Information and Policies

Instructor:

M. Randall Holmes

Schedule:

We meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday in MG 106. On Monday and Wednesday, we meet from 7:40 to 9:30 am; on Friday we meet from 8:30 am to 9:40 am.

Office and Hours:

Office: Math/Geology 240A. Hours: To be determined after consulting you all. See ``open office policy'' below.

Telephone:

My office telephone number is 3011 (426-3011 from off-campus). My home telephone number is 345-2899: students are welcome to call me but please no calls after 8:30 pm any day or between 6 pm Friday and noon Sunday.

Electronic Information:

e-mail:  holmes@math.boisestate.edu

WWW (web page):  http://math.boisestate.edu/~holmes

I read my e-mail constantly and respond promptly. An electronic version of the syllabus, which will include homework assignments, will be accessible from my web page. The electronic version is the official syllabus, and any changes will be posted there and not distributed on paper.

Title of Course:

Math 147: Precalculus. This is section 002. The department generic syllabus for this course is found as an attachment to this document in its paper version or at the URL http://math.boisestate.edu/dept-stuff/Generic/M147.html.

Textbook:

Stewart, Redlin, and Watson, Precalculus, fourth edition. This is the same book that has been used for several semesters; used copies should be available.

Dates:

The add deadline (and deadline for dropping without a W) is Sept. 8. The drop deadline is Oct. 3. Petitions to drop classes after this date are usually unsuccessful. Dates for in-class exams: Sept. 22, Oct. 13, Nov. 5, Dec 3. The last exam date is firm: it is the last two-hour class session before dead week. Exams are all given on Monday or Wednesday, and you will have the full two hours to work on them. The final exam will be Wednesday, December 17, 2001, 8:00-10:00 am. Please note that this is the 8:40 MWF slot on the final exam schedule, not the 7:40 am slot.

Calculators:

If you read the class schedule, you will see that a graphing calculator is required for this course. We will use graphing calculators in classwork and homework, but their use will not be permitted during most exams (any calculator can be used during quizzes); thus, you must also have a scientific calculator without graphing or symbolic computation functions before the date of the first test. You have been warned! You may not use cell phones or PDAs (such as Palm Pilots or Pocket PC's) as calculators during any exam. No exceptions will be made.

Homework:

Homework will be assigned every day, and will generally be due two class sessions later (with opportunity for discussion, so exam dates do not count as intervening days). A complete schedule of homework is attached to this syllabus, though it may be subject to change. Homework will be evaluated in two ways. I will record homework handed in on time by checking it off - this will count for 30% of your homework grade. I will periodically give quizzes at the beginning of the class period, which will consist of questions that appeared on the homework, and for which you will be allowed to consult your homework paper and use calculators (but not your book). Grades on these quizzes will constitute 70% of your homework grade. Some small number of missed quizzes will be forgiven; there will be no makeups for quizzes except in the case of students who have official university activities for which university policy requires that makeups be given. Quizzes will not necessarily be announced. Regular attendance is strongly encouraged!

How Your Course Grade Will Be Computed:

I expect to give four in-class exams this term. You will have the full period to work on an exam. There will not be review days for exams, except the final, though I will be willing to take questions about exams during the usual time for homework discussion (within reason). Exams will generally be linearly scaled so that the median grade in the class corresponds to a mid-range C (75 percent) unless I am seriously dissatisfied with overall class performance. Each exam is worth 100 points. The total homework grade counts as an exam (100 points). The final counts 200 points; your percentage grade on the final may replace the lowest of the other five grades (in-class exams and homework) if this helps you. 90 or above is an A; 80 or above is a B; 70 or above is a C; 60 or above is a D; lower grades are F (after any scaling).

Eligibility for this Class:

No exceptions will be made. If the computer tells me that you don't meet prerequisite or placement exam standards for this course, I will free your seat for someone who does meet them.

Attendance:

Attendance will not be taken except on the first two days. If you do not attend this class on one of the first two days, I will exercise my option to have you administratively withdrawn. Please note that quizzes are not announced and cannot be made up; this should encourage regular attendance.

Open Office Policy:

My office hours for these classes are to be announced. I will almost always be in my office at the officially scheduled times, and I will try to warn you when I will not be. If I am in my office during a posted office hour, I am available to help you. Don't assume that these are the only times when you can get help! I am never offended by a student asking me for help if I am in the office (though I may help only briefly if I am very busy). My other class meets 2:40-3:30 pm every day except Thursday. I will provide a summary of times when I am likely to be on campus when this is clearer.

Late Work and Makeups:

Makeups for exams will be possible, and should if possible be arranged in advance of your absence. There are no makeups for quizzes, as noted above. Homework turned in late will be given a check with slightly less value than the check for homework turned in on time, and of course will not be available for you to consult when you take the quiz.

Academic Honesty:

Collaboration on homework is expected and even encouraged in this class. This does not mean copying of homework. Collaboration on exams is of course not allowed. The penalty for cheating (defined as looking at another student's paper or unauthorized use of books or notes during an exam) will be a grade of zero (0) on the relevant exam. A repeat offense will mean an F in the course.

Courtesy Issues:

Cellular phones must be turned off during class. If there is a good reason that you must await a phone call during class, please inform me in advance and minimize the disruption by sitting near an exit. Cell phones must be turned off (no exceptions whatsoever) during an exam. You do not need to contact me if you are missing class or if you need to arrive late or leave early; but I do need you to enter or leave the class quietly in either case. Of course, you do need to contact me, preferably in advance, if you are missing an exam.

Definitions:

The word ``yesterday'' is defined to mean the previous class session; the word ``tomorrow'' is defined to mean the next class session, unless I specifically say otherwise :-)