Homework is assigned for most Monday and Friday lectures. Homework assigned for a Monday lecture is due at the beginning of discussion section on Thursday, three days later; homework assigned for a Friday lecture is due at the beginning of discusion section on the following Tuesday. Each assignment will be given a pass/fail grade based on completeness. You may check your answers to odd-numbered problems in the back of the book, but you need to turn in solutions, not just answers. You may discuss the homework problems with your classmates, but you must write your solutions on your own. I am aware that it is not hard to find solutions manuals on the internet. While these might be a useful tool for studying for the exams, copying said solutions on a homework assignment will result in a negative grade for that assignment. The homework may be heavy at times, but it is essential for learning the material.
Quizzes will be given each Thursday in discussion section, except for the first week and the weeks of the midterms. There will be no makeup quizzes, but the lowest two quiz scores will be dropped. One purpose of the quizzes is to help make sure that you keep up with the material. Later parts of the course depend heavily on the earlier parts, so it can be hard to catch up if you fall behind.
Exams: There will be two midterms and a final. It is not possible to give makeup exams. However, because of the grading scheme below, you can miss one midterm, for whatever reason, without penalty. On the other hand, missing both midterms or missing the final will seriously harm your grade. Please check the dates now to make sure that you have no unavoidable conflicts!
Calculators and notes will NOT be allowed for the exams. If you learn the material properly, then you should not have to memorize a lot of rules or formulas. (For Math 53 you will not be expected to evaluate any arcane integrals on the exams, although you should know basic techniques of integration such as substitution and integration by parts.)
To obtain full credit for an exam question, you must obtain the correct answer, put a box around it, and give a correct and readable derivation or justification of the answer. Unjustified correct answers will be regarded very suspiciously and will receive little or no credit. The graders are looking for demonstration that you understand the material. To maximize credit, cross out incorrect work.
Exam grades cannot be changed, unless there is an egregious error such as adding up points incorrectly. If you don't understand why you lost points on a question, please ask; but the number of points deducted cannot be changed, because we grade all the exams together according to the same standards and regrading individual exams would be unfair to everyone else.
Grades are calculated as follows:
Section, Midterm1, Midterm2, Final, Final
Second, cross out whichever of the middle three numbers is lowest. Third, average the remaining four numbers, to obtain a number between 0 and 4.5. Finally, convert this number back into a letter grade: that is your final course grade.
Disabled students requiring accomodations for exams must submit to the instructor a "letter of accomodation" from the Disabled Students Program at least two weeks in advance.
Incomplete grades, according to university policy, can be given only if unantipicated events beyond your control (e.g. a medical emergency) make it impossible for you to complete the course, and if you are otherwise passing (with a C or above).
Cheating is unacceptable. Any student caught cheating will be reported to higher authorities for disciplinary action.