Course: Math 10A (Course Catalog)
Title: Calculus I
Credit Hours: 4
Catalog Description: Differential calculus of functions of one variable, with applications. Functions, graphs, continuity, limits, derivatives, tangent lines, optimization problems.
Textbook: The required textbook for the course is OpenStax: Calculus, Volume 1, by Strang, Herman, et al. This book is freely available online. We will study Chapters 1-4 of the textbook in this course. See the course home page for more information.
Course Readings: Reading the sections in the textbook that correspond to what we are discussing in class is a very important part of learning the subject. Lecture time is very limited and not every subject can be fully covered in the time allotted for lecture. Consequently, it is in your own interests to read the related chapters in the textbook. You should read the section of the book prior to the lecture in which that section is discussed.
Electronic Computing Devices: Graphing calculators and computer programs (or online computing websites such as Wolfram|Alpha) can be very helpful when working through your homework. However, a calculator/computer should be used as an aid in the learning concepts, not just as a means of computation. You should use these devices when working on math problems at home, but always keep in mind that any computations must be supported by clear explanations in words.
Technology Requirement: It is a requirement of the course that you have a stable enough internet connection to complete and submit your online assignments (homework, projects, and quizzes) during the time available. We will not accept late submissions and submissions by email will not be accepted.
Homework: Homework is a very important part of the course and in order to fully master the topics it is essential that you work carefully on every assignment and try your best to complete every problem. The purpose of homework problems is to develop mastery over the topics and a deeper understanding of the concepts. (They should not been seen as practice for exam questions.)
Late Submissions for Homework: It is possible to submit homework up to three days late without penalty. (See Edfinity or the course calendar for the due dates.) Please be aware that no further accommodations will be granted. The late due date with no penalty is the accommodation. Do not put off the homework until the late due date. If you plan to submit the homework by the late due date, and then something prevents you from submitting it, you will not be given a further extension. You should make every effort to turn in the homework by the actual due date, and then the late due date will serve as a safety net in case something prevents you from submitting the homework on time. But if you wait until the late due date, there will be no further safety net.
Quizzes: There will be weekly quizzes given on the days specified in the course calendar. The quizzes are online and will be done remotely. You will be given exactly 20 minutes to complete your quiz and you will be provided a 12-hour window within which to complete the quizzes. Access the quizzes through Canvas.
Week 1 Quiz—Syllabus Quiz: During Week 1, there will be a quiz about the content of the syllabus (and related policies). This quiz will be like the rest of the quizzes in the course, except that it will be about the content of the syllabus. The quiz is "open syllabus", which means that you are allowed to consult the syllabus while you are doing the Syllabus Quiz. However, due to time constraints, you are encourage to familiarize yourself with the Syllabus before you attempt the syllabus quiz. (Unlike the other quizzes, the Syllabus Quiz is a Canvas Quiz and you will get 35 minutes to complete it.)
Note: The Syllabus Quiz is the Commencement of Academic Activity (#FinAid) assignment for this course. Students receiving financial aid are required to complete the Commencement of Academic Activity assignment in order to continue receiving financial aid. Commencement of Academic Activity submissions are due by the end of Week 2. For this reason, the Syllabus Quiz is available from Monday 11:00 AM during Week 1 to Friday 11:00 PM during Week 2.
Quiz Drop Policy: We will drop the lowest two quiz scores.
It is not possible to submit quizzes late for any reason and there will be no makeup quizzes. If you are unable to take a quiz during the allotted time for any reason—even reasons beyond your control—then you will get a score of 0 on that quiz. It is for this reason that we have the drop policy for quizzes. We will not provide additional accommodation for quizzes. The drop policy is the accommodation.
Note: It is not possible to retake a quiz for a better score.
Quiz Due Dates: The quizzes will be available from 11:00 AM until 11:00 PM on the dates specified in the course calendar. You will have 20 minutes to complete the quizzes, but they must be completed within this time window. It is not possible to submit quizzes late for any reason. If you are unable to take a quiz during the allotted time for any reason—even reasons beyond your control—then you will get a score of 0 on that quiz. It is for this reason that we have the drop policy for quizzes.
Special due date for Quiz 1: The Syllabus Quiz is available until Friday 11:00 PM during Week 2 because it is the Commencement of Academic Activity assignment for this course. (See above.)
Projects: Projects will be given most weeks during the quarter. See the course calendar for the exact dates. Projects will be discussed during discussion section, and will be submitted through Canvas Quizzes. It will be possible to complete the projects at any time between 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM on the day of your discussion section. However, if you wish to work on the projects outside of discussion section, you may have to do them on your own, without the help of a TA or fellow classmates. The versions of the projects discussed in discussion section will be posted to Canvas, but the projects you submit in Canvas Quizzes will involve randomized numbers. Due to the randomization, you will likely need to use technology for computing your answers to the projects.
Project Drop Policy: We will drop the lowest one project score.
Late Due Dates for Projects: The projects are due on the day of discussion section at 11:00 PM (see the course calendar for dates), but you are allowed to submit the projects up to three days later at 11:00 PM without penalty. Projects submitted after the due date but before the late due date will be marked "LATE", but will incur no penalty. Please be aware that no further accommodation will be given for late projects. If you try to submit your project three days later at 11:05 PM, for example, it is not five minutes late, it is 3 days and 5 minutes late.
Note: There will be no makeup projects, nor is it possible to submit the projects after the "late" due date. It is simply too difficult and too time consuming to accept late projects. As a courtesy, we will drop the lowest project score. (Just one.) If you are unable to complete a project before the late due date for any reason—even reasons beyond your control—then you will get a score of 0 on that project. It is for this reason that we have the drop policy.
Exam Information: In this course, there will be one 40-minute midterm exam (during class time) and one 2-hour final exam. The dates of the exams, together with the possible topics on each exam, are:
Exam Modality: All exams will be in-person.
The dates of the exams are listed in the course calendar. If there are any discrepancies on the dates listed on these webpages or in Canvas, please refer to the course calendar and the Schedule of Classes. It is possible that something may be mistyped on a webpage or in an announcement, but the course calendar and the Schedule of Classes will remain correct.
Note on Scheduling: The final exam time was posted to the Schedule of Classes before the beginning of the term. By enrolling in the class, you are agreeing to take the final exam at the scheduled time. Exams will not be rescheduled to accommodate scheduling conflicts.
Regrade Policy for Exams: Regrade requests will be available for a limited number of days after the exams have been graded. The window of availability for regrade requests will be announced when the graded exams are released to students. It is the student's responsibility to ensure the request is made within the given time frame. Regrade requests will not be accepted after the deadline. Regrade requests will be approved only in cases where a correct answer was inadvertently marked as incorrect. Regrade requests must be accompanied by an explanation of the mistake. Unjustified requests will not be considered. (The desire to have a better grade does not count as sufficient justification for a regrade. There must be some mistake made by the grader.)
Late Add Policy: If you are on the waitlist for a course, you are expected to attend class for the first two weeks and complete assignments. If a student does not attend class or does not turn in assignments before the due dates, the student will receive a "0" on all missed assignments (homework, quizzes, etc.). No exceptions will be made. Similarly, a student not on a waitlist who adds the class late will not be given additional time, nor will they be excused from the assigned work. Students may not add the course after Week 2.
Note on Submissions: No email submissions (for any form of assessment) will be accepted. This class is far too large for us to allow students to submit any form of assessment through email. If we allow one student to do it, then we would have to allow every student to do it, and there are hundreds of students in this class.
Grading: Your course grade will be determined by your cumulative average at the end of the term and will be based on the following scale:
| A+ | A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D | F |
| [97,100] | [93,97) | [90,93) | [87,90) | [83,87) | [80,83) | [77,80) | [73,77) | [70,73) | [60,70) | [0,60) |
Please note that the above scale uses interval notation. For example, a score of 89.9% will earn a B+. Grades will not be rounded up.
Your cumulative average will be computed as a weighted average using the following percentages as weights:
The final exam can be used as a replacement for the midterm exam if (for example) you are unable to take the midterm exam.
Please notice that outside factors, including the need for a certain grade for admission/retention in any academic program, athletic program, scholarship or transfer credit, graduation requirements, or personal desire for a specific grade DO NOT appear in the above calculations, and thus are not considered in any way in the determination of your course grade. Effort, improvement, class attendance and participation will all dramatically improve your grade in the course in that they will allow you to do well on quizzes, exams, and the final exam. They will NOT, however, actively participate in the calculation of your course grade.
No extra credit will be given in this class.
Administrative Deadline: It is your responsibility to check that your scores are correctly recorded in Canvas. In order to resolve recording errors, you must contact your TA before the end of the 10th week of the quarter..
Accommodation: Accommodations can be given in certain specific cases as required or regulated by UC San Diego policy.
Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is very important at UC San Diego and academic dishonesty is considered a serious offense. Students caught cheating will face an administrative sanction which may include suspension or expulsion from the university. It is in your best interest to maintain your academic integrity. (Click here for more information.)
Academic Integrity and Homework: All homework that you submit should be done yourself. While you are allowed to consult with other students in the class about homework, you should never let another student do your work for you. You should never let anyone do your homework for you, whether they are in the class or not. The homework you submit should be done by you, and you alone. Copying answers from another student or from any other sources (including online sources) is not allowed.
Academic Integrity and Projects: All work that you submit for your projects should be done yourself. You are allowed to work on projects with other students and your TA—and indeed, you will be working on projects during your discussion sections. However, you should never let another student do your work for you. You should never let anyone do your work for you, whether they are in the class or not. The work you submit should be done by you, and you alone. Copying answers from another student or from any other sources (including online sources) is not allowed.
Academic Integrity and Quizzes/Exams: You are not allowed to consult with other students when working exams or quizzes. For exams and quizzes, you must work on your own. You may not ask another person for help, either online or offline. In particular, you may not visit any site where questions may be uploaded and answered by others. Quiz and exam questions must be answered by you and you alone. You may not post questions about quizzes or exams to online discussion forums (even our own!) while the exam or quiz is ongoing and other students are still taking it. Doing so is an explicit violation of academic integrity.
Calculators and Notes: For quizzes, projects, and homework, you are allowed to use technology (such as a calculator) to aid in computation, and you are allowed to refer to your notes. For the exams, you will not be allowed to use a calculating device of any kind. For exams, you will be allowed to use one page of handwritten notes. (Both sides are allowed.) All written answers (where applicable) must be accompanied by supporting work. Part of the answer is explaining how and where the answer comes from. Correct answers without supporting work will not receive credit. (This does not apply to multiple choice, True/False, or fill-in-the-blank questions.)
Any student found responsible for academic misconduct on any form of assessment will receive a zero score on that assessment. Any student found responsible for academic misconduct on multiple occasions (that is, more than once) will receive an F in the course. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, receiving answers from someone else, asking or allowing someone else to do the work for you, soliciting solutions online, or copying solutions from another person.
Filing for a Incomplete: Sometimes it is not possible to complete all of the work in the course due to circumstances beyond your control. (Being unable to take the final exam because of accident or sickness, for example.) In such a case, it may be possible to file for an Incomplete grade. If an Incomplete is granted, you will be given the opportunity to complete the work during the next quarter. (All work must be completed before the end of Week 10 the following academic quarter.) In order to be eligible for an Incomplete, you must meet the following criteria:
Credit by Examination: It is not possible to take this class via Credit by Examination.
Suggestions: Below are some suggestions that I hope will help you to succeed in this course:
Name and Gender Pronouns: UC San Diego is committed to supporting its students' name and gender preferences. Class rosters provided to your instructor and TAs have students' legal names, but we will strive to honor your request to be addressed using a preferred name or gender pronoun. Please let your instructor and TA know your preferences so that we can make changes to our records. (Certain university records may be beyond our ability to change, however.)
Equity, Inclusion, and Respect: We are committed to the UC San Diego Principles of Community. "To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to maintain a climate of fairness, cooperation, and professionalism. These principles of community are vital to the success of the University and the well being of its constituents." The principles of community include (but are not limited to):