Syllabus for MAC 2311, Spring 2009 Last modified on
Professor: Steven M. Hudson. Phone: 305-348-3231.
My Office: DM 419B. Hours: Wed-Friday, 2pm- 3:30pm, or appt.
E-mail: hudsons@fiu.edu, Web Page: http://www.fiu.edu/~hudsons
Text: Calculus, Early Transcendentals - Eighth Edition, by Anton, Bivens and Davis.[abridged versions, such as the Single Variable edition, are OK for MAC 2311]
Schedule: See the Schedule and Homework page for more detail and updates.
For section 5 [#12370], classes are from 11am to 12:50pm
on Fridays and 12pm to 12:50pm on M/W in PC 310.
For section 8 [#19050], classes are from 4pm to 4:50pm on W/F and 3pm to 4:50pm
on Mondays, in Chem/Phys 117.
In general, I plan to use the same policies and follow the same
schedule for both sections. The exams will be different and I may
use slightly different grading scales.
Mon 1/5/09: First lecture [12pm in PC310 or 3pm in Chem/Phys 117]
Jan 23 - Homework (HW 1) is due
Jan 30 - Exam 1 [thru approx 3.2]
Feb 27 - Likely date for Exam 2
Feb 27 - Last day to drop the course (no refund)
3/16-3/21/09 - Spring Break
3/27/09 - Roster check
April 3 - Likely date for Exam 3
April 15 - All late homework, etc, must be in.
Friday April 17 - Last lecture.
The final exam covers the entire course. (Date/time TBA, in 4/20
to 4/25)
Your semester grade will be based on your average exam/HW scores - not on improvement, effort, extra credit, etc. Incompletes will not be given, except in special cases such as last-minute medical emergencies.
Percentages of course grade - 3 midterm exams, 20%, 20% and 20%; Final exam, 30%; Homework 10% total. Each student will have a score between 0 and 100% at the end of the course. Letter grades will be assigned approximately as follows;
A 81-100%, B 71-80 %, C 61-70 %, D 51-60 %, F 0-50 %.
(+'s and -'s will be used). I will set the
official scale at the end of the semester, after all grades are
in, but will usually update the approximate scale after each
exam.
Expectations:
The prerequisite for this course is PreCalculus, with a "C" or better [a College Algebra course + a Trig course can substitute]. You need a reasonable knowledge of algebra, trig values and trig identities. You should know most of Chapter 1, though I will review it briefly. The course really begins with Ch 1.8.
You are expected to spend about 10 hours a week
outside of class, on homework and reading the corresponding
sections of the text. DO NOT fall behind! The lectures are
intended to give you a light introduction to the material (with
attention to the rough spots). The reading and HW will go a bit
beyond the lectures. You are expected to ask questions,
especially in my office, after class, or by email.
You will need to visit various pages in this website, mainly to
get the HW assignments, and perhaps to practice old exams. You
may need Adobe Acrobat Reader and a Javascript-enabled browser if
you want to see it all. You may use a calculator for your HW, but
usually won't need one, and will not be allowed one during exams.
You will be expected to write a few proofs on exams, with clear
sentences and good explanations. Most of these will be explained
in class and in the text, with some warning before the exam.
HW Policies: There will be about 6 HWs, mainly intended to help you learn the material, but they also count into your grade. Do them by yourself and turn them in on stapled loose leaf paper. For maximum credit be neat, show all your work, and explain your reasoning. Homework is due before class. Late homework (accepted up to 2 weeks) is worth half the normal credit.
The HW will be graded briefly by a student assistant, based mainly on a few selected problems. By the end of the term, your average HW grade will probably be pretty accurate, but if you think not, you can return all your HW to me for review. If you do not want your homework to be graded, write me a note this first week.
Each exam consists mostly of problems similar to the previous 1-2 homework assignments and a conceptual question or two, such as True-False, a textbook proof and/or a definition.
The Main Rules: (these can affect your grade):
Any beepers/cell phones, etc must be turned off
during class.
If you cannot arrive and leave on time, see me and explain.
If you miss a class, get notes from a classmate.
If you must miss an exam, see me beforehand, and document your
excuse, for fair treatment.
I don't generally give make-up exams, and rarely give
incompletes.
If you must turn in homework late for a good reason, see me, and
write a note of explanation at the top.
If you find a grading error, write a note to me at the top of
your paper and return it promptly.
I will try to identify any cheating that may occur in the course. To avoid unfounded suspicion, please show all your work, turn in any scratch paper you use in exams, and avoid sitting next to your study partners during exams. This covers the basics, but read over My Policies (the long version) so that you are not surprised by anything. It is unlikely, but possible, that I may have to change some policies later on (for example, if we do not get a grader for this class, or if the early exam scores are abnormal)
LINKS:
Schedule and HW
Help - advice, tutoring at FIU, websites, online help, etc
Exam Page - practice quizzes, keys, etc