Mathematics 165: Calculus I

Section F1.

Fall 2009

Lecturer:

Stephen J. Willson
Office: Carver 411
Telephone: 294-7671
Fax: 294-5454
E-mail: swillson@iastate.edu

Prerequisites:

2 years of high school algebra, 1 year of geometry, 1 semester of trigonometry or enrollment in Math 141 or 142.

Credits:

4 credits

Uniform Final Exam

The Uniform Final will take place Wednesday, December 16, 12:00-2:00 pm in Design 101. It will be worth 100 points. Sample past final exams are available on the web at Syllabus and Objectives for Math 165

Current course grades

Current course grades and all recorded scores are available on the web by clicking grades. Scores are listed by the first 6 digits of the university ID numbers. If a score has been incorrectly recorded, you should contact the instructor.

Homework:

Most homework assigned will be ungraded. Ungraded problems on the homework will usually be the basis for the beginning of the next class period. These assignments may also be found by clicking assignments

Class meetings:

Lectures are MTRF 10:00 - 10:50 am in 174 Carver. The first class is Monday, August 24, 2009, and the last class is Friday, December 11, 2009. There are no classes on Labor Day (September 7), the day after the evening midterm, and Thanksgiving Break (the week of November 23-27).

Office hours and email contact:

Office hours tentatively are MTWRF 1:10 - 2:00 in 411 Carver
Please also feel free to make an appointment if the office hours are inconvenient for you.
E-mail: swillson@iastate.edu

Textbook:

Calculus, 9th edition, by Varberg, Purcell, and Rigdon

Course Topics:

Help room:

The Mathematics Department runs a Help Room that is free to all students in calculus and pre-calculus. The Help Room is in 385 Carver. Its hours are
MTWR 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
The Help Room begins August 31.

Information about the instructor:

For more information about the instructor, visit the instructor's homepage.

Course Grading

Course grades will be based on the number of course points accumulated. Course points will be awarded for quizzes, hour exams, the midterm, the final exam, and possibly some graded homework. Typically in a week without an exam there will be an in-class quiz for half a period. All graded work will be announced ahead of time.

Grades may include a plus or a minus. Grade cutoffs will be announced for each exam and quiz. The cutoff for a given level (for example A-) in the course will be the sum of the cutoffs for that level for each exam, etc.
The course coordinator may establish other minimum requirements on the basis of performance on the uniform midterm and final exams.

Sample midterm and final exams are available at Syllabus and Objectives for Math 165

Here is an approximate distribution of course points:

Here is a tentative schedule for exams and quizzes:

Sickness policy:

If you are sick the day of an exam or quiz, you should contact the instructor by phone that morning to arrange a timely make-up.

Calculators

Students are required to have a calculator for this class. Calculators should be capable of graphing functions and zooming in on the graphs. The most commonly used calculator in this course is the TI-89. This calculator is especially good for both calculus and differential equations courses, Math 165, 166, 265, 266, and 267. The TI-83 Plus, TI-84 Plus, TI-85, and TI-86 are all acceptable for Math 165 but not as good for later courses. Bring your calculator to class and to quizzes and exams.
For help in using your calculator, see your manual or else use web calculator help.

Drop deadline

The last day to drop the course is Friday, October 30.

Disabilities:

Please address any special needs or special accommodations with me at the beginning of the semester or as soon as you become aware of your needs. Those seeking accommodations based on disabilities should obtain a Student Academic Accommodation Request (SAAR) form from the Disability Resources (DR) office (515-294-6624). DR is located on the main floor of the Student Services Building, Room 1076.

General information about Math 165 and sample uniform exams:

See information about the syllabus and objectives of Math 165, as provided by the course coordinator. The same site also has samples of past uniform midterms and final exams.

Last updated October 29, 2009.