Syllabus

Instructor: Dubravko Ivansi\'c [pronunciation: DOO-brahv-ko EE-vahn-shich] Ivansi\'c is the last name.

Phone & e-mail: 809-3552, Dubravko.Ivansic@murraystate.edu

Office:
Faculty hall 6A1 (in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics annex)

Course webpage:

http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/dubravko.ivansic/08spring/250home.html

Office Hours:
Ask me or check the webpage.

Prerequisites:
ACT math standard score of at least 26 or MAT 150 or MAT 140 and 145.

Textbook:
J. Stewart, Calculus, early transcendentals, Fifth edition. We plan to cover chapters 2-5 of "Calculus".

Graphing calculator: A graphing calculator is required to take this course. The TI-83 is recommended, and is the one that I will use in class. Any other graphing calculator is OK, however, in this case, be aware that you are responsible to learn how to operate it as I can give only limited help here.

Homework and worksheets: To promote a continuous effort in the course, homework problems will be assigned during the week. The list of homework problems may be found on the webpage. A smaller portion of the homework problems is to be written up and handed in weekly. In order to succeed in the course you will need to work on all the problems, since test problems will be based on all problems assigned for homework and those done in class, not just the ones you hand in.

The problems that you hand in should be reasonably neat and all the sheets should be stapled together. You do not have to write the statement of the problem, but should write brief explanations in words where necessary and should follow rules of "mathematical grammar" when writing. Points will be taken off if these guidelines are not followed or if the homework is late. Other graded work in this category may also include in-class worksheets.

Don't fall behind:
Math 250 develops essential calculus ideas (e.g. the limit, derivative and integral) and their applications. In this course you will see and do a number of things you may have seen before, but don't think that you can do them independently until you have made sure by working out problems on your own.
Mathematics is best learned by doing and to acquire proficiency it is essential that you do many homework problems. You should expect to spend at least one to two hours of study time for every hour of class time. Furthermore, if some things aren't clear to you, come to me for help as soon as possible, and not the day before the exam...

Attendance:
is strongly encouraged every day, and roll will be taken. If you missed ten or fewer classes during the semester, you get 3% bonus points. Note that you are not penalized for missing a class (the points are in excess of your total grade), so an absence is counted as such regardless of the reason ("excused" or not).

Participation in class:
is strongly encouraged, as your questions indicate what points need to be addressed in more detail. We will go over some homework in class. You are expected to have worked the problems at home in order to both ask and answer questions on the homework. To encourage participation, a portion of your final course grade will be based on how active you are in class. In order to earn points, you need to be able to answer a homework question when called on.

Exams:
There will be four exams whose dates will be announced well in advance.

Final exam:
is comprehensive and will be held on Thursday, May 8th at 10:30AM in our usual classroom.

Grade:
For your final grade, each of the four exams is worth 20%, all other graded work (homework, worksheets) is worth 15%, and participation in class is worth 5% of the total. Your final exam grade replaces your poorest exam grade if it is better, so if you are happy with your exam scores during the semester, you don't have to take it. (Note that getting a good grade on the final is more difficult than on a regular exam, since it covers the whole semester.) No extra credit work will be given to repair your grade. The final grade scale is approximately

90%-100%=A, 80%-89%=B, 70%-79%=C, 60%-69%=D, 0%-59%=E.

Make-ups:
Make-ups for exams will be given only in cases of illness, field trips or other unavoidable circumstances. You will need to provide written verification of the reason for your absence in advance and as soon as possible. If you are unexpectedly absent from an exam, contact me by phone or e-mail that same day and arrange to take a make-up. The make-up should occur soon, which typically means "before I return the exam". Make-ups for other graded work will be given at my discretion. Asking for a make-up more than once makes it less likely that I will grant it.

Academic honesty policy:
In compliance with the Board of Regents policy on academic integrity, instances of academic dishonesty, as determined by the instructor, will result in zero points for the assignment and possibly a grade of "E" for the course.

Statement of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity:
Murray State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, marital status, age, or disability in employment, admission, or the provision of services, educational programs and activities, and provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities. For information regarding nondiscrimination policies contact the Office of Equal Opportunity, 270-809-3155.