Math 195 Calculus I for Biology
Spring 2012
This syllabus may be revised at any time at the discretion of the instructor.
Course description from bulletin: MATH195 Introduction to single-variable calculus in the context of the
life sciences from the dynamical systems point of view. Limits,
continuity, derivatives, integration by substitution and by parts.
Formal definitions of limit, derivative, and Riemann integral.
Proofs of standard theorems, including the Fundamental
Theorem of Calculus. In addition to standard topics, includes
research applications to biology and medicine, an introduction
to mathematical models and differential equations, equilibria,
stability, and eigenvalues. Equivalent to MATH191 in serving as
prerequisite to higher-level courses. Fulfills the General Education
Mathematics reasoning requirement. Prerequisite: MPE=P5
or MATH167 or MATH168 with grade no lower than C; pre- or
corequisite: BIOL165 or 166 or consent of the instructor. Spring.
- General Information
- Credits: 4
- Prerequisites: Prerequisite: MPE=P5
or MATH167 or MATH168 with grade no lower than C; pre- or
corequisite: BIOL165 or 166 or consent of the instructor
- Time: 10:30-11:20 MTWR, Haughey Hall 111 (HYH 111)
- Instructor: Dr. Shandelle M. Henson
- Office: HYH 121
- Phone: (269)471-3423
- Email: henson@andrews.edu
- URL: http://www.andrews.edu/~henson. Click on "current course information".
- Textbook: "Calculus for Biology and Medicine, Third Edition", by Claudia Neuhauser (Prentice Hall)
- Course Content: Ch. 3.1 - 7.2, plus further applications to biology and medicine.
- Getting help: There are four ways to get help.
- Office Hours: Wednesday 2:30-3:30 and Thursday 3:30-4:30. Please sign-up on my office door. Also, other times by appointment.
- Math Center: HYH 112. Free math tutoring. The hours will be posted outside the door.
- Student Success Center: success@andrews.edu. See
http://www.andrews.edu/academics/student_success.html
- Private tutoring: You can always look for a private tutor. Private tutors often post signs around the department. Cost is variable. The department and university are not involved in this transaction.
- What you should expect:
- Spending lots of time on Calculus homework and exam preparation
- A rigorous course
- No calculators on exams Calculators will not be permitted on the exams unless otherwise stated by the instructor. In this course you will learn Calculus, not button-pushing. You are
permitted, and encouraged, to use calculators to check your homework and to numerically explore concepts and graphs.
- No electronic devices (laptops, iPads, phones, etc.) in class unless we are using them as part of a lab.
- What I expect:
- Maturity and personal responsibility: I respect my students as adults, and I respect their choices. Each student must take responsibility for her/his success or lack thereof.
For example, deadlines will not be extended.
- Attendance: You are responsible for all announcements made in class and on the Math 195 web sites
(which may include changes from the published syllabus, exam schedule, homework list, etc.). You are responsible for
all material covered in class. If the number of absences exceeds 20% of the total course appointments, the instructor may assign a grade of F by university policy.
- Checking university email frequently: You are responsible for any information I send the
class via the Andrews class email system.
- Complete academic honesty: This department fully upholds the University policy on academic honesty, and regards any
dishonesty, including plagiarism, as a very serious offense. Dishonesty will result in a score of "zero" on that assignment or
exam, and may result in further disciplinary action, including a letter in your permanent file in the Dean's Office and possible dismissal. Collaboration on homework is permitted and even encouraged as long as each student independently writes up his or her own
solutions. There is no collaboration on exams.
- Respect: Respect for every member of the classroom community--for each student, for each classmate, and for the professor--will
be observed at all times. Respect includes
- Silence cell phones
- No laptop unless we are using them in class
- No texting
- No headphones
- Be in class on time
- Don't walk in and out of class during lecture
- Course Requirements and Grades
- Homework: Homework is due at the beginning of class. No late homework is accepted for any reason. (Instead, you are allowed to drop three homeworks.) Your assignments
will be posted on the Math 195 web site. There will be in-class labs in which you will apply calculus to biology. The lab write-ups will be treated as homework assignments. You must
be present in the lab to get credit for a lab write-up.
- Exams: There will be four midterm tests. No make-up tests will be given. The Final Exam is comprehensive, and it will be organized into five parts. Parts 1-4 will correspond to the material covered on Tests 1-4, and Part 5 will address the material
covered after Test 4. If the grade on Part X of the Final Exam is greater than the grade on Test X, then the grade on Test X is replaced by the grade on the corresponding part
of the Final Exam. For example, if you miss Test 2 (and thus get a zero) or get 68% on it, and you get 92% on Part 2 of the Final Exam, then your Test 2 grade will become 92%. By University policy, the Final Exam must be taken at the time scheduled by the University. Check the "Important Dates" below, and mark it on your calendar. If you miss the Final Exam for a legitimate reason, you may take an Incomplete in the course. If you
miss the Final Exam for an illegitimate reason (for example, because of airline arrangements to fly home for your brother's wedding), you will receive a "zero" on the Final Exam. Warn your relatives of this if they have a tendency to
buy airline tickets without consulting you on times, or if they are planning weddings, etc.
- Grades: A course percentage grade will be calculated from homework (20%), the midterm exams (60%),
and the Final Exam (20%). I use the following "guaranteed minimum grade" scale:
93-100 A; 90-92 A-; 87-89 B+; 83-86 B; 80-82 B-; ... ; 60-69 D; 0-59 F. Cutoffs may be lower
if warranted. A grade of "Incomplete" is available only under the conditions stated in the Bulletin.
- Keeping an eye on your own grade
- Part of being a responsible student is
- Keeping your graded homework, labs, and tests organized in a notebook or folder.
- Keeping an Excel file in which you enter your grades and keep track of your overall course grade.
- Important Dates:
- Mon, Jan 16: Dr. MLK holiday
- Wed, Jan 18: Last day to drop and add without fee or entry on record
- Mon, Feb 20: President's Day holiday
- Mar 16-25: Spring Break
- Tues, Apr 17: Last day to withdraw with W, or change credit to audit
- Thurs, Apr 26: Last day of classes
- Fri, Apr 27: Reading Day and Mathematics Awards Ceremony
- Wed, May 2: Final Exam 10:00 - 12:00, HYH 111