MATH 181 - Calculus I Syllabus 2026-08

Lecture: Monday + Wednesday 1:00pm–2:15pm HOS 384
Discussion: Fridays (see your schedule in MyUNLV for details)

Instructor: Dr. Tony Ferrar
Email: Anthony.Ferrar@unlv.edu
Office: TBE-A214
Office Hours:

• Mondays 11:00am–12:00pm (drop-in)
• Wednesdays 10:00am–11:00am (drop-in)
• Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays by appointment
  • Book an appointment with me: Schedule with Dr. Ferrar

Welcome & Course Overview

Welcome to Calculus at UNLV, Engineering Style. You worked hard to get into this section, and it wasn’t guaranteed—many students who wanted to take this class weren’t able to because space is limited. The fact that you’re here means you’ve secured a spot in a premium learning experience, designed especially for future engineers. We are thrilled you’re here!

This course is different from a typical math class:

• You won’t just listen to lectures—you’ll train like an engineer, working together to model, solve, and apply real problems.
• You’ll build not only math skills, but also the communication and teamwork skills that engineering careers demand.
• You’ll leave this course stronger, more confident, and better prepared for the challenges of upper-division engineering courses and the profession itself.

Your effort paid off in getting this spot. Now comes the responsibility: honor your opportunity. Don’t squander it by sitting back or coasting. If you’re here, you owe it to yourself—and to the students who wanted this seat but couldn’t take it—to be fully present, engaged, and serious about learning.

At the same time, know this: you are not alone. You have an amazing team—your peers, Peer Mentors, our GA, and me—committed to your growth. Together, we’ll push past “this is too big for me” to “I didn’t think I could do that… but I did.”

What You’ll Learn

This course is about more than getting through calculus. It’s about learning to think like an engineer. In engineering, problem-solving often moves through three roles:

• The Physicist builds the model, identifying the system and the governing principles.
• The Mathematician solves the model, using math tools to analyze how the system behaves.
• The Engineer uses the model, making design decisions and communicating results others can trust.

By the end of the semester, you will be able to:

• Build Models (Physicist role): Define systems and translate real-world situations into mathematical models.
• Solve Models (Mathematician role): Use calculus tools to analyze how outputs depend on inputs.
• Use Models (Engineer role): Interpret your solutions, make design decisions, and explain your reasoning in a way that others can trust.

Along the way, you’ll also strengthen essential engineering habits:

• Collaboration: Solve problems with peers the way engineering teams work in the field.
• Communication: Write up solutions clearly and professionally, using proper mathematical notation.
• Confidence: Tackle problems that seem intimidating at first, and leave each session surprised by how much stronger you’ve become.

Math Concepts vs. Engineering Applications

The table gives a selection of applications for the concepts you'll learn this semester. Keep in mind that this is just a small list of applications, and we will explore many during the course. Calculus is the math of engineering - we really do use this stuff every day at work!

16-Week Course Theme Schedule

• Week 1: Functions and Introduction to Limits
• Week 2: Algebraic Techniques for Limits and Asymptotes
• Week 3: Continuity and Special Limits
• Week 4: Rates of Change and Basic Differentiation Rules
• Week 5: Chain Rule and Advanced Differentiation Techniques
• Week 6: Midterm 1 Review and Related Rates
• Week 7: L'Hôpital's Rule and Critical Points / Extrema
• Week 8: Constrained Optimization of Geometry (Areas and Volumes)
• Week 9: Optimization of Motion (Distance/Time) and Curve Sketching
• Week 10: Numerical Methods and Vectors in 2D & 3D
• Week 11: Vector Operations, Applications, and Midterm 2 Review
• Week 12: Catch-Up / Holiday Recess
• Week 13: Antiderivatives and the Substitution Rule
• Week 14: Definite Integrals and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
• Week 15: Comprehensive Final Exam Review
• Week 16: Final Exam

Materials & Tools

To succeed in this course, you’ll need:

• Textbook: OpenStax Calculus Volume 1 (free online):
  • OpenStax Calculus Volume 1
• Homework System: Knewton Alta (required, adaptive and mastery-based)
• Worksheets: Provided online—print or use digitally with a tablet + stylus
• Calculator: Any standard scientific or graphing calculator allowed (see Exam Calculator Policy)
• Platforms:
  • Canvas: Announcements, official gradebook, 0-point audit quizzes
  • Knewton Alta: Homework, practice exams
  • Tony's Intertwingled Memex: Digital support portal, prerequisite guides, interactive concept maps
  • Discord: Public channels for homework help, study groups, and quick Q&A

TL;DR – How This Course Works

• Active, Engineering-Focused Learning: Each session, you will work in collaborative teams, solve real engineering problems, and build confidence—not just passively take notes.
• Graded Category Weights:
  • Exams (60%): 2 Midterms (15% each) + 1 Comprehensive Final Exam (30%).
  • Homework & Skill Practice (20%): Knewton Alta adaptive problem sets.
  • Technical Communication & Quality Control (15%): Bi-weekly Redline Audits and 1-Page Technical Memos.
  • Active Engagement (5%): In-class collaborative problem solving during 75-minute sessions.
• Built-In Flexibility & Safety Nets:
  • 7-Day Rolling Grace Period: 100% full credit is available up to 7 days past target deadlines on Knewton Alta—provided you start on time by logging a non-zero score before the original target deadline.
  • The 4-Hour Effort Rule: Earn 100% homework credit by reaching 70% mastery OR by investing 4 active work hours.
  • Retroactive Grade Replacement: Your Final Exam score replaces your lowest Midterm score at the end of the term if you complete all midterm exam corrections and maintain a non-zero score on $\ge 80\%$ of all semester homework sets.
  • Review Center "Buy Back": Log 8 active hours in the Knewton Test Review Center (4 hours per assignment) to replace up to 2 zero-score homework sets per unit with 100%, restoring retro-grading eligibility.
  • Automatic Drops: Canvas automatically drops your 2 lowest homework scores at the end of the semester.
• Tools: OpenStax Calculus (free), Knewton Alta, Canvas, Discord, Calculator, printed or tablet-loaded session handouts.
• Keys to Success: Show up prepared, focus on problem-solving processes rather than just final answers, guard your study time ($8\text{--}12$ hours/week), leverage support early, and own your seat—you earned it.

Grading & Assessments

Course grades are calculated using a transparent weighted average across four categories. There are no opaque point curves or hidden criteria—you have complete agency over your standing at all times.

Final Grade Scale

Final course percentages are calculated by rounding to the nearest whole integer using standard mathematical rules: values with a decimal component of $0.5$ or higher round up to the next whole percentage point (e.g., an $89.5\%$ rounds up to $90\%$, earning an A), while values below $0.5$ round down (e.g., an $89.4\%$ rounds down to $89\%$, earning a B+).

The Safety Net: Retroactive Midterm Grade Replacement

We recognize that adjusting to the rigor of college engineering calculus takes time, and early stumbles should not lock you into a mathematical failure pipeline.

Your Final Exam score will replace your lowest Midterm Exam score at the end of the semester if you fulfill two engagement requirements across the term:

1. 80% Global Homework Attempt Rate: You must have submitted a partial attempt (earning a score greater than 0%) on at least 80% of all assigned Knewton Alta homework sets across the entire semester.
2. Complete All Exam Corrections: You must complete structured post-exam redline correction sheets for both Midterm 1 and Midterm 2 and verify them during a brief TA or instructor check-in.

Self-Auditing: A 0-point, unlimited-attempt Canvas Audit Quiz is available all semester so you can verify your retro-grading eligibility independently at any time without asking permission.

Homework Mechanics & Flexibility

Homework is completed through Knewton Alta, an adaptive platform that adjusts to your learning pace. Homework is officially due every Wednesday and Friday before class (target due date).

Built-In Flexibility Rules

• 7-Day Rolling Grace Period: Knewton Alta automatically allows late completion for 100% full credit up to 7 days past the target deadline—provided you start on time by logging a non-zero score before the target deadline. Starting on time proves engagement; the 7-day flex gives you operational breathing room.
• The 4-Hour Effort Option: If an assignment proves exceptionally challenging due to prerequisite gaps, logging 4 active hours on the assignment earns 100% full credit regardless of your mastery percentage. Simply submit the short 4-Hour Time Form in Canvas for a TA override.
• Canvas Automatic Drops: Canvas automatically drops your 2 lowest homework scores at the end of the term to absorb acute personal or family emergencies.

Technical Communication & Quality Control (15%)

In professional practice, solving a mathematical model is only half the job; communicating results cleanly and auditing calculations for errors is safety-critical engineering work.

• Bi-Weekly Redline Audits: You will evaluate, redline, and correct flawed calculation sets using standard engineering quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) markup conventions.
• 1-Page Technical Memos: Short writing deliverables that connect abstract calculus derivations directly to real-world engineering constraints, design trade-offs, and physical safety limits.

Active Engagement & Preparation (5%)

Engineering is a team discipline. You earn active engagement credit by showing up ready to collaborate during our 75-minute sessions.

• Arriving Prepared: Arrive on time with the day's session handouts printed or loaded on a tablet ready to work. This signals respect for your team and ensures class time is spent solving problems rather than searching for materials.
• Active Group Flow: Actively collaborate, ask questions, and contribute to group problem-solving blocks.

AI Policy & Professional Integrity

AI tools are transforming engineering. Learning how to leverage them responsibly to build skill—rather than outsource thinking—is part of your modern professional training.

• Homework: Use any tool (AI, tutors, peer groups, videos) that aids your understanding.
  • Recommended Study Strategy: Start assignments "anything goes" with full support, but close out assignments by trying to solve a few problems in an exam format (no tools, closed notes) as a personal test of your true mastery.
• Redline Audits & Technical Memos: For Redline Audits, you will:
  1. Perform the initial redline and quality check yourself.
  2. Run the problem through an AI tool to see what errors it identifies.
  3. Compare the differences in a short reflection to build the skill of reviewing AI output.
  • Goal: Develop your professional capability to audit AI results rather than blindly trusting them. AI-generated text or outsourced manual write-ups are strictly prohibited.
• Exams: Closed-book, closed-notes, paper-and-pencil. The only digital tools allowed on exams are approved scientific or graphing calculators (see the Exam Calculator Policy). Zero internet or AI tools allowed.
• Reflecting on AI Use: Because Knewton Alta does not have a text entry field for citations, your bi-weekly Redline Audits will include short reflection questions about your overall study strategies, including how you leveraged AI tools over the preceding two weeks.

Time Commitment & Pacing Strategy ($2\text{--}3$ Hours/Credit Rule)

UNLV expects 2–3 hours of study per week outside of class for every credit hour. For a 4-credit course, this equals 8–12 hours of weekly study time.

Recommended Weekly Pacing

• Ideal Schedule: Dedicate 4 hours on Mon/Tue (for Wednesday's target deadline) and 4 hours on Wed/Thu (for Friday's target deadline). Remember that homework MUST be started (logging a non-zero score) before the target deadline just before class. Use the 7-day flex window to refactor this baseline around work shifts or family duties.
• The "Midpoint Check" Efficiency Protocol: When working on an assignment, stop after 2 hours (half the allotted time) and ask yourself: "Am I roughly halfway done?"
  • If YES: Keep going! You are on pace.
  • If NO: PAUSE IMMEDIATELY. Do not continue banging your head against the wall solo. Save your progress, log your time, and reach out for help on Discord, visit office hours, or see a tutor.

You will never impress me by saying "I stayed up all night alone and suffered through it." You will impress me by saying "I worked 2 hours, realized I was stuck, used Discord or office hours, and finished efficiently." Learning efficiently is a professional engineering skill.

Support & Resources: The "Many-on-Many" Network

Seeking support is a mark of professional efficiency, not academic weakness. We have built a robust support network so you never have to struggle in isolation.

1. Discord Server (#1 Best Place to Start)

Our class Discord server is your primary hub for homework help, study group coordination, and quick questions.

• Why Discord First? Emailing or asking an instructor individually creates a many-on-one bottleneck (many students asking one professor). Posting on Discord turns that bottleneck into a many-on-many solution hub: your classmates, Peer Mentors, Graduate TAs, and Dr. Ferrar are all monitoring channels and typically respond far faster than an email inbox allows.
• Important Note on Discord DMs: Sending Dr. Ferrar a direct message (DM) on Discord is functionally identical to sending an email—it returns us to the many-on-one bottleneck. Dr. Ferrar checks Discord DMs very infrequently. Please do not DM Dr. Ferrar about course content or important administrative matters; post in public channels for course questions or send an official email for private matters.
• Community Conduct & Campus Standards: Discord is an official extension of our university classroom. All UNLV Student Conduct policies, academic integrity standards, and general "be a good person" rules apply here just as they do on our physical campus. Disrespectful behavior, harassment, or cheating on Discord will be reported directly to the Office of Student Conduct.

2. The Teaching Team

• Instructor Office Hours: Drop-in sessions (Mondays 1:00pm–2:00pm, Wednesdays 10:00am–11:00am in TBE-A214) or by appointment.
• Peer Mentors: Paid undergraduate TAs who have excelled in this course. They support active learning in class, hold dedicated office hours, and answer questions on Discord.
• Graduate Assistant (GA): Facilitates Friday Discussion sessions, leads prerequisite refreshers, and assists with technical memo grading.

3. Email Communication Policy & Emergency Grace

• Use official email strictly for private, personal matters (DRC accommodation letters, confidential health matters) or true emergencies.
• Standard Response Window: Expect up to 24 hours for a response on weekdays (Mon–Fri). Email is not monitored on nights or weekends. Emailing about a last-minute homework question right before a deadline is a poor strategy—use Discord instead!

4. Campus Resources

• Tony's Intertwingled Memex: Digital support portal with prerequisite guides and interactive concept maps.
• UNLV Engineering Tutoring & Library Tutoring: Free peer-tutoring resources across campus.
• Disability Resource Center (DRC) & Student Wellness Center: Academic accommodation and health services.

Academic Integrity & Professional Character

Academic integrity isn’t just about rules—it’s about fairness, character, and respect. When you choose honesty in your work, you’re not only protecting your own growth, you’re also protecting the value of your classmates’ effort. Cheating doesn’t just give someone an unfair advantage; it actively disadvantages others. Dishonesty erodes trust—in yourself, in your degree, and in the profession you’re preparing to join.

Engineers are trusted with bridges, circuits, medical devices, and systems people’s lives depend on. The habits you form now carry forward into that responsibility. Integrity in your studies is practice for integrity in your career. I want you to be proud of your work—not just because you got the answer right, but because you know you earned it.

Academic integrity is about professional character. It’s about being the kind of engineer people can trust.

Why Integrity Matters:

• Builds pride and self-esteem—you earned your skills.
• Ensures fairness—cheating disadvantages those without privilege and reinforces harmful stereotypes.
• Prepares you for real engineering—where dishonesty has safety-critical real-world consequences.

Specific Integrity Policies:

• Homework: Collaborate freely, but make sure you can solve problems independently. Use classmates like you’d use AI—as tools to build your skill, not replace it.
• Exams: Closed-book, closed-notes, paper-and-pencil. Calculators allowed with restrictions. Any detected dishonesty must be reported to Student Conduct. Please don’t put me in that position—I’m here to inspire, not police.
• Collaboration vs. Copying: Collaboration = learning together. Copying = pretending someone else’s work is yours. One builds you up, the other tears you down.

University Policies

• For Students: https://www.unlv.edu/policies/students
• For Instructors: https://www.unlv.edu/policies/instructors

🤖 AI Attribution Statement: This syllabus was developed with AI assistance to organize complex policies and refine formatting. All course design choices, grading structures, and educational philosophies are original and rooted in Dr. Ferrar's teaching practice.