SYLLABUS

MATH 210, Calculus III (On-Line)

Mark D. Tenney Department of Computer Science & Mathematics

Professor of Mathematics Hudson Valley Community College, SUNY, BTC 1060
E-Mail: [email protected] 80 Vandenburgh Avenue
Voice Mail: (518) 629-7273 Troy, NY 12180

Stipulation

By remaining enrolled in this class, you are implicitly agreeing to

abide by the expectations, policies, and standards of this
syllabus. This syllabus sets forth the terms and conditions of
your status as a student in this course, and provides you with a
complete statement of the policies and expectations of the
course. Nothing expressed or implied in other course
correspondences, written or verbal, supersedes this syllabus.

CONTENTS:

Assignments Missed ‘Classes’

Calculator Missed Exams

Classroom Protocol Office Hours

Description On-Line Solvers and Supplements

E-Mail Technology / Equipment

Exams Tips for Success

General Considerations Virtual Availability

Grade Distribution Web Enhancements

High School No More Institutional Messages

Integrity ADA

Learning Assistance Center / Tutors Copy of Introductory E-Mail Message

Assignments
Problems are assigned regularly. On -line assignments are graded; textbook assignments are
not. Limited to the graded assignments alone, you will be underprepared for the exams.
Unless you complete all of the assignments, you cannot expect to succeed in the course.
Assignments are intended to foster optimal understanding of the material and, insofar as you
complete per the tips and recommendation in this syllabus, to provide excellent preparation for
exams. Generally, you are wasting time unless you treat assignments as reinforcement of the
principles we cover in class. Model your solutions on the exemplars found in your class notes.

Calculator

A scientific calculator is required for evaluating logarithms and

exponentials and for doing numerical trigonometry. Resist becoming
overly reliant on a calculator. Keep in mind that, on exams, you are
being tested, not your calculator. In fact, no graphing/programmable
calculators are allowed for exams. Moreover, there will be exams
for which no calculator—scientific or otherwise—is allowed at all. If,
apart from basic arithmetic operations and even statistics, your
calculator does anything more than numerical (inverse) trigonometry
or calculations of logarithms and exponentials, then it does too much and is unacceptable.

Classroom Protocol

Classroom? What classroom?! In conducting yourself on-line, you will maintain the kind of
decorum you would exhibit in a traditional, on-campus classroom. Assume that everyone
‘overhears’ whatever you post to BrightSpace. Help create a positive learning environment.

Description

The course covers, but is not limited to, the following material taken from two free on-line
textbooks:

• Calculus Volume III, OpenStax, chapters 2-6:

Vectors in a plane and in space, vector-valued functions, functions of several variables,
partial derivatives, surfaces and space curves, multiple integrals, cylindrical & spherical
coordinates, applications to area and volume, vector fields, line integrals, and Green’s
Theorem

• Fundamentals of Matrix Algebra, APEX Calculus, chapters 1-5:

Matrices, elementary row operations, systems of linear equations, augmented matrices,
Gaussian and Gauss-Jordan elimination, inverse matrices, matrix algebra, eigenvalues and
eigenvectors, determinants, vector spaces, subspaces, basis vectors

E-Mail

All e-mail correspondence takes place exclusively via HVCC e-mail. No non-HVCC sources of
e-mail—not even those sent through BrightSpace notifications—will be acknowledged. Check
your HVCC e-mail daily. When you send me e-mail, expect my reply by the end of the next
business day during which I am on campus. (Refer to the Virtually Availability section below.)
Exams
There will be three cumulative, in-person, proctored exams scheduled as follows:

EXAM DAY DATE TIME PLACE

#1 Wednesday 02/26/2025 4-5:00 PM TBD (on campus)
#2 Wednesday 04/09/2025 4-6:00 PM TBD (on campus)
Final Exam Wednesday 05/14/2025 4-6:00 PM TBD (on campus)

The student who does not live near HVCC can arrange to take the exams at an alternate site
(at a college or university near you, subject to approval by me and HVCC). More details will be
provided in an announcement posted in advance of the corresponding exam.

General Considerations

• For exams, you need to have developed a facility for routine derivations as well as
proficiency at avoiding commonplace pitfalls. You will be held to a high level of
effectiveness that follows from extensive experience with completing assignments and with
studying according to the guidelines in this syllabus. The following excerpt captures the
essence of what it takes to learn the material.

One point about your study of this material cannot be emphasized

too strongly: ... [Y]ou need not just knowledge but skill. Skill can be
obtained only through practice. You can obtain a certain superficial
knowledge of mathematics by listening to lectures, but you cannot
obtain skill this way. How many students have I heard say “It looks
so easy when you do it,” or “I understand it but I can’t do the
problems!” Such statements show lack of practice and consequent
lack of skill. The only way to develop the skill necessary ... is to
practice by solving many problems. (p. xi)

Boas, M. J. (2006). Mathematical Methods in the Physical

Sciences (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.
Mary Boas

• Mathematics is not merely about getting the answer to a given problem. It is not nearly
enough to be an ‘answer getter.’ Nor are we focused on ‘the easy,’ the fastest or most
economical way to solve a problem. Our focus is on the logic of the analysis of a given
problem, not on the answer per se. You will need to articulate a cogent analysis of each
problem and to argue from fixed principles (i.e., the principles developed in class). Orient all
your analyses to the principles we cover in class. You are missing the mark if you can
solve problems only when they are worded just-so or only when they are of a specific type.
• Exam items give me the opportunity to determine the extent to which you understand the
principles we cover in class. As such, you should expect exam items that require
demonstration of particular principles. Do not assume that the successful completion of an
 exam item is limited to finding its answer—the way you find the answer is paramount.

• The course content is especially cumulative, building on what we have been covering ‘in
class’ throughout the semester. Consequently, regular ‘attendance,’ continual
studying/problem solving, and good organization are essential.

• Having satisfied the prerequisites entitles you to enroll in the course. It does not entitle you
to the grades you have previously earned. Nor will the approaches you have successfully
used in the past, by themselves, necessarily translate into success in this course. You will
need to engage the course as prescribed throughout this syllabus (and other course
correspondences). There can be no intellectual growth without change, without adapting to
the demands of the more-advanced material. Finally, you cannot expect success simply
because you have dedicated 𝑥 hours per day studying the material and completing
assignments. No value of x or set of study strategies will help unless you want to
understand the material. Well? Are you here for an education or for a credential? Orient
your activities to understanding the material, not to grades or assessments or to some
optimal value of 𝑥. The rest will fall into place; success will follow.

Grade Distribution

20.00%
35%

20.00%

25.00%

Assignments Exam #1 Exam #2 Final Exam

NOTE: A Z grade will be given to any student who does not officially
withdraw and who attends no classes after Friday, 04/18/25.

High School No More

Some classmates could still be in high school. Others might be recent high school graduates.
Regardless of whether you fit either category, take note: As far as this course is concerned,
you are not in high school. Your high school—its administration, culture, expectations,
folkways, internet access, policies, resources, and the like—has no bearing on the running of
this course. In this course, you will meet the expectations and policies set out in this syllabus.
While the high schools might tolerate a cavalier approach toward due dates and exam dates,
for example, this course most definitely does not. Read this syllabus carefully.

Integrity
Be prepared, at my behest, to show and explain your hand-written work for both textbook and
on-line assignments. Organize your work accordingly. Likewise, at my behest, be prepared to
explain your work for the exams. Claims such as “I don’t remember what I did” are altogether
unacceptable and will result in no credit for the work.

Learning Assistance Center / Tutors

The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) is located in the lower level of HVCC’s Marvin Library
Learning Commons. Use it for support of the material as we cover it in class; do not use it to
learn the material outright. A tutor supplements, but does not replace, your own independent
study. Lastly, you are responsible for insisting that tutors treat the material consistently with the
way we cover it in class. Show them your class notes!

Missed ‘Classes’

You will access the course through BrightSpace at least once per calendar week for the
duration of the semester. You are expected to do so without exception.

Missed Exams

Notify me (e-mail, voice mail) as soon as possible when you miss an exam. Do this in
advanced of the exam, If possible. Be prepared to provide documentation for every day from
the date of the missed exam up to and including the date on which you discuss the matter with
me.
NOTE: COVID-19 illness requires a physician's diagnosis or confirmation, or the verified
record of a positive molecular (e.g., PCR) or antigen COVID-19 test performed by a
third-party testing service provider.

Finally, unless you have a passing grade and good attendance, do not expect a make-up
exam. (Refer to the Integrity section above.)

Office Hours

Office hours are posted. Running until the final exam, they provide the opportunity for you to
discuss your progress with coursework and assignments. Please come and talk with me. No
appointment needed. Arrive with your class notes and the work you have been attempting to
complete. Be prepared to exhibit the resourcefulness with which you have tried to overcome
the challenges of the material.

On-Line Solvers and Supplements

Assignments will be completed by hand, without the use of on -line solvers/supplements. In so

doing, you will develop habits of engaging the material per the expectations on exams. The
strong student rationalizes neither that “I use on -line solvers only to check my answers” nor
that “I use on-line solvers for just the first few problems, to get the idea.” Establish proper
habits of mind. The scale and complexity of the assigned problems are meant for us mortals,
not for computers. Just as a car has no business competing in a foot
race, a computer has no business solving the kinds of problems
assigned. That a computer can solve such problems is as unimpressive
as it is expected. While there exist problems for which computers are
indispensable, the assigned problems are not among them. To meet the
objectives of this course, an adage is apropos: The more you do, the
more you can do. But, I would add, the doing must be completed by
you, not by a device.

Technology / Equipment

You are required to have continual access to a laptop or tablet with dependable internet
access. The course cannot be completed from a cell phone.

Tips for Success

• Do not just read the class notes. Re-read, study, and review them. Refer to them as you
solve problems. Compare your own understanding of the class notes with that of a
classmate.
• Form a study group / network with classmates.
• Learn from your mistakes on the exams.
Partake in all Study Study the Complete the
• ( )+ ( )+( ) +( ) = (Success in)
Course Components the Notes Textbook Assignments the Course
• Refer to this syllabus frequently.
• Spend at least 10 hours per week on assignments (more, depending on your prerequisite
background).
• Study regularly (5-6 days per week) rather than ‘cram.’
Study Class Complete Textbook Complete On-Line
• (Read Class Notes) → ( )→ ( )→( )
and Textbook Notes Assignments Assignments

Model Your Write-Up of Each Solution

( . . . Step by Step . . . )
on the Solutions in the Class Notes
• Take advantage of the supplementary materials available throughout BrightSpace.
• Visit http://www.howtostudy.com.
• Visit my office hours.
• Visit the LAC.

Virtual Availability

My virtual availability is limited to e-mail. However, I cannot effectively do analysis or explain

complicated mathematical principles through e-mail. For outside-of-class help, join me during
office hours or frequent the LAC (including their availability over Zoom).

Web Enhancements
 BrightSpace is a website that manages on-line and web-enhanced courses. Access it from the
drop-down menu on the College’s webpage (http://www.hvcc.edu). On BrightSpace you will
find announcements, assignments, handouts, interactive applets, links, and more. You will
check the ANNOUNCEMENTS, the CALENDAR, and the NOTIFICATIONS daily.

INSTITUTIONAL MESSAGES

IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC, THE C OLLEGE WILL OFFER COURSES IN THREE MODALITIES
THIS SEMESTER:

• REMOTE (SYNCHRONOUS) CLASSES WILL RUN LIVE AT REGULARLY- SCHEDULED MEETING TIMES .
• ON-LINE (ASCYNCHRONOUS) CLASSES HAVE ASSIGNMENTS , CLASS NOTES, LESSONS, VIDEOS,
AND OTHER MATERIALS POSTED THROUGH BRIGHTSPACE . STUDENTS ACCESS AND LEARN FROM THE
POSTED MATERIALS AS THEIR OWN SCHEDULES PERMIT, MEETING DEADLINES AND SATISFYING OTHER
REQUIREMENTS SET BY THE PROFESSOR.

THE MODALITY OF A COURSE COULD CHANGE AT ANY TIME IN RESPONSE TO (I) STATE OR SUNY
MANDATES OR (II) A POSITIVE TEST FOR COVID-19 AMONG THE STUDENTS OR THE PROFESSOR. IN THE
EVENT OF A POSITIVE TEST, THE FOLLOWING COULD OCCUR:

• AN IN-PERSON CLASS COULD CHANGE TO ON-LINE OR REMOTE FOR 48 HOURS OR MORE , IF A STUDENT
OR THE PROFESSOR TESTS POSITIVE .
• A REMOTE CLASS COULD CHANGE TO ON-LINE IF A PROFESSOR TESTS POSITIVE AND IS UNABLE TO
TEACH LIVE . THIS COULD ENABLE THE PROFESSOR OR A SUBSTITUTE TO CONTINUE TEACHING THE
COURSE .

THE C OLLEGE WILL DO ITS BEST TO MAINTAIN COURSE CONTENT AND DELIVERY THROUGHOUT THE
SEMESTER. PLEASE ASSIST US BY BEING SAFE. IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING ANY SYMPTOMS OF COVID-
19, PLEASE REPORT THEM TO HEALTH SERVICES AND DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS .

ADA

IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990 AND WITH SECTION 504
OF THE R EHABILITATION ACT, H UDSON VALLEY C OMMUNITY C OLLEGE (HVCC) IS COMMITTED TO
ENSURING EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND ACCOMMODATIONS FOR ALL ITS REGISTERED STUDENTS
TO PARTICIPATE FULLY IN PROGRAMS AND COURSE ACTIVITIES OR TO MEET COURSE REQUIREMENTS .
HVCC'S STUDENTS WITH DOCUMENTED DISABILITIES AND MEDICAL CONDITIONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO
ACCESS THESE SERVICES BY REGISTERING WITH THE C ENTER FOR ACCESS AND ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY (CAAT) TO DISCUSS THEIR PARTICULAR NEEDS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS . FOR MORE
INFORMATION OR FOR AN APPOINTMENT, VISIT THE CAAT IN ROOM CTR 130 OF THE SIEK C AMPUS
C ENTER, OR EMAIL [email protected] OR CALL 518-629- 7154/TDD: 518-629-7596. ANOTHER
OFFICE THAT WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE CAAT, HELPING STUDENTS MANAGE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH
AND WELLNESS TO ACHIEVE THEIR ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL GOALS , IS C OUNSELING AND WELLNESS
SERVICES. TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH ONE THEIR COUNSELORS , VISIT ROOM CTR 260 IN
THE SIEK C AMPUS C ENTER, OR CALL 518- 629-7320 OR EMAIL [email protected].
 COPY OF INTRODUCTORY E-MAIL MESSAGE

Hello, everybody. Engage the course without delay. As early as the first day of the semester,
there is a lot of material for you to learn —notes to read/study and assignments to complete. In
addition, there is the learning curve that accompanies a new learning environment.

You will learn new material from posted class notes. There are also various supplements,
including links and (shareware) videos.

Allow me to set the scene: Picture yourself in a traditional, on -campus course. Suppose that
you miss a class. What do you do? You acquire a copy of the missed class notes and use
them to teach yourself the missed material. Well, that is essentially what you will do throughout
the semester for this course: You will operate as if you missed every class and have to teach
yourself from the class notes. Fortunately, the class notes for this course are extensive,
impeccable, thorough, posted in advance, and come complete with various supplements (such
as videos, applets, and other sources). Welcome to the world of asynchronous learning! Are
you a conscientious student? Are you interested in the material? Are you able to learn
complicated material independently? Affirmative responses indicate that you are a good
candidate for this learning environment.

What follows are housekeeping matters:

What are the rhythms of the course?

Every Friday, you will receive my weekly e-mail blast, including updates and reminders. In it I
shall also specify how far along you should be in the lessons/assignments. You will have
graded on-line assignments due by mid-night at the end of the day on Sundays and (possibly)
at the end of the day before a given unit exam.

Check BrightSpace—the announcements, the calendar, and the notifications—daily. Check

your HVCC e-mail daily.

For those who do not live in the HVCC region, note that all scheduled dates/times are EST.

You need to read, comprehend, heed, and act in accordance with all course correspondences.
Exceptional reading comprehension is imperative. This is especially true insofar as ours in an
asynchronous course. Our relationship is altogether constituted by e-correspondence! There
is no such thing as ‘small print’ in any of my course correspondences. Read carefully.

I look forward to getting to know you all and to helping you learn mathematics.

Welcome to HVCC's asynchronous online Calculus III!