Syllabus for Math 1560, Calculus I, sections A and B

Unless you already own one, or need it for another class, don’t waste your money on a graphing calculator. There are websites/apps like Desmos

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desmos.com

that are free, and much more powerful (and user-friendly) than a graphing calculator.

For tests and the final exam, any non-graphing calculator will be permitted.

Yes. There’s a form for that, provided on Moodle. I don’t need to know why you need the extension; just what you want extended, when you want it extended to, and whether you need anything from me to help complete the work.

The group discussions are a learning tool, with a lot of very good evidence to support their effectiveness. But they are an alternative to lecture, and not part of the assessment. If you can learn better by working on your own, you can. You might find that the classes are not as useful to you, but the textbook is a great resource, and you can always meet during office hours to ask questions one-on-one.

First and foremost, do not come to class! I’ll do my best to be accommodating of any illness that interrupts your studies. There is no need to provide details of the illness. If you miss a week or more of work, please get in touch to make a plan for catching up. One of the biggest challenges in math is that once you fall behind, it’s difficult to catch up on your own.

In short, that any work you represent as your own, is your own. Much of your work can be done in groups, but not all of it. I will assume that you have access to a calculator, including online software that gives you step-by-step solutions.

Use of these tools is acceptable, but take care that you are not overly reliant on them. What is not acceptable is having someone else do your work for you. This includes tutors, classmates, friends, family members, and online “homework help” sites. If you submit work that somebody else did for you, you are committing an academic offence.

If you have someone else write a test or exam for you, not only have you committed an academic offense, but the person impersonating you is at risk of criminal fraud charges under Canadian law.

Penalties for academic dishonesty are outlined in the Academic Calendar

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www.uleth.ca/policy/resources/student-discipline-policy-academic-offences-undergraduate-students

. Depending on the severity of the offence, penalties for a first offence can range from a grade of zero on an assessment, to an F in the courses. Academic offences are also reported to the Dean of Arts & Sciences. They keep a record of each offence, and students with multiple offences can be subject to supplementary discipline.

Not at all! Working with classmates on your homework is a great way to learn. But keep in mind that your course instructors will be available for help, free of charge. (OK, maybe not free of charge, but you’ve already paid for it with your tuition.) We will be responding on the discussion forum regularly, There will be time to ask questions in every class, and there will be online office hours. The Student Success Centre will also be running free help sessions (details TBA).

Some of you may still decide to pay for tutoring, and that’s fine. But you have a duty to disclose sources of help on an assignment, and the individual tests are still tests, even if you won’t have someone watching over your shoulder.

You should probably avoid the various paid “homework help” websites. Most of these don’t offer help. They offer worked solutions for a price. Getting those solutions won’t help with your understanding. More importantly, the people working for these sites are paid (poorly) per solution, and they often provide incorrect and/or badly written work. ChatGPT is not much better (at least, not yet).

First, contact us as soon as possible for any missed test. There are four tests, and I only count your best three towards your grade. As long as you only miss one test, there is no penalty. This is true regardless of your reason for missing the test.

Inform us of this when you contact us to explain your absence. There’s no guarantee that we can schedule a makeup test, but we’ll try. You’re more likely to get a makeup test if you’ve contacted us in advance.

If you are unable to write the final exam, you will need to contact Academic Advising. They are responsible for authorizing rescheduling of exams. Usually if you miss an exam due to illness, an incomplete grade is recorded. You will write a makeup exam at a later date, at which point your grade will be updated.

No. This wastes health care resources and your time. (That was my answer before the pandemic, and it’s doubly so now.) Just email me to say you were sick. However, if you miss more than one test due to illness, we’ll need to meet to discuss how to adjust your grade.

First, make sure that you have registered with the University’s Accessible Learning Centre

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www.ulethbridge.ca/accessible-learning-centre

. No need to let me know: they notify me of every student with accommodations.

If there are any adjustments I can make to facilitate your learning, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me. All students deserve an equal opportunity to learn. Note that the HTML textbook is designed with accessibility in mind, and should work with screen readers.

Send me an email. Extensions are usually granted as long as they’re granted ahead of time. Online homework extensions need to be in place before solutions become available. Book an appointment with me as soon as you feel like you’re falling behind and I’ll do my best to get you up to speed.