Math 0120: Business Calculus

Student Guidelines and Syllabus


About the Course

This course is designed for students in business, economics, and other social sciences. It introduces the basic concept of limit and its application to continuity, differentiation, integration, maximization, minimization, and partial derivatives. Applications to the social sciences, especially business and economics, are stressed. The calculus of trigonometric functions is not covered.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

Prerequisite

Minimum math placement score of 61 or Math 0031 with minimum grade of C.

Textbook

The textbook for this course is Brief Applied Calculus, Seventh Edition, by Geoffrey C. Berresford and Andrew M. Rockett; Brooks/Cole CENGAGE Learning. All students who register for this course are automatically enrolled in the RedShelf Inclusive Access program and will be charged on their Pitt student bill unless they opt out before the end of the add/drop period. This program provides students with discounted access to the digital version of the textbook and the publisher's WebAssign content, but only the textbook itself will be required. If you already have a copy of the textbook or would prefer to purchase it from a different source (for example, you may be able to find a used copy at a lower cost), then you should opt out of Inclusive Access. You will be able to opt out by clicking on the "RedShelf Inclusive Access" link in your course on Canvas. More detailed instructions for opting out can be found here. If you do not opt out of Inclusive Access, then you will be able to access the digital textbook through a link to WebAssign in Canvas.

Course Delivery

The University has adopted the Flex@Pitt teaching model for this semester, and instruction will vary in form depending on the University's current operational posture. The bullet points below outline how this strategy will typically be implemented in this course, but you should consult your instructor's specific directions as well.

Recitations

Twice a week you will meet with your TA to review course material and work on practice problems. These recitations will be conducted remotely via Zoom regardless of the University's operational posture. Links to join the virtual recitation meetings will be posted in Canvas.

Homework

Homework will be completed online through the WeBWorK platform. Your TA will demonstrate how to use WeBWorK at the beginning of the semester, but please also read the WeBWorK instructions before getting started. You will need to select your course from the list on the WeBWorK homepage http://webwork.math.pitt.edu/ and then log in with your Pitt username and password. Alternatively, you can navigate directly to your course's log-in screen via the URL http://webwork.math.pitt.edu/Math0120-XXXXX/, where XXXXX should be replaced with your section's five digit class number.

Practice Problems

In addition to the graded homework (WeBWorK), you are expected to complete the practice problems listed for each section on the course schedule. Although these problems will not be graded, quiz and exam problems will sometimes be modeled after them.

Quizzes and Midterm Exams

This course usually includes three midterm exams, and their approximate dates are listed on the course schedule. Your instructor may also assign quizzes to be completed during recitations. The exact number of assessments may vary from section to section, but your instructor will notify you of the dates and format of assessments in your section. These assessments may be administered using Canvas and/or Gradescope.

Final Exam

All day sections will take a departmental final exam at a time to be scheduled by the registrar. Evening sections will meet through final exam week, and the final exam will be given during the last one or two scheduled class periods. The date and time of the final exam will be announced by your instructor.

Grades

Each student's course grade will be determined solely by their performance on the graded assignments and will be calculated using a weighting scheme similar to the one listed below. Some sections may deviate from this recipe, but any deviations will be announced by your instructor at the beginning of the term.

Homework15%
Quizzes15%
Exam #115%
Exam #215%
Exam #315%
Final Exam25%

Final Grade Policy

Your final course grade will not exceed your final exam grade by more than one letter grade.

Calculator Policy

In addition to the textbook, you may find it helpful to use a scientific or graphing calculator while completing homework and practice problems. However, calculators will not be permitted on the departmental final exam. Your instructor may or may not permit usage of calculators on the midterm exams.

Getting Help

Tutoring

The Math Assistance Center (MAC) offers free tutoring by appointment, including same-day appointments for those who need immediate assistance. Appointments can be made within Pathways. The MAC offers assistance with all courses in the math department from MATH 0010 up through MATH 0413. In particular, the MAC is able to assist with all calculus courses. Please consult the MAC website for instructions on how appointments are made and an outline of what you can expect.

Unlike previous semesters, the MAC is staffed solely by undergraduate students, and graduate TAs no longer hold office hours within the MAC. Graduate student office hours will be posted on the MAC website, but graduate students are no longer affiliated with the MAC.

Office Hours

Your instructor and TA will announce their office hours, which will typically be conducted through Zoom.

Disability Services

If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and Disability Resources and Services (DRS), 140 William Pitt Union, (412) 648-7890, drsrecep@pitt.edu, (412) 228-5347 for P3 ASL users, as early as possible in the term. DRS will verify your disability and determine reasonable accommodations for this course.

Course Policies

Academic Integrity

Cheating/plagiarism will not be tolerated. Students suspected of violating the Academic Integrity Code of the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences may incur a zero score for the assessment in question. Additional sanctions may be imposed, depending on the severity of the infraction. Even during this COVID-19 pandemic, Academic Integrity policies will be enforced. If there is any doubt about the originality of a student's submission for an assessment, they may be asked to explain their work during a one-on-one meeting with their instructor. If the student’s explanations are unsatisfactory, they may receive a zero score for the assessment, or the instructor may choose to administer an alternative assessment in a different format.

Please note, in particular, that Pitt has a data sharing arrangement with Chegg.com that enables us to identify instances in which their website has been used to cheat on assessments. Consequences of being caught in this academic integrity violation have included zero scores on assessments and F grades for the course.

Health and Safety

In the midst of this pandemic, it is extremely important that you abide by public health regulations and University of Pittsburgh health standards and guidelines. While in class, at a minimum this means that you must wear a face covering and comply with physical distancing requirements; other requirements may be added by the University during the semester. These rules have been developed to protect the health and safety of all community members. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in you not being permitted to attend class in person and could result in a Student Conduct violation. For the most up-to-date information and guidance, please visit coronavirus.pitt.edu and check your Pitt email for updates before each class.

Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Pittsburgh does not tolerate any form of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation based on disability, race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status or gender identity or other factors as stated in the University’s Title IX policy. The University is committed to taking prompt action to end a hostile environment that interferes with the University’s mission. For more information about policies, procedures, and practices, see: https://www.diversity.pitt.edu/civil-rights-title-ix-compliance/policies-procedures-and-practices.

We ask that everyone in the class strive to help ensure that other members of this class can learn in a supportive and respectful environment. If there are instances of the aforementioned issues, please contact the Title IX Coordinator, by calling 412-648-7860, or e-mailing titleixcoordinator@pitt.edu. Reports can also be filed online: https://www.diversity.pitt.edu/make-report/report-form. You may also choose to report this to a faculty/staff member; they are required to communicate this to the University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. If you wish to maintain complete confidentiality, you may also contact the University Counseling Center (412-648-7930).

E-mail Communication

Each student is issued a University e-mail address (username@pitt.edu) upon admittance. This e-mail address may be used by your instructor and the University for official communication with students. Students are expected to read e-mail sent to this account on a regular basis. Failure to read and react to University communications in a timely manner does not absolve the student from knowing and complying with the content of the communications. Please consult the University Email Comminication Policy for more details.

Classroom Recording

To ensure the free and open discussion of ideas, students may not record classroom lectures, discussion and/or activities not already recorded by the instructor, without the advance written permission of the instructor, and any such recording properly approved in advance can be used solely for the student’s own private use.

Lectures will be recorded by the instructor, and this may include student participation. Students are not required to participate in the recorded conversation. The recorded lecture may be used by the faculty member and the registered students only for internal class purposes and only during the term in which the course is being offered. Recorded lectures will be uploaded to Panopto and shared with students through Canvas.

Copyright

Some of the materials in this course may be protected by copyright. United States copyright law, 17 USC section 101, et seq., in addition to University policy and procedures, prohibit unauthorized duplication or retransmission of course materials. See the Library of Congress Copyright Office and the University Copyright Policy.