1. Structure of Lectures and Recitation Classes
1.1 Lectures
The lecturer, Kenji Matsuki, meets at 1:30–2:20 PM in CL50 224 and delivers in-person lectures Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Attendance is taken using the iClicker, starting with Lesson 4 on Monday, August 31, and ending with Lesson 33 on Wednesday, December 2. The details of how the iClicker will be used toward attendance will be explained later.
A more detailed schedule of lectures and the contents of each lesson can be found in:
- the Assignment Sheet, and
- the Lecture Plan.
Links to supplemental lecture videos (recorded by Professor Matsuki) will be posted on Brightspace to help students understand the lectures better. However, watching the supplemental videos will not substitute for attending the lectures in person.
1.2 Recitation Classes
There is a Recitation Class every Thursday, administered by your own Recitation Instructor. In-person attendance at the Recitation Class is also required.
2. Information
All key information will be posted in the announcement of the file Fall 2026 MA 16500-300 LEC in Brightspace.
3. Schedule
The detailed schedule for lectures, homework, quizzes, and exams can be found in the Assignment Sheet, posted in the announcement of the file Fall 2026 MA 16500-300 LEC in Brightspace.
4. Textbook
The textbook for MA 165 in Fall 2026 is Calculus with Early Transcendentals by Briggs, et al., Pearson, 3rd edition. For more information on the textbook, see the Quick Student Guide to MyLabMath, also posted in the announcement of the file Fall 2026 MA 16500-300 LEC.
5. MyLabMath
It is essential that every student set up an account in MyLabMath, where all records—including homework, quizzes, exams, and lecture attendance—are kept throughout the semester.
Students should purchase an access code to MyLabMath. For details on how to buy an access code, see the Quick Student Guide to MyLabMath.
All questions and inquiries regarding MyLabMath should be directed to your Recitation Instructor, not to your lecturer (Matsuki).
5.1 Overriding Erroneous Computer Grading
If you believe the MyLabMath computer made an error grading your homework or quiz and did not recognize your correct answer as such, contact your Recitation Instructor, not your lecturer. Your instructor will review your answer and, if it is correct, override the computer grading. Any other inquiry about a MyLabMath homework or quiz assignment should also go to your Recitation Instructor first, not your lecturer.
6. Homework
6.1 Format
Homework is given as an assignment in MyLabMath, corresponding to each lecture.
6.2 Deadline
Usually the deadline to turn in a MyLabMath homework assignment is 11:59 PM on the day of the following lecture. For example, if the material of a homework assignment is discussed in the lecture given on Monday, the deadline for that homework is 11:59 PM on Wednesday of the same week, when the following lecture is given. Some difficult problems from the assignment may be picked up and discussed during lecture, if time permits. The specific deadline for each assignment can be found on MyLabMath. No extension of the deadline is allowed, except under special circumstances.
6.3 Score Dropping
The two lowest homework assignment scores will be dropped at the end of the semester.
6.4 Piazza Forum
A Piazza Forum will be set up where students can post questions regarding homework, starting in the second week of the semester. Details about the Piazza Forum will be announced later.
7. Quiz
7.1 Format
Every Thursday, students work on a quiz given as an assignment in MyLabMath and submit their work online. The material covered in each quiz can be found in the Assignment Sheet. Your Recitation Instructor (TA) will help you with the quiz during the in-person recitation class.
The actual time allowed to work on the quiz is 120 minutes. Students have an infinite number of attempts allowed on a quiz; however, every time you renew your attempt, all previously submitted answers are erased, and you must start from scratch.
Physical attendance at the Recitation Class is required and will be taken. If you do not attend the Recitation Class, the score of the quiz you submit online will be brought down to 0 manually by your Recitation Instructor.
7.2 Collaborative Nature of the Quiz
The quiz is not a test. Students are encouraged to discuss the quiz problems with peers and with their Recitation Instructor.
7.3 Deadline
The deadline to submit quiz work is 11:59 PM on the Sunday following the Recitation Class (Thursday).
7.4 Score Dropping
The one lowest quiz score will be dropped at the end of the semester.
7.5 No Piazza Forum for Quizzes
Students should not use the Piazza Forum to post questions about quiz problems.
8. Exam
8.1 Midterms
There will be three midterm exams, each one hour long. The specific date of each midterm can be found in the Assignment Sheet.
8.2 Final Exam
The date and place of the Final Exam will be announced as the time gets closer.
8.3 Study Guide
For each exam, a Study Guide with Example Problems will be provided. Most problems on the actual exam will be drawn from the Example Problems, possibly with different wording, numbers, and modifications.
9. Office Hour
Professor Matsuki will hold office hours (help session) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, right after lecture, from 2:30–3:20 PM in UNIV 207.
10. Grading Scheme
10.1 Total Score and Weights
The course grade will be determined by the Total Score, calculated using the following weights.
| Category | Points |
|---|---|
| Lecture Attendance | 30 |
| Homework | 200 |
| Quizzes | 100 |
| 3 Midterm Exams (3 × 100) | 300 |
| Final Exam | 200 |
| Total Score | 830 |
There are 33 MyLabMath homework assignments (the two lowest of which will be dropped) and 11 quizzes (the lowest of which will be dropped) to be graded. The scores will be rescaled to fit the weights announced above.
To make the MyLabMath score display time-sensitive, each homework assignment would ideally be worth 200 / (33 − 2) = 6.45 points. However, the MyLabMath computer does not accept decimals, so each assignment is instead assigned either 6 or 7 integer points. As a result, the total score of the homework category at the end of the semester may appear slightly above 200 (it will never be below 200). Students should consider these extra points a bonus in their favor.
10.2 Cut-Off Points
Letter grades will be determined according to the following cut-off points.
| Letter Grade | Score Range |
|---|---|
| A+ | 790–830 |
| A | 750–789 |
| A− | 720–749 |
| B+ | 690–719 |
| B | 660–689 |
| B− | 630–659 |
| C+ | 600–629 |
| C | 570–599 |
| C− | 540–569 |
| D+ | 510–539 |
| D | 480–509 |
| F | 479 or below |
If, at the end of the semester, the distribution of letter grades is far off from the traditional distribution, the cut-off points above may be lowered. The cut-off points will never be raised.
The MyLabMath score display is designed to exclude past-due assignments from the calculation by default, while their scores will be counted as zero at the end of the semester. Instructors will try to manually adjust past-due assignment scores to zero partway through the semester. However, if you have many past-due assignments, your displayed MyLabMath score may be deceptively higher than your actual score.
11. Late Registration and/or Transfer
If you have not yet registered for the course but intend to, ask the TA of the section you are attending to set up a MyLabMath account for you, and begin submitting assignments. There is a two-week trial period for the MyLabMath account; after that, you will need to pay the nonrefundable access fee.
If you want to transfer from one section to another, you must ask permission from the lecturer and notify the TAs of both the old section and the new section of your transfer.
12. Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities
Purdue University strives to make learning experiences accessible to all participants. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability, you are welcome to let your instructors know so that options can be discussed. You are also encouraged to contact the Disability Resource Center by email at drc@purdue.edu or by phone at 765-494-1247.
If you have already been certified for academic adjustments by the Disability Resource Center (DRC), or are awaiting certification, follow the procedures below for your mathematics course.
Share your Course Accommodation Letter (CAL) with your instructor(s). Instructions for doing this can be found at purdue.edu/drc/students/course-accommodation-letter.php.
For all in-class accommodations, see your instructor before class, after class, or during office hours to discuss your accommodations for the current semester.
For all exam-related accommodations, Stephanie Foster will email your Purdue email account within the first two weeks of class with instructions on how to schedule your accommodated math exams. If you do not receive an email after two weeks, first search your email for “foster80”, as it may have gone to your spam folder. If you still do not have an email from Mrs. Foster, contact her directly at foster80@purdue.edu. Math exams will be administered by either the Department of Mathematics or Purdue Testing Services, depending on the type of accommodation required.
The Attendance Flexibility Plan allows a certified student to be excused for up to six (6) disability-related absences, including lectures and Recitation classes together, during the semester.
13. Important Dates
To find important dates for the semester, visit purdue.edu/registrar/calendars.
14. Math Resource Room
Students are encouraged to use the Math Resource Room (MRR) for help. Details on the MRR’s place and time will be announced later.
15. The Use of AI
- Students may use AI while working on homework and/or quiz assignments, as long as its use is to enhance the student’s learning and not to copy the AI’s answers directly. Students should make sure they can solve each problem even without the help of AI, after understanding the problem and the concepts behind it.
- Students may use a calculator while working on homework and quiz assignments.
No calculator or AI is allowed at the time of the exam.