SYLLABUS FOR MA 181, Fall 2009

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:

Name: Luc Désir
Office Location: SE 213B
Office Phone: (240) 567-5220
Email: luc.desir@montgomerycollege.edu
Fax: (240) 567-5182
Office Hours: M W F 9:30-10am & 12-12:30pm and by appointment
Online Chat Sessions: By appointment

GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION:

Course Number and Title: MA 181, Calculus I
Section Number: 22523
Prerequisite: A grade of C or better in MA 180 or an appropriate score on the assessment test.
Textbook: Calculus, Concepts and contexts; James Stewart; 4th edition; Brooks/Cole- Cengage Publishing Company; 2010.
Credit Hours: This is a 4 semester-hour course.
Course Description: An introduction to the major ideas of single variable calculus including limits, derivatives, and integrals of algebraic and transcendental functions. We also consider some applications of these topics in real life.

GRAPHING CALCULATORS:

A graphing calculator is a required tool for this course (TI-83, TI-83 Plus or TI-84 are preferred.) However, if a student decides to use another type of graphing calculator, he/she should be aware that limited help will be available from the instructor on how to use that type of calculator.

EXAMS:

There will be three (3) 1-hour online tests, a 2-hour midterm exam, and a 2-hour final exam. Test #1, Test #2, and Test #3 should be completed during the September 20-23, November 1-4, and November 22-25 periods, respectively. The Midterm and Final exams are scheduled for the October 10-14 and December 16-19 periods, respectively. In general, students will take the written Midterm and Final exams at the Assessment Center on the Rockville Campus. However, a student may request in writing to take proctored exams at any of the other two campuses. If a student will be out of town on the date of a scheduled proctored exam, 1) the student will need to find a proctor and 2) the instructor will decide whether to approve a potential proctor a minimum of 2 weeks prior the scheduled exam.

QUIZZES:

There will be one (1) online quiz every week. Quiz questions will be drawn from the modules and assigned homework problems. The quiz for a given week will be available at 11:55 pm on Wednesday through 11:55pm on Sunday. You can attempt a quiz up to 3 times and your highest score will be recorded. It is wise to first study the module and do the corresponding homework before attempting a quiz on that module. There is NO MAKE-UP on quizzes.


HOMEWORK:

You are expected to do about 10 hours of work outside the course site every week. It is important to realize that you cannot learn the material of MA 181 merely by reading the textbook or by watching the lecture presentations for each content module. One learns mathematics by doing. In MA 181, this means solving as many problems as possible.

GRADING:

Semester grades will be based primarily on the following:
1-hour tests       Quizzes       Midterm and Final Exams       Total
260 pts       140 pts       600 pts       1000 pts

Grading Scale: A 900-1000; B 800-899; C 700-799; D 600-699; F 0-599

Performance in proctored exams is extremely important: If a student averages 60% or more in proctored exams, the student will receive 100% of points earned in online evaluations. But if a student averages below 60% in proctored exams, the student may receive only 70% of points earned in online evaluations.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE/CLASS PARTICIPATION:

Students are expected to actively participate in online discussions, which, among other things, measure to a certain extent your attendance.

It has been observed that students who are actively engaged in online discussions tend to perform better than those who are not. Moreover, in case of borderline grades, a student who has been actively participating will receive the higher grade for the semester.

MISSED EXAMINATIONS:

Unproctoctored online tests and proctored exams are announced far in advance. Unless you have contacted me prior to the missed test or exam and made appropriate arrangements, NO MAKE-UPS will be given without official reasons. If you miss a test or exam, be prepared to prove that you have a legitimate reason for missing it and show all homework on the relevant material to the instructor.

MATH HELP CENTERS:

There are centers on each campus that offer a lot of services to students. Free tutoring is available from faculty and student tutors. Please, if you need extra help, besides getting in touch with me, stop by one of the centers.They are located in MT 02 on the Rockville Campus, Science North 101/102 on the Takoma Park Campus, and HT 229 on the Germantown Campus. In particular, the Math/Science Center on the Rockville Campus also has group study areas. You may want to use them as a meeting place to work with other MA 181 students on homework problems and/or to study for tests. Educational research has shown that students who study in groups committed to learning tend to learn more effectively than students who study alone.

STUDENT CONDUCT:

Students are expected to abide by the Code of Conduct as outlined in the Student Handbook. Cheating, plagiarism and/or other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated.

DISABILITIES:

If you are a student who may need an accommodation due to a disability, please let me know immediately. A letter from Disability Support Services (R-CB122; G-SA175; or TP-ST120) authorizing your accommodations will be needed. Any student who may need assistance in the event of an emergency evacuation must identify to the Disability Support Services Office; guidelines for emergency evacuations for individuals with disabilities are found at: www.montgomerycollege.edu/dss/evacprocedures.htm.