Supplemental Calculus MATH 130 Fall 2025

The goal of this course is to help you master the basic skills and concepts required to succeed in a calculus course. This includes increasing your proficiency at algebraic manipulation as well as your ability to interpret mathematical statements accurately and communicate mathematics effectively. Additionally, you will gain insight into the conceptual underpinnings of topics covered and develop productive strategies for studying calculus.

This course is designed to help you be successful in Calculus I. It is intended to be a resource and I believe you will find the course useful and want to participate fully for that reason.

Your participation score will contribute 50% to your final grade.

There are two sorts of tasks I will ask you to complete outside of class.

First, you will complete a very short discussion board post each week no later than Wednesday at 5pm. The prompt for this will always be the same: “What is going well and what is going not-so-well in your Calculus course? What can we do to help support you in that class?”. Responding to this prompt will help guide our discussion the following day. You will get full credit on this assignment if you submit it on time and answer honestly and thoughtfully.

Second, I will make a number of practice problems available through Canvas for you to bolster your algebraic skills to support your success in Calculus. You do not need to complete all the practice problems (some of them will be too easy for you, others might be too hard at first). All I ask of you is to spend an hour a week trying these. Doing this prior to the Wednesday discussion board post is a great way to identify what you might want additional assistance with in class (i.e., for you to use as your response on your post).

The combination of these two tasks will contribute the second 50% to your final grade.

There is no final exam for this course. However, the time reserved for the final exam is Tuesday, December 9 from 1:30pm to 4pm. Since this is prior to your Calculus final exam, I will hold a review session during this time. Attendance is optional but encouraged.

You are expected to attend every class period. It is impossible to receive participation points if you are not in class.

But what happens if you absolutely cannot attend class? Maybe you are very ill, somebody has slashed your tires, and you are having a bad hair day! These things happen, and I will try to be understanding when you communicate with me about your situation. Please reach out to me as soon as possible to discuss your options.

One important note though: in this class, just like in every other class, missing a day of class, even with a perfectly valid excuse, does not excuse you from learning what was covered that day. As your instructor, I will try to help you catch up, but this will take more work than it would have if you were in class.

Late work will be accepted only under extenuating circumstances and must be discussed with me in advance. Deadlines are set to encourage you to stay on track with the course material and manage your time effectively. If you are struggling to meet a deadline, please reach out to me as soon as possible to discuss your options.

Turn off your cell phones when in class and keep them put away, arrive on time, and do not pack up your things before the end of class. All of these are potential distractions to yourself and your classmates that could negatively impact your learning.

Additionally, I expect that you will treat all members of our course community with respect and kindness. In doing mathematics, or almost anything worth doing in life, you are going to make many errors and false starts while becoming more proficient. Think, for example, of learning to play a musical instrument, or learning an athletic skill, or developing a friendship. I want to establish a classroom atmosphere where the inevitable struggles and mistakes become an opportunity to learn and grow; not an opportunity for embarrassment. Thus, please be constructive and polite in questioning your colleagues in class.

It is expected that members of this class will observe strict policies of academic honesty in every aspect of this course. In particular, you are expected to solve homework problems by yourself or together with your group, and not find solutions online. In general, UNC’s policies and recommendations for academic misconduct will be followed. For additional information, please see the Student Code of Conduct at the Dean of Student’s website http://www.unco.edu/dos/Conduct/codeofconduct.html.

The use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or CoPilot) is allowed in this course, but it is your responsibility to ensure that you use of these tools with academic integrity.

What does this mean? Ask yourself what you hope to get out of this course. We really hope your answer involves learning new skills, becoming a better thinker, and understanding mathematics at a deeper level (even if these goals are in service to eventually getting a better paying and more fulfilling job).

Warning: As good as AI has become recently, it is still not great at mathematics, so anything you get out of a generative AI tool should be approached with a fair amount of skepticism. This is also a good way to learn mathematics though: play “find the mistake” in what AI gives you!

To be clear, you should NOT use AI tools to shortcut the learning process. Getting someone else to do your work for you (even if that someone is a robot) is plagiarism and a violation of the academic integrity policy.

The University of Northern Colorado is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students that is free from discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking. Students who have experienced (or who know someone who has experienced) any of these concerns should know that they are not alone. UNC has staff members in the University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance (OIEC) who are trained to support students in navigating these concerns and are able to provide on- and off-campus resources and supports, referrals to health and counseling services, academic and housing modifications, and mutual no-contact orders between individuals.

Please be aware all UNC instructors and most staff members are required to report their awareness of sexual misconduct to the OIEC. This means that if students tell an instructor about a situation involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, the instructor must share that information with the Title IX Coordinator and Equity Officer, Jimmy Kohles. Mr. Kohles or a trained staff member in OIEC will contact the reporting students to let them know about resources and support services at UNC as well as their options to pursue an investigation through OIEC, law enforcement, or both. Students who have experienced these types of incidents are not required to speak with OIEC staff regarding the incident. Students’ participation in OIEC processes are entirely voluntary.

If students do not want the Title IX Coordinator notified, instead of disclosing this information to the instructor, students can speak confidentially with the following people on campus and in the community. They can connect you with support services and help explore options now, or in the future. UNC has confidential victim advocates available 24/7 by phone - students can contact the Assault Survivors Advocacy Program (ASAP) at 970-351-1490 to seek confidential guidance and support.

My goal is to co-create a learning space that is inclusive and responsive to your access needs. If you anticipate or experience barriers to full participation in this course for any reason, please connect with me. Whether it’s related to course design, content delivery, or materials, I welcome that dialogue.

If you are connected with the Disability Resource Center (DRC), please share your accommodation letter early so we can plan together.

If you are not yet connected but would like to explore accommodations or access resources, you can contact the Disability Resource Center: 970-351-2289, [email protected], Michener L-80, www.unco.edu/disability-resource-center.

Significant numbers of UNC students are challenged in getting enough food to eat. Others have difficulty finding safe and stable housing or meeting other essential needs, such as medical and mental healthcare, childcare and transportation. Still others face financial crises in the wake of unexpected emergencies.

Through its Center for Student Well-Being (CSW, located on the lower floor of the UC), UNC offers personalized 1-on-1 assistance to students facing food insecurity, housing insecurity, financial emergencies or other basic needs challenges. UNC also provides students with access to several food resource programs on campus, including the Bear Pantry, where students can access food and hygiene items at no cost. Resource navigators in the CSW can also help students gain access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other resources.

If you’re not sure where to turn, the website for UNC’s Student Outreach and Case Management office lists a wide variety of resources for students. Case Managers can assist students during difficult circumstances which may include medical, mental health, personal or family crisis, and illness or injury.

Mental health professionals are available on-campus and in the community. See a wide variety of on- and off-campus resources on the Dean of Student’s webpage.

For free, confidential consultations, check out the Counseling Center. To access staff in the Counseling Center, call 970-351-2496 or stop by the Center, located on the second floor of Cassidy Hall.

If you or someone else is experiencing a crisis or suicidal thoughts and the Counseling Center is not available (including evenings, weekends, and holidays), contact either North Range Behavioral Health by calling 844-493-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 38255 or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988.