compute your score in the course, make the following computations:

h = 100 * (sum of all homework points) / (maximum points possible for homework)

e = 100 * (total number of completed email journals submitted on time) / 7

t = average test score

f = score on final exam

Score = 0.19 h + 0.05 e + 0.57 t + 0.19 f

To receive an "A" or a "B" for a course grade, the student must earn a passing grade in each separate category listed above.  Letter grades will be based upon the following score ranges:

    A:  90-100        B:  80-90        C:  70-80        D:  60-70
 

Homework Assignments.

     I do not plan to collect homework problems.  They are for your practice.  To make an "A" or a "B" in this course, you should work all assigned problems immediately after each section is covered and you should work additional problems soon afterwards.

     Your homework grade will be determined by in-class quizzes.  Quizzes will not usually be announced in advance.  Time allotted for quizzes will usually range from five to fifteen minutes.  The quiz problems will be very similar to the practice problems from sections covered in the previous lecture.  On occasion, I may give a quiz pertaining to assignments not derived from text book problems.  I will permit you to drop a few of your lowest quiz scores (the exact quantity dropped will depend on the number of quizzes I give during the term).

     Students arriving to class after a quiz has been collected will not be permitted to take a makeup quiz, so please arrive on time.

Email journal

     Each week, you must submit a journal entry by email to thoward@colstate.edu with the subject "Precalculus Journal"; the subject must appear exactly in this way (no quotation marks, same use of upper and lower case letters).  The purpose of the journal entries is to help me determine how class is going, determine whether or not concepts have been clear, learn what material has been enjoyable for the students, and check the work load.  Journal entries must be submitted no later than 1:00 p.m. each Friday, but may turned in any time after class on Thursday.

     Each weekly journal entry should consist of one or two paragraphs summarizing your thoughts on the class since your previous submission.  You must include the following information:

1. your name
2. an estimate of the amount of time you have spent working on applied calculus outside of class time and since the previous email journal submission

Tests

     Three tests will be given during the semester; the tentative dates are listed among the noteworthy dates below.  Each student is responsible for frequently checking the announcements listed on the course web page (http://math.colstate.edu/thoward/Math1113/ ) for updates in the testing schedule. Absolutely no makeup tests will be given; please refer to the absentee policy below for more information.  Also please note: students arriving late for a test and after a completed test has already been submitted will not be permitted to take the test and a zero will be assigned for that test grade.

Final Exam.

     The final exam will be comprehensive and is required of all students.  Expect the problems to resemble assigned homework exercises or test problems.  The date and time are listed with the noteworthy dates below.

Attendance and Absences from Tests

    Attendance at each scheduled class meeting is considered mandatory.  Students with four or more absences will be dismissed from the course and assigned the grade of "WF".  Students arriving late for class or leaving early may be counted as absent from that class.
     No makeup tests will be given. If a student misses a test with my approval, the weight of the final exam will be increased proportionally to replace the missing test score (likewise for additional missed tests).  In the event that a student misses a test without my approval, a zero will be assigned for that test score.  Approval must be obtained in advance if at all possible.

Noteworthy Dates

Thurs., June 21 -- Test 1
Tues., July 3 -- Test 2
Wed., July 4 -- holiday, no classes
Thurs., July 19 -- Test 3
Fri., July 27 -- Final exam, 9:45-11:45 a.m.

     Any modifications to the course policies and/or course syllabus will be announced on the course web page.  You are expected to check the web page at least once per week.  If you miss a class day, you should take special care to check the course web page and check with me as soon as possible  in case you missed an assignment or an announcement.

Respectful Conduct

     I intend to treat all student with respect and fairness.  Since I deserve the same respect, please note the following policies:

Arriving late for class:  Late class arrivals are disruptive and inconsiderate.  Moreover, they may be regarded as absences.  Students who frequently arrive late may be asked not to return to class.

Pagers and cell phones:  Use of cell phones in the class room will not be permitted; you may not bring one into the classroom unless the ringer is turned OFF.  If you carry a pager, it must be set on silent mode or left outside of the classroom.  Students in violation of this policy may be asked not to return to class.

Cheating and Plagiarism

     Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses and will not be tolerated.  Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's work as your own (this someone may be another student, a tutor, a member of the faculty, or an author).  Any student caught cheating or committing plagiarism will be subject to disciplinary action.  Disciplinary actions may include the assignment of a zero for the assignment, receipt of a "WF" or "F" for a course grade, and/or dismissal from of the university.

Academic Withdrawal.  The student handbook contains the following statement:

To leave the university with a clear record at times other than at the end of a semester students must complete a "withdrawal form."  This form, which includes instructions, is available in the Office of the Registrar, Richards Hall.

Students with Disabilities.

     If you have a documented disability, as described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it is recommended that you contact the Office of Disability Services at (706)568-2330 no later than the second day of class.  This office will assist you in arranging appropriate accommodations with the instructor.

Graded Papers.

     Students' papers and final exams will be archived until the end of the Fall 2001 semester.  At that time, any papers not picked up by the student will be discarded.