MATH 111L Course Information
Instructor: Sarah Schott
Telephone: 660-2858
Office: 127 Math/Physics
E-mail: schott@math.duke.edu
Online Resources: The web site http://www.math.duke.edu/first_year/ contains information that concerns first-year calculus students, such as course descriptions and placement information.
Textbooks: Calculus by Hughes-Hallett, 5th edition
111L-112L Course Pack (Lab Manual)
Grades Your final grade in this course will be comprised of the following:
Lab Work
Homework Quizzes
In-class Exams
Final Exam
25
10
35
30
%
%
%
%
Attendance and Absences: It is incredibly important that you attend class, and I strongly
encourage you to do so. I will not take attendance, but I do take it into account for borderline
grades at the end of the term. Absences will only be excused by your dean for reasons such as
serious illness, family emergency, or official university activities. Under these circumstances,
you must present a written excuse from your dean. If you are absent due to illness, you must
complete the online “Short-Term Illness Notification” which can be found at
http://trinity.duke.edu/academic-requirements?p=policy-short-term-illness-notification/
For an excused absence during an exam, I reserve the right to offer a make-up exam or use
the final exam score to replace the missed exam.
Labs: Attendance in labs is mandatory and you may not leave early unless the TAs have
deemed your work complete. The labs are intended to provide applications and a deeper
understanding of what will be covered in class lectures. You are expected to use the TI-83
calculator, unless you have received permission from me to use another model. For each lab,
you will be placed into small groups of my choosing and either turn in a group lab report
(only one copy per group is necessary), or be given a quiz in the beginning of the next lab.
Group work is an integral aspect of the lab component, and it is important that lab reports
only be signed by those members of the group that contributed. Note that lab reports often
lead groups to meeting outside of class. It is important that each group works at a pace such
that every member is following along. The final exam will have questions pertaining to the
labs, and in preparation, so will the in-class exams.
Homework: Unless otherwise stated, I will be giving homework quizzes every Wednesday
in order to ensure that you keep up with the material. These quizzes will usually consist of
a few problems straight from the homework, as well as one or two problems that are very
similar to those seen in homework. At the end of the term, I will drop your lowest quiz
grade. The homework quizzes are meant to be a grade booster for those who work hard
and keep up with the material. I encourage you to work cooperatively with your peers while
doing your homework. I will gladly discuss or explain any homework questions asked by a
student, either in person, on my website, or by e-mail.
Tests: There will be three in-class exams in this course. These exams are scheduled to take
place on the following dates:
• Exam 1: Thursday, February 14
• Exam 2: Thursday, March 28
• Exam 3: Monday, April 22
Please see “Absences” above for related information.
The Final: The final exam will be administered on Saturday, May 4 from 9 AM Noon. Note that, unlike the in-class tests, you will be allowed to bring one standard-size
sheet (front and back) with whatever formulas or notes you would like. You will also be
permitted to use a TI-83 calculator on the final exam.
Help Room: The help room, which is located in room 132 of the Carr Building on East
Campus, is an invaluable tool for math students. Beginning on January 13th and ending on
May 2nd, the help room will be open from 1-10PM Monday through Thursday, and from
6-10PM on Sunday. The help room contains a copy of the solution manual and is run by
calculus teachers and assistants ready to answer your questions. I am scheduled to be in the
help room from 5-7 PM on Mondays. This is also a good place to work on problems with
other students. To find a detailed schedule of time and helpers, see
http://www.math.duke.edu/first_year/help.html#math.dept for more information
Additional Assistance: I encourage you to come to me for help. This course will present
some challenging material, and I expect that you will have questions. I plan to arrive early
to class in order to answer any questions you may have. If you still have questions after
class, please ask. Although I do not have scheduled office hours, feel free to drop by my
office to see if I’m available to answer questions, or set up an appointment before-hand to
ensure that I am free. If you are interested in one-on-one tutoring, please contact either the
math department (for a graduate student tutor) or ask me for suggestions.