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The beginning of wisdom is found in doubting; by doubting we come to the question, and by seeking we may come upon the truth.
-- Pierre Abelard

In case I got someone's email wrong, or you're looking for someone else not listed here, try:

Finding People

Note the homework changes made below!

Evaluations: Thursday, July 1st

Summer 2004.  Academic Year 2003-04. 12-week session

This term I'm the instructor for the 12-week session of algebra.  Here is the data for the class and the two recitations:

       MATH    0031 ALGEBRA     GROUP: A        CR HRS: 03.0
      07225  T H    09:00A 10:25A   THAW  11        LG /SN       McCall, Betsy
      05/10/04 -08/02/04                                                                                            
      MATH    0031 RECITATION      GROUP: A  CR HRS: 00.0
      07233  T H    08:00A 08:50A    THACK 627                     Ross, Nathan F            
      05/10/04 - 08/02/04                                                                                      
     17029  T H    08:00A 08:50A    THACK 524                      Everest, Tom             
     05/10/04 - 08/02/04                                                                       
Notice the room change on the lecture.

Office Hours:
These will be held in the new Math Assistance Center on the 3rd floor of Thackeray.  These hours begin May 10th.  They will be Wednesday 3-5 p.m.  And by appointment.  The hours of the MAC will be 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 3-6 p.m. weekdays throughout the summer (May 10th-August 9th).  Anyone there will be able to assist you with this class.  If you are looking for a particular TA, those listings can be found here: Summer 1, Summer 2.  (The TAs change somewhat, but the overall hours remain the same.)

Office Location:
Thackeray 515

Mailbox Location:
Thackeray 301

Contact Me:
Go to my contact me page or use the form.

Textbook:
Algebra and Trigonometry and Precalculus, Beecher, Penna, Bittinger.

General Course Website:
Course Compass or My Math Lab
Course number:  mccall94198
Schedule
Syllabus

Homework Assignments: (to hand in)
#1: 1.1 #56; 1.2 #32; 1.3 #26 -- due Thursday May 20th
#2: 1.4 #36; 1.5 #58 -- due Thursday May 27th
#3: 1.6 #44; 2.1 #68; 2.2 #34 -- due Thursday June 3rd
#4: 2.3 #62; 2.4 #26 -- due Thursday June 10th
#5: 2.5 #70; 2.5 #40; 3.1 #26 -- due Thursday June 17th
#6: 3.2 #34; 3.3 #52 -- due Thursday June 24th
#7: 3.4 #40; 3.5 #50; 3.6 #32 -- due Thursday July 1st
#8: 4.1 #84; 4.2 #36 -- due Thursday July 8th
#9: 4.3 #72; 4.4 #78; 4.5 #38 -- due Thursday July 22nd
#10: 4.6 #4; 8.1 -- due Thursday July 22nd
#11: #34; 8.2 #22; 8.3 #32; 8.4 #22 -- due Thursday July 29
#12: 8.5 #8; 8.7 #58 -- due Thursday July 29 (extra credit)

FINAL EXAM - JULY 29

Attendance Policy:
Assignments will be due online or in recitation as assigned.  Attendance is crucial to successfully getting through this course.  There is no formal grade for attendance.

Make-up/Late Policy:
Assignments that are due on a particular date must be handed in on that day or before.  This goes for online assignments as well as in-class assignments.  Late assignments will not be accepted.  Extensions will be granted only with prior notice and under extraordinary circumstances.  Quizzes and exams will not be made up except for medical reasons.

Extra Help:
Sometimes students need extra help getting through math.  There are several options available:  1) Students can pay for a tutor for as many hours as is needed, but it does cost money.  It's not ethical for me to be a paid tutor to my own students.  I can recommend a couple other grad students that would be willing, and are capable instructors, but expect to be charged $15-30/hr.  Or contact the Math Department office. 2) Students can try to get help with their questions online.  The Course Compass site has online help.  There are also many good sites out there, and a quick Google search will call up many more than you need.  I have listed a small number on my links page, many of which have their own link lists.  There is a great deal of information on these sites.  Students might benefit from having a concept explained in yet another way, and additional practice problems.  These sites may be more time accessible, and it avoids having to admit to someone that you don't understand--for those who seek anonymity, that can be a plus.  3) You can stop by my office hours, or the recitation leaders' office hours.  That's what they are here for.  There are are several math help desks and math assistance centers run by the department and agencies throughout the university that you can get help from.  Some of these are listed on the syllabus.  The office hours are here for us to answer questions.  We are all available via email, as well.  If you know you aren't doing a problem correctly, or can't get the answer, ask us before you turn the problems in.  A complete list of MAC hours are given above with my office hours.

In addition, I will be adding a means of students to be able to get a hold of other students in the course by putting up a webpage for a class email list.  It will only be for students in my classes, and it will be removed at the end of the term.  Participation in the list is voluntary, but communicating with other students does help the learning process and it helps students feel more confident about math when they can teach someone else how to do a problem, even if they can't do them all the first time around.

There is a grade estimator that may also help you in studying... either to relieve stress or else tell you just how much you need to study!

The desire of knowledge, like the thirst of riches, increases ever with the acquisition of it. --Laurence Sterne, "Tristram Shandy," 1760