Syllabus, MAT 295 – Calculus I
Spring 2022
Department of Mathematics
Syracuse University
Course supervisor: Dr. Nicole Fonger
Email: nfonger@syr.edu
Office: 317F Carnegie
Your instructor may be different than the course supervisor. Your instructor’s information appears on
the supplement to this syllabus. Please inform your instructor of any problems that you are having with
the course. Problems that are not satisfactorily resolved with your instructor should be brought to the
attention of the course supervisor.
Course description from the catalog: Analytic geometry, limits, derivatives, maxima-minima, related
rates, graphs, differentials, exponential and logarithmic functions, mean-value theorem, L’Hospital’s
rule, integration. For science majors. MAT 295 may not be taken for credit after successful completion of
MAT 286.
Course format: The course format is 2-3 lectures per week (depending on your section) and one
recitation per week. During lecture, you will learn new material. During recitation, you will practice the
learned material. Your recitation instructor will answer questions on the course material, homework
problems, and will help you prepare for exams. Quizzes and exams will be given either during recitation
or in class, to be determined by your instructor.
Prerequisites: There are no official prerequisites for this course, but students should have a strong
foundation in algebra and precalculus. During the first week of class a readiness test will be given; those
who do not do well should take a precalculus course such as MAT 194 instead of MAT 295. Students
who have scored 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus AB exam should register for MAT 296
Calculus II. Students who have scored 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Calculus BC exam should
register for MAT 397 Calculus III.
Course objectives: After completing this course, you should be able to:
• explain and define the limit of a function at a point, continuity at a point and differentiability at
a point,
• explain the use of L’Hospital’s Rule and apply it to appropriate limit problems,
• state and show uses of the Mean Value Theorem,
• compute the derivatives of polynomials, rational functions, & composite algebraic functions, &
trigonometric functions, natural logarithmic and exponential functions,
• differentiate implicitly,
• apply the techniques of differential calculus to the problem of curve sketching,
• apply differentiating techniques to find velocity & acceleration to solve related rates & max/min
problems,
• define the anti-derivative of a function & define the Riemann integral,
• interpret the relationship between antidifferentiation & differentiation,
• state and apply the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus,
• state the important properties of the integral,
• solve problems involving antiderivatives and areas,
• state and use the Mean Value Theorem for Integrals.
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Textbook and WebAssign: We will be using Essential Calculus: Early Transcendentals (2nd ed.) by James
Stewart, together with the accompanying online homework platform called WebAssign. It is
recommended that you postpone buying the textbook and WebAssign until after the first day of class.
There are several ways in which you can purchase the textbook and WebAssign:
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Option 1: online purchase (recommended option): Go to www.webassign.net and click “enter
class key” in the upper right corner of the screen. Input the class key provided to you by your
instructor on the first day of class. Follow the prompts and create an account using your full
name and your SU email address. After creating the account, you will be granted a 14-day free
trial which gives you access to the e-book and homework. You will need to buy a subscription
(also called “access code”) by the end of the 14-day trial period. There are several subscription
options offered, including:
o Cengage Unlimited (4 months): This option costs $119.99 and gives you online access to
all Cengage textbooks for 4 months + access to the calculus textbook and homework for
the duration of the entire calculus sequence (MAT 295, MAT 296, MAT 397). This option
also allows you to rent a physical copy of the textbook during the first 4 months. You
should choose Cengage Unlimited if you are planning on taking more calculus courses in
the future or you are taking other courses that use Cengage textbooks. For more
information about the unlimited option, please see this infographic.
o Cengage single-term access (5 months): This option costs $100 and gives you access to
our textbook and homework for 5 months.
Option 2: SU bookstore purchase: Purchase a new textbook bundled with a WebAssign access
code at the SU bookstore. The access code is valid for 730 days. You can choose to either buy a
physical or electronic copy of the textbook. The prices vary between $147 and $325. Please
contact the bookstore for more information.
Class attendance: You are expected to attend and participate in lecture and recitation. If you miss a
class, it is your responsibility to obtain notes for that class from another student and to find out about
any announcements your instructor made during class. Do not expect your instructor to repeat the class
lecture or provide notes. If you are unable to participate in-person or virtually for an extended period of
time (48 hours or more), you should request an absence notification from your home school/college
Dean’s Office or the Dean of Students Office. Instructors will be notified via the “Absence Notification”
flag in Orange Success. Additional information about absence notifications may be found at Dean of
Students Office: Absence Notifications.
Grading policy: Your course grade will be computed as a weighted average using the following
percentages:
Assignment
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Homework and Quizzes
Academic Coaching
Final Exam
Percentage of your
final grade
18%
18%
18%
20%
5%
21%
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It is up to your instructor how the 20% for quizzes and homework will be allocated between homework
grades and quiz grades. For more information on the allocation of the 20% between homework and
quizzes, see your instructor’s syllabus supplement.
Your letter grade will be determined as follows:
Score
93-100%
90%-92.99%
87%-89.99%
83%-86.99%
80%-82.99%
77%-79.99%
73%-76.99%
70%-72.99%
63%-69.99%
0%-62.99%
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD
F
Grade
Exams: There will be three in-class exams during the semester:
Exam
Exam 1
Exam 2
Exam 3
Week
Week 4: February 14, 2022
Week 9: March 28, 2022
Week 14: April 25, 2022
The exams will be given during recitation or during class with the precise dates announced by your
instructor.
Make-up Policy: A missed exam will count as a zero unless it is due to a documented religious
observance, University-sponsored event, or documented emergency. For religious observances and for
University-sponsored events, this documentation must by submitted in advance, preferably, through
Orange Success. For emergencies, you must present documentation from a physician or from the Dean’s
Office as soon as you are able to resume attending classes. In such cases, at instructor’s discretion, you
will either be given an opportunity to take an alternate exam, or to have the final exam counted in place
of the missed exam (i.e., the missed exam score will be replaced with the percentage earned on the
corresponding subsection of the final exam). Please consult with your course instructor.
Quizzes: Quizzes will be administered weekly during recitation with some possible exceptions. Please
refer to your instructor for the exact dates of quizzes. Make-up quiz policy is up to your instructor.
Please see the syllabus supplement for more information.
Homework: Most of the homework assignments will be submitted on WebAssign. Your instructor may
require some of the written homework assignments to be handed in and graded as well. Make-up
homework policy is up to your instructor. Please see the syllabus supplement for more information.
Academic Coaching: The Mathematics Department is partnering with the Center for Learning and
Student Success (CLASS) this spring to build academic coaching into MAT 295. Coaching is an academic
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support program, and a research project CLASS is conducting to determine the best way to help
students study effectively. Coaching introduces students to research-based study strategies that are
valuable for learning calculus, especially the ability to reason rather than memorize math. Each section
of MAT 295 students will participate in coaching, although the format of coaching will be different from
section to section. Five percent (5%) of your MAT 295 grade will be based on successful completion of
coaching. Coaching will take place outside of MAT 295 lecture and recitation sections. You will receive
more detailed information about how coaching works in your MAT 295 section.
Final Exam: The final exam is comprehensive and will be given during a two-hour block on Wednesday
May 11, 2022, between 8:00 am and 2:30 pm. The exact time and location will be announced by your
instructor later in the semester. Please do not make other plans on the date of the final exam such as
appointments, early vacation departures, family outings, etc. Final exam date and time are not
negotiable. If you have a conflict with another final exam, you must contact your instructor at least two
weeks in advance to have it resolved.
Calculator policy: Calculators are not permitted on quizzes or exams, including the final exam.
Extra help: Besides your instructor’s office hours and your recitation instructor’s office hours, there are
many resources available to help you, including:
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Math Clinic: staffed by mathematics graduate students. Offers help with a wide range of
mathematic courses, from 100 to 500 level. Takes place in Carnegie 102. No appointment
necessary. The hours will be shared by your instructor.
Evening Virtual Math Clinic: same as the Math Clinic but takes place in the evening and on
Zoom. The hours and the Zoom link will be shared by your instructor.
Calculus Help Center: staffed by undergraduate students. Offers help with calculus and
precalculus courses. Takes place in Carnegie 102. No appointment necessary. The hours will be
shared by your instructor.
Small Group Tutoring: offered by the Center for Learning and Student Success (CLASS). Usually
takes place on the lower level of Bird Library. Requires an appointment. More information can
be found at this link.
For more information about these resources, visit
https://thecollege.syr.edu/mathematics/undergraduate-studies/math-help/.
Mental health. Mental health and overall well-being are significant predictors of academic success. As
such it is essential that during your college experience you develop the skills and resources effectively to
navigate stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Please familiarize yourself with
the range of resources the Barnes Center provides (https://ese.syr.edu/bewell/) and seek out support
for mental health concerns as needed.
Counseling services are available 24/7, 365 days, at 315-443-8000, and I encourage you to explore the
resources available through the Wellness Leadership Institute, https://ese.syr.edu/bewell/wellnessleadership-institute/
Students with disabilities. Syracuse University values diversity and inclusion; we are committed to a
climate of mutual respect and full participation. There may be aspects of the instruction or design of
this course that result in barriers to your inclusion and full participation in this course. I invite any
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student to contact me to discuss strategies and/or accommodations (academic adjustments) that may
be essential to your success and to collaborate with the Center for Disability Resources (CDR) in this
process.
If you would like to discuss disability-accommodations or register with CDR, please visit their website
(https://disabilityresources.syr.edu). Please call (315) 443-4498 or email disabilityresources@syr.edu for
more detailed information.
The CDR is responsible for coordinating disability-related academic accommodations and will work with
the student to develop an access plan. Since academic accommodations may require early planning and
generally are not provided retroactively, please contact CDR as soon as possible to begin this process.
Academic Integrity: Syracuse University’s Academic Integrity Policy reflects the high value that we, as a
university community, place on honesty in academic work. The policy holds students accountable for the
integrity of all work they submit and for upholding course-specific, as well as university-wide, academic
integrity expectations. The policy governs citation and use of sources, the integrity of work submitted in
exams and assignments, and truthfulness in all academic matters, including course attendance and
participation. The policy also prohibits students from: 1) submitting the same work in more than one
class without receiving advance written authorization from both instructors and, 2) using websites that
charge fees or require uploading of course materials to obtain exam solutions or assignments completed
by others and present the work as their own. Under the policy, instructors who seek to penalize a
student for a suspected violation must first report the violation to the Center for Learning and Student
Success (CLASS). Students may not drop or withdraw from courses in which they face a suspected
violation. Instructors must wait to assign a final course grade until a suspected violation is reviewed and
upheld or overturned. Upholding Academic Integrity includes abiding by instructors’ individual course
expectations, which may include the protection of their intellectual property. Students should not
upload, distribute, or otherwise share instructors’ course materials without permission. Students found
in violation of the policy are subject to grade sanctions determined by the course instructor and nongrade sanctions determined by the School or College where the course is offered, as described in the
Violation and Sanction Classification Rubric. Students are required to read an online summary of the
University’s academic integrity expectations and provide an electronic signature agreeing to abide by
them twice a year during pre-term check-in on MySlice.
Academic integrity policies specific to this course: In this course, all work submitted for quizzes and
exams must be yours alone. Discussing quiz or exam questions with anyone during the quiz or exam
period violates academic integrity expectations for this course. You are not permitted to use any outside
materials, resources, or electronic devices (including but not limited to calculators, mobile phones,
smartwatches, etc.) on exams, quizzes, or the final exam. Using websites that charge fees or require
uploading of course material (e.g. Chegg, Course Hero) to obtain exam solutions or assignments
completed by others and presenting the work as your own is prohibited.
Any violation of this policy is a violation of the university’s academic integrity policy and will be reported
to The Center for Learning and Student Success.
Religious observances policy. Syracuse University’s Religious Observances Policy recognizes the diversity
of faiths represented in the campus community and protects the rights of students, faculty, and staff to
observe religious holy days according to their traditions. Under the policy, students are given an
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opportunity to make up any examination, study, or work requirements that may be missed due to a
religious observance, provided they notify their instructors no later than the academic drop deadline.
For observances occurring before the drop deadline, notification is required at least two academic days
in advance. Students may enter their observances in MySlice under Student Services/Enrollment/My
Religious Observances/Add a Notification.
Use of student work: In compliance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act,
registration in this class is understood as permission for assignments prepared for this class to be used
anonymously in the future for educational purposes.
Important dates:
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First day of classes is Monday January 24, 2022
Early-semester progress report (ESPR) period is Monday, February 7 – Friday February 11, 2022
Academic/financial drop deadline is Monday, February 14, 2022
Spring “Reading” break is March 14 – March 18, 2022
Mid-semester progress report period is Tuesday, March 22 – Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Withdrawal deadline is Tuesday April 19, 2022
Last day of classes is Wednesday May 4, 2022
Final exam is Wednesday May 11, 2022, between 8:00 am and 2:30 pm
Final grades are due on Thursday May 19, 2022
Tentative weekly schedule:
Week
Week 1, week of January 24
Week 2, week of January 31
Week 3, week of February 7
Week 4, week of February 14
Week 5, week of February 21
Week 6, week of February 28
Week 7, week of March 7
Break, week of March 14
Week 8, week of March 21
Week 9, week of March 28
Week 10, week of April 4
Week 11, week of April 11
Week 12, week of April 18
Week 13, week of April 25
Week 14, week of May 2
Finals, week of May 9
Sections covered
1.3, 1.4
1.4, 1.5, 1.6
1.6, 2.1, 2.2
2.3, 2.4, Exam 1
2.5, 2.6
2.7, 3.3
3.3, 3.5, 3.7
Reading Week
3.7, 4.1, 4.2
4.3, Exam 2
4.5, 4.7
5.1, 5.2
5.2, 5.3
5.4, Exam 3
5.5, Review
Reading, Final Exam
Copyright: All course material is copyrighted by the Syracuse University Mathematics Department. This
means that it is forbidden to disseminate the course material to anywhere, including the Internet.
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