Syllabus for MATH 160, Introduction to Applied Calculus
Professor Keough, Fall Semester, 2011
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Course Description
MATH 160 is an introductory study of differential and integral calculus with an emphasis on
techniques and applications. The course is designed for students in the biological, management,
social and behavioral sciences.
The main topics to be studied during the semester are: a review of basic functions, including the
exponential and logarithmic functions; the derivative and its use as a rate of change; the algebra of
derivatives; applications of derivatives; and definite integrals and their applications.
The official Mathematics Department description and syllabus for MATH 160 can be found at
http://www.salisbury.edu/mathcosc/courses/m160.pdf
Prerequisites
High school Algebra I and II and Plane Geometry. It is assumed that the skills you learned in these
classes are reasonably current. In particular, you should be familiar with notions such as variables,
formulas, equations, functions, solving equations, factoring, the quadratic formula, exponentials and
logarithms, graphs of functions, areas of plane regions, and volumes of certain solids.
If you’ve been away from mathematics for any length of time, or should your algebra skills be
weak, you should seriously consider dropping back to MATH 135 College Algebra now, while you
have the chance to do so. I cannot emphasize enough how much poor algebra skills virtually guarantee
poor Calculus grades.
Who Takes MATH 160 and Why?
Every undergraduate student must complete at least one mathematics course in order to graduate.
Completion of MATH 160 satisfies this general education requirement. (Specifically, this meets
general education requirement IVB or IVC, which prior to Fall, 2008, were requirements IIIB and
IIIC, respectively.)
Not every student has to (or should) take MATH 160 to satisfy the general education requirement.
Other entry-level courses offered in the Department also meet these requirements, such as MATH
105 Liberal Arts Mathematics (previously MATH 190), MATH 144 Environmental Mathematics,
Math 155 Modern Statistics with Computer Analysis, and the Precalculus/College Algebra courses
MATH 135 (previously MATH 100) and MATH 140. You may prefer a different course if your
purpose is only to meet the general education requirement.
Some students, however, will be required to take MATH 160 either by their major or school. For
example, the Perdue School requires completion of MATH 160 or a higher-level Calculus course (in
fact, with a grade of C or higher). Be sure you know the requirements of your major and school.
Note. For students who have weaker backgrounds (perhaps as identified for freshmen in the
incoming Math Assessment through ALEKS), or who have been away from math for a long time,
should seriously consider taking MATH 135 College Algebra (formerly MATH 100) before entering
this course. Alternatively, consider contacting the Center for Student Achievement in the Guerreri
University Center, Room 213, to learn about taking an on-line learning module to increase your
knowledge in some areas. It may be wise for some students in this situation to consider taking
MATH 160 in a future semester, while working through the ALEKS modules this semester.
Finally, there are some students who definitely should not take MATH 160. The short (but not
necessarily exhaustive) list includes most science majors (e.g., mathematics, physics, chemistry and
computer science should take MATH 201) and students who have received credit at SU already for
a first semester Calculus course.
Required Textbook and Topic Coverage
Applied Calculus for the Managerial, Life, and Social Sciences, A Brief Approach, Ninth Edition,
by Soo T. Tan, Brooks/Cole (Cengage Learning) Publishing (ISBN: 978-0495-96553-4) is the required
text for this course. It is available at the SU Bookstore for about $155 and includes access to
Syllabus for MATH 160, Introduction to Applied Calculus
Professor Keough, Fall Semester, 2011
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WebAssign (see below ).
The course covers the following content: Chapter 1 (Sections 3 and 4); Chapter 2 (all); Chapter
3 (Sections 3.4 and 3.7 will be covered only as time permits); Chapter 4 (all); Chapter 5 (all,
hopefully); and Chapter 6 (with every effort will be made to avoid the use of Section 2).
Required WebAssign Access
This course will be using WebAssign, an online course management and homework system. It
is required that you have access to WebAssign, which comes bundled with the required text listed
above (at no additional cost). Having only a textbook for this course is not sufficient; you must have
access to WebAssign, since all homework will be done in WebAssign.
Consequently, the only sanctioned alternative to having a physical copy of the text with WebAssign
access (using the ISBN listed above) is to purchase access to WebAssign directly. The cost of $75
(at www.webassign.com) not only gives you access to WebAssign, but also provides on-line, eBook
access to the complete text. From within WebAssign, you can view and print pages of the text as
needed.
Note. Some students may prefer to go the “electronic-only route,” opting not to buy the traditional, physical text and signing up for WebAssign with access to the text via its eBook feature.
There are obvious advantages and disadvantages in choosing to do so. Of importance in making your
decision: should you change sections of the course in the first week of this semester, or take/retake
the course in a later semester, your access to the eBook electronic text will remain available to you
via WebAssign, even if the next class you take does not use WebAssign.
Required Graphing Calculator
A graphing calculator comparable to the TI-83 or TI-84 is required for each student for the
course. You’ll use it for exams and assignments, and you should have it with you in class every day.
Additionally, there is an assumption on my part that you already know how to use many relevant
features of the calculator, since the prerequisite course MATH 135 also requires a TI-83 or TI-84
calculator.
Other items concerning calculators include:
• Each student must have his or her own calculator and know how to use it;
• Should you have a calculator other than a TI-83 or TI-84, you assume full responsibility for
knowing how to use it. Please also be sure that you have an owner’s manual for the calculator
you use – many can be found on the web.
• If you use a calculator that contains a computer algebra system (e.g., a TI-89), there may be
portions of some exams where you will not be allowed to use these calculators (special rules
will be in effect to handle such a situation, should it arise).
• You may not use a calculator tool found on your cell phone, iPhone, tablet or Blackberry-like
device; and
• Calculators can not be shared during exams.
When and Where We Meet
Our class meets every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between August 31 and December 9, with
the only exceptions being Labor Day (September 5) and the Thanksgiving recess (November 23 and
25). We meet in Henson Hall room 111, with Section 006 gathering from 1:00 to 1:50 PM, and
section 007 from 2:00 to 2:50 PM.
Note. Due to the Hurricane Irene delayed start to the semester, Saturday, December 10, is likely
to be used as a make up day for the August 29 cancellation.
Your attendance is expected at these classes. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get
notes from class from a fellow student and/or copies of any handouts either from the class website
or from me at my office. In particular, it will be helpful to know the name of at least one other
Syllabus for MATH 160, Introduction to Applied Calculus
Professor Keough, Fall Semester, 2011
Page 3 of 4
student in the class from whom you can get notes or comments.
Class Website
In addition to using the WebAssign system, Blackboard will be our official, operating means of
communication. You can log in to myclasses.salisbury.edu using your usual username and password.
You’ll find a calendar of class coverage, a copy of this syllabus, a copy of class policies, info on your
grades, and whatever else we can provide. Supplemental class assignments will also be listed at the
class website along with solutions.
Examinations
The following are the dates for our four (4) in-class exams and the final exam:
• Exam #1: Wednesday, September 21
• Exam #2: Wednesday, October 12
• Exam #3: Wednesday, November 2
• Exam #4: Wednesday, November 30
• Final Exam (a two-hour, comprehensive exam):
– for Section 006 (1 PM): Friday, December 16, beginning at 1:30 PM
– for Section 007 (2 PM): Monday, December 12, beginning at 1:30 PM
You should bring your calculator for exams, and expect that a question or two on every exam
specifically requires you to use a procedure demonstrated in class. Additionally, you may bring in
one 8.5 by 11 inch sheet of paper with as much reference information on it as you care to write by
hand – both sides if you wish. A computer-generated reference sheet may be used in place of one
that is hand-written, but only with my prior approval of its format and content.
Otherwise, no notes, books, or electronic devices other than your graphing calculator may be used
during exams.
Assignments within WebAssign
Assignments will be posted via WebAssign following each class and each will have a completion
date and time somewhat similar to the “due at the next class” policy with which most of you are
familiar in a hand-written environment. A more detailed policy on completion of WebAssign assignments, including how one can ask for extensions and get help online, will be addressed separately.
Semester Grading
• Each in-class examination will count 50 points.
• Your WebAssign work will count 75 points.
• The cumulative, 2 hour final exam will count 75 points.
Your final, letter grade will then be determined on a 350 point scale by adding all of your scores
together.
About A Semester Grading Scale. I don’t establish absolute grade scales at the beginning of a
semester. Doing so only forces examinations to be constructed in artificial ways and then possibly
be rescaled after the fact so that the results match up appropriately with a fixed grade scale.
As a result, following every exam, I’ll tell you exactly where everyone stands on the grading
scale and how the grades look to be going. I’ll be giving you very complete information on class
performance. It’s not unreasonable to believe that average scores will generally correspond to a
grade of C. The only decision to be made after that is whether an average score is a high, middle,
or low C and, once that’s determined, the rest of the scale generally sets itself.
When we reach the end of the semester, I can assure you that there will be very few surprises in the
final, semester grades given, and that the grades issued to the class as a whole are not significantly
Syllabus for MATH 160, Introduction to Applied Calculus
Professor Keough, Fall Semester, 2011
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different from those of other instructors in other MATH 160 classes this semester.
For reference: the last day to withdraw from the class is Friday, October 28. We’ll have
completed two exams and probably a dozen homework assignments by then, so you’ll have enough
information to know whether withdrawal (a grade of W) should be considered.
Please let me add one important comment about the semester grades that will ultimately be issued
in this course. Your semester grade will be based primarily on your performance in this course, as
measured by the testing instruments we use: i.e., examinations and your WebAssign work. Please
understand that your grade in this course will not be based on what many of you may believe is
your effort, as measured perhaps by hours you spent studying or attending class, or hours you spent
at the computer with WebAssign.
Let me emphasize: effort and performance are not the same; semester grades will be based
primarily on performance.
Office Hours/Getting Help
Contact info:
• Professor G. E. Keough, Henson Science Building Room 132F
• website: http://faculty.salisbury.edu/˜gekeough
• email: gekeough@salisbury.edu
Office hours (no appointment needed, just drop in):
• Monday: 9:00 – 9:45; 12:00 – 12:45 (limited availability); 3:00 – 3:45
• Wednesday: 9:00 – 9:45; 12:00 – 12:45 (limited availability); 3:00 – 3:45
• Friday: 9:00 – 9:45; 12:00 – 12:45 (limited availability); 3:00 and later if requested
Free tutoring is available for this course from (approximately) Tuesday, September 6, until Friday,
December 9. Consult the schedule posted at the Math Tutoring room (Henson 117) for hours of
operation, or visit www.salisbury.edu/mathcosc/Tutor.