DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

York University

Course: Mathematics for the Life Sciences, Math 1506 3.0, Sections A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I
Course Webpage: Mathematics I for the Biological and Health Sciences, Section B (Fall 2023)
on eClass.

There is also the eClass page called SC/MATH1506 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I - Mathematics I for the
Biological and Health Sciences Assessments Page (Fall 2023)

These are different eClass pages.

Term: Fall 2023

Instructor Names and Emails:
Andrew McEachern (Coordinator), [email protected] Section B

Prerequisites / Co-requisites / Exclusions: Please consult

https://mathstats.info.yorku.ca/supplemental-calendar/ to ensure you have the required
prerequisites for the course, and that getting a credit course does not exclude from another credit.

Real Prerequisites:

Before you take this course, you should know that it is expected that you have a decent foundation
in working with functions and using algebra to solve multistep equations. These equations can
involve algebraic expressions such as the quadratic formula, the square root, complex fractions,
trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic components. You should be comfortable using graphs
of functions to answer questions. You should know how to determine if two algebraic expressions
are equivalent. You should have a foundation in working with trigonometric functions and solving
trigonometric equations. You should be able to work with exponential and logarithmic equations.
You should know what a polynomial or rational function is. You should know what the root of a
function is.

If your knowledge is lacking in some of the things mentioned above, you may find it difficult to
succeed in this course.

Office Hours:
Office Hours: Please see the eClass page Mathematics I for the Biological and Health Sciences,
Section B (Fall 2023) for details.

Lecture Time and Location:

Please see the eClass Mathematics I for the Biological and Health Sciences, Section B (Fall 2023)
page for details.

Expectations:
Email: Use email for confidential matters, or to book an appointment with me. Make sure you start
the subject line with Math 1506 Section (whatever your section is). I will check email during
normal business hours and will respond within four business days.
Office Hours:
If you have math- or course-related questions, please attend office hours, and I will answer them
then.
Communications: Make sure you are subscribed to Course Announcements in eClass! You are
responsible for being actively and regularly on eClass to ensure that you have the latest
information about the course.

Time Management: For a 3-credit course (whether online or in a traditional classroom), the
expected workload is 3 hours of in-class time each week with an additional 6 hours of work per
week in preparation, practice problems, and assignments.
If you find you are working less than 5 hours a week, then you are probably not devoting enough
time to the course. If you find you are working more than 10 hours a week, then you might be
missing some prerequisites for the course.

Preparing for this Course

Students taking this course should ensure that their mathematical skills are adequate for the
course. Some of the students who enrol in this course each year drop the course or fail. Many of
these students are smart and hard-working. But they did not succeed because their preparation,
mostly in the Real Prerequisites described earlier, was inadequate.

If you take the course without adequate preparation, you will waste your money and your time,
you'll fail or get a low mark, and you will be frustrated and think you are "bad at math" - but really,
you're just not prepared. Even if you're "bad at math", if you take the course after you are
prepared, you'll get a good mark, learn something, even enjoy the course, and, when it's over, you
won't be "bad at math" after all!

Expanded Course Description

This course consists of lectures each week, and online tutorials and assignments.
Typically, the problems solved in high school are done mechanically or by mimicking solutions to
similar problems in the textbook. In this course, you will develop the confidence and ability to
approach and solve richer and more demanding problems.
Active participation in the lectures and tutorials, and completion of the assigned homework is
expected of all students.
By the end of this course, you will:

1. Construct systems of linear equations and be able to solve them, by hand and by using a
computational engine, in order to answer questions in various contexts.

2. Geometrically interpret the solutions of systems of linear equations, and know how to
characterize systems of linear equations with more than one solution.

3. Create polynomial, trigonometric, exponential, logarithmic, and piecewise functions to

model abstract and applied phenomena.

4. Use limits to analyze the behaviour of a function for both finite and infinite values.
 5. Use limits to find the derivative of polynomial, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic
functions.

6. Use the rules for finding derivatives of polynomial, trigonometric, exponential, and
logarithmic functions, and be able to interpret the meaning of the value of the derivative.

7. Use derivatives to analyze the properties of a function, including extreme points, regions
where the function is increasing and decreasing, and finding the regions of concavity. You
will apply these properties to describe the phenomenon a given function is representing.

8. Use derivatives to employ the technique of optimization in a variety of contexts, both

abstract and applied.

9. Use derivatives to describe rates of change, solve related rates problems, and approximate
functions.

Course Text / Resources

Course Textbook:

Calculus For Biology and Medicine, 4th Edition, Neuhauser, Roper, ISBN-13: 9780137561612

See the eClass page for information about how to purchase the textbook and the accompanying
MyLab software which will help you succeed in this course.

LECTURES:

You should attend lectures. Asking questions is essential to the learning experience, and you
should ask questions during the lecture whenever you are not clear about something. Students
who attend live do better than those who do not, on average.

HOMEWORK:
There is a homework section on the eClass page SC/MATH1506 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I -
Mathematics I for the Biological and Health Sciences Assessments Page (Fall 2023). It has all the
details you need.

Evaluation

The final grade for the course will be based on the following items weighted as indicated:

 Assessment Quiz: 1% via eClass.

 Pearson MyLab Tutorials: 8% via eClass.
 Pearson MyLab Assignments: 15% via eClass.
 In-person Midterm Exam: 35% on Sunday October 15th from 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM.
 Final Exam: 41% in the final examination period.
 First Year Experience Modules: up to a 2% bonus added to your final grade.
The date and time of the exam in the Final Examination period is set by the Registrar and will be
announced later.
Final course grades may be adjusted to conform to Program or Faculty grades distribution
profiles.
ASSESSMENT QUIZ
The assessment quiz is available through the Pearson MyLab.
The assessment quiz in this class is not mandatory, although it is does contribute 1 percent to your
final grade. You get the 1 percent for completion. That means that you get 1 percent towards your
final grade regardless of your performance on the quiz, as long as you complete it.
HOWEVER, if you get less than 80% on the assessment quiz, it really means you are not ready to
succeed in Math 1506, or Math 1507. It is strongly recommended that you should drop this class
and take Math 1510. Math 1510 is designed to bring students to a level where they will be able to
succeed in their math courses at York.

If that option doesn't work for you, it means that your time commitment to succeeding in this class
will dramatically increase.

The weight of an assessment quiz that is not completed by 11:59 PM the day before the final exam
will be transferred to the final exam.

TUTORIALS:
There are eight tutorials, each one covering a different set of topics that will help you succeed in
this course. These tutorials are offered through the Pearson MyLab.
Each tutorial is worth 1% of your final grade.
Tutorials open at 00:01 EST (that is 12:01 AM) on the first day of class and are open for the
duration of the course. They close at 23:59 EST (that is 11:59 PM) on the day before the final
exam. On the day of the final exam, tutorials are closed and no extensions will be granted, for any
reason.

The following guideline is designed to keep you on track in this course. These are not hard
deadlines, you have until the day of the final exam to finish all of the tutorials.

Tutorial Schedule Guideline:

Tutorial 1: should be completed by September 20

Tutorial 2: should be completed by September 27

Tutorial 3: should be completed by October 4

Tutorial 4: should be completed by October 11

Tutorial 5: should be completed by October 18

Tutorial 6: should be completed by October 25

Tutorial 7: should be completed by November 1

Tutorial 8: should be completed by November 8

The weight of any tutorial that is not completed by completed by 11:59 PM the day before the final
exam will be transferred to the final exam.
ASSIGNMENTS

There are five assignments covering the topics discussed in the course. These assignments are
offered through the Pearson MyLab.

Each assignment is worth 3% of your final grade.

Assignments open at 00:01 EST (that is 12:01 AM) on the first day of class and are open for the
duration of the course. They close at 23:59 EST (that is 11:59 PM) on the day before the final
exam. On the day of the final exam, assignments are closed and no extensions will be granted, for
any reason.

The following guideline is designed to keep you on track in this course. These are not hard
deadlines, you have until the day before the final exam to finish all of the assignments.

Assignment Schedule Guideline:

Assignment 1: should be completed by September 25

Assignment 2: should be completed by October 9

Assignment 3: should be completed by October 24

Assignment 4: should be completed by November 14

Assignment 5: should be completed by December 4

The weight of any assignment that is not completed by completed by 11:59 PM the day before the
final exam will be transferred to the final exam.

MIDTERM EXAMINATION:

There will be a 90-minute in-person midterm examination, worth 35% of your final grade.

It will take place on Sunday, October 15th, from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Further details such as location,
content, and structure will be announced in class and on the eClass page.

The midterm examination will consist of multiple-choice questions. Question content will be
announced closer to the date. Examinations will be uploaded to the Crowdmark system, and you
will receive an electronic copy of your test along with your grade once the grading is complete for
the class.

If you miss the midterm for any reason, do not contact your instructor. The weight of your
midterm will be transferred to your final exam. There are no make-up midterms.
FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE MODULES

These modules are included as part of the eClass page SC/MATH1506 A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I -

Mathematics I for the Biological and Health Sciences Assessments Page (Fall 2023). They are
modules designed to help you succeed during your time at university. They are not graded, and
are not on material directly related to any assessment in this course.

If you complete (meaning achieve a score of 100 on each module) half of the modules, a 1% bonus
will be added to your final grade. If you complete all of the modules, a 2% bonus will be added to
your final grade.

These must be completed by 23:59 EST (that is 11:59 PM) on the day before the final exam.

FINAL EXAMINATION

The final exam will be held during the examination period given at
https://registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates/2023-2024/fall-winter

More details about the final examination, date, structure, etc, will be released at some point during the
semester.

Grading and Missed Tests or Exams

Grading: With the exception of the final exam rule, the grading scheme for the course conforms to
https://calendars.students.yorku.ca/2023-2024/grades-and-grading-schemes Each assignment,
test, or exam will bear a number grade which will be scaled according to its weight in the final
grade in the course. For example, if your midterm is worth 20% of the final grade and you get
32/40 on the midterm, then this will be scaled to 16/20 for calculation of the final grade.

Missed Midterm: A student who becomes ill, has a personal/family emergency, or a religious
observance will have the weight of the midterm added to the final exam. You do not need to
contact your instructors if you miss the midterm, and there is no need for a doctor's note or other
kinds of proof.

Missed Final Exam: A student who becomes ill, has a personal/family emergency, or a religious
observance may ask for a later date for their final exam or to submit their outstanding
coursework. To do this, students must request deferred standing, no later than one week after the
missed examination or the last day of classes. For details, please see
http://myacademicrecord.students.yorku.ca/deferred-standing.

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

RESPECT:
When participating in this course, you must remain courteous and respectful. The University's
Code of Rights and Responsibilities apply to all forms of communication and interaction.

Violation of the Code will result in a complaint of a breach of community standards, and sanctions
could include fines, restrictions, and suspension.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

I am proud of honest students who work hard to get a good grade and I support them by asking for
severe penalties on cheating. Cheating is the attempt to gain an improper advantage in an
academic evaluation.

Forms of cheating include:

1. Copying another person's answer to a test question (for example, via texting or chat);

2. Consulting or getting help from another person

3. Using an unsanctioned online source during a test (for example, Chegg, Course Hero etc.);

4. Helping others to cheat.

For more details, see York’s Academic Honesty Policy and information on Academic Integrity for
Students.

Academic integrity benefits everyone in our community. It not only helps you reach the real goal
of this class, learning, but also allows for the university and program to be perceived positively by
others. When students are dishonest, they lose out on valuable learning that will help them
perform well in their career.

TECHNOLOGY USE AND PRIVACY

Several platforms will be used in this course (e.g., eClass, Discord, Canvas, Zoom, etc.) through
which students will interact with the course materials, the course director and TAs, as well as with
one another.

Students shall note the following:

 Zoom is hosted on servers in the U.S. This includes recordings done through Zoom.
 If you have privacy concerns about your data, provide only your first name or a nickname
when you join a session.
 The system is configured in a way that all participants are automatically notified when a
session is being recorded. In other words, a session cannot be recorded without you
knowing about it.

IMPORTANT DATES

The term start and end dates, holidays, exam periods, and add/drop deadlines, are posted at
https://registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates/2023-2024/fall-winter
STUDENT ACCESSIBILITY SERVICES:

It is the student's right to request and receive academic accommodations on the basis of a
disability. Student Accessibility Services provides academic accommodation and support to
students with disabilities in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Commission's Policy on
accessible education for students with disabilities and York University Senate Policy on Academic
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities. Contact Student Accessibility Services for more
information.

RESOURCES

LEARNING SKILLS SERVICES

Learning skills are about learning how to learn and improving your effectiveness and efficiency as
a learner. See https://lss.info.yorku.ca for details and a calendar of events. These workshops are
for everyone and I highly recommend them.

COUNSELLING SERVICES
Many students face a variety of personal challenges throughout the term which may have a
negative effect on their academic performance. In such cases, students can make use of York’s
Student Counselling and Development services. A Personal Counselor can help manage a student’s
coursework under difficult circumstances.