|
|
|
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
|
|
|
|
Course Title:
|
College Algebra
|
|
Course Prefix & Number:
|
MATH1314
|
Section Number: 104
|
|
Semester/Year:
|
Fall 2017
|
|
Semester Credit Hours:
|
3
|
Lecture Hours:
|
48
|
Lab Hours:
|
|
|
Course Description (NCTC Catalog): In-depth study and applications of polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions, and systems of equations using matrices. Additional topics such as sequences, series, probability, and conics may be included.
|
|
Course Prerequisite(s): Meet TSI college-readiness standard for College Algebra; or equivalent
|
|
Required or Recommended Course Materials:
Thinkwell College Algebra access (may be purchased directly via the Thinkwell content link in Canvas or through the NCTC bookstore)
Scientific calculator, TI-30X IIS is recommended
Graphing calculators and phone calculators will not be allowed on exams.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
|
Name of Instructor:
|
Sara Cooper
|
|
Campus/Office Location:
|
COR 207 MW GV 825 TR
|
|
Office Hours:
|
Online MW 10am-12, MW 3:30-4, 6-6:30 T 11-12:30, 2-2:30 in GV, 5-6:30 in COR, Thursday 11-12:30 and 2-5 in GV
|
|
Telephone Number:
|
940-498-6282 ext 6530
|
|
E-mail Address:
|
sacooper@nctc.edu
|
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (From Academic Course Guide Manual/Workforce Education Course Manual/NCTC Catalog
|
At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
|
|
1
|
Demonstrate and apply knowledge of properties of functions, including domain and range, operations, compositions, and inverses.
|
|
2
|
Recognize and apply polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions and solve related equations.
|
|
3
|
Apply graphing techniques.
|
|
4
|
Evaluate all roots of higher degree polynomial and rational functions.
|
|
5
|
Recognize, solve and apply systems of linear equations using matrices.
|
GRADING CRITERIA
|
# of Graded Course Elements
|
Graded Course Elements
|
Percentage or Point Values
|
|
33
|
Quizzes
|
20%
|
|
3
|
Exams
|
60%
|
|
1
|
Final Exam
|
20 %
|
|
|
|
|
Grade Scale: 90 – 100% = A; 80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C; 60 – 69% = D; Below 60% = F
Your grade will consist of 3 intra-semester exams, a comprehensive final exam, and graded quizzes. Each exam, the final exam, and your quiz average will be weighted as 20% of your grade. There will be no make-up exams or quizzes. If your final exam score is higher than the lowest of the 3 intra-semester exams, then the final exam score will replace the lowest of the 3 exam grades. In this case, the final exam score will be weighted 40% of your overall grade.
*The final exam is a departmental comprehensive algebra exam and must be taken by all students. The final exam may also be used to replace the lowest unit test grade.
Learning Procedures
After you’ve read through this entire syllabus and the other documents in the General Course Information module, click on the Thinkwell content link on the left hand navigation bar of our Canvas course site. Thinkwell is the publisher of the online text we will be using. The first time you do this, you’ll be asked to purchase access with a credit or debit card (cheapest option), enter an access code you’ve already purchased at the NCTC bookstore, or get temporary access for 14 days.
Once you’ve passed the purchasing part, expand the first chapter, Orientation and Getting Started Materials, by clicking on the triangle to the left of the chapter title. Once you have looked through all of the Orientation and Getting Started Materials, you are ready to start learning the course material.
Each chapter will expand to sections, each section expands to subsections, and each subsection expands to reveal the learning materials for that subsection (Book pages, Video Lesson, Video sample solutions, & Interactive Practice).
Even though this is a lecture course, some of you may find it helpful to watch each video lesson and do the interactive practice. Each video lesson is done by Professor Ed Burger, the author of the text, and averages about 7 minutes in length. The Interactive Practice consists of 1 – 4 problems that can be done unlimited times. These are not part of your grade, but will give you feedback as to whether or not you understand the material. The Book pages are just what they say – online text pages. You may find that you like reading through these in addition to watching the videos. The Video sample solutions are a handful of additional examples you can view for each subsection.
At the end of each section, you will find a Practice Quiz (Not for Grade) and Practice Book Exercises. Both of these are always available and may be done unlimited times. The Practice Quiz problems will change some on each attempt. The Practice Book Exercises are static – they never change. I recommend you attempt the Practice Quiz at the end of each section and read the solutions for feedback before you try the corresponding Graded Quiz for that section. See Graded Quiz Information & Procedures, further down in this document, for more details.
Graded Quiz Information & Procedures
There will be a graded online quiz for each section we cover. For example, your first quiz will be over section 2.1 Solving Linear Equations. All quizzes will be available from the first day of the semester, but must be done by the posted due date at 11:59 p.m. Students may work ahead as far as they like. Manage your time & schedule so that you can complete the quizzes ahead of time when necessary. There will be no make-up quizzes.
There is no limit on the number of times you can take each quiz prior to its due date. Each quiz will consist of approximately 10 – 15 questions. The entire quiz must be submitted all at once; however, each time you attempt a quiz, you’ll only have to rework the problems you missed on the previous attempt. You should definitely try to take each quiz until you get every problem correct. Since notes are not allowed when taking exams, you should work the quiz problems until you can do them without notes.
The links to the graded quizzes, along with the corresponding due dates, are all found under the Assignments link on the left hand navigation bar in our course Canvas site.
Exam Information & Procedures
The exams are not online. They are pencil & paper. You must bring to each exam: pencils, a scientific calculator (non-graphing). No notes of any kind will be allowed during exams.
COURSE SUBJECT OUTLINE (Major Assignments, Due Dates, and Grading Criteria)
|
Exam 1
|
September 28
|
|
|
Exam 2
|
October 26
|
|
|
Exam 3
|
November 16
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final Exam
|
December 14
|
|
|
|
|
|
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all classes for which they have registered. All absences are considered to be unauthorized unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies. It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval by the faculty member. Approved college-sponsored activities are also excused absences. The instructor is responsible for judging the validity of any reason given for an absence. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless the absence is documented and excused by the instructor. Student will be dropped from a class by the Registrar upon recommendation of the instructor who feels the student has been justifiably absent or tardy a sufficient number of times to preclude meeting the course’s objectives. Persistent, unjustified absences from classes or laboratories will be considered sufficient cause for College officials to drop a student from the rolls of the College. From Board Policy FC (LOCAL)
LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW
Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Thursday, November 9, 2017.
|
GAINESVILLE – 1403 (Library)
|
CORINTH – 186
|
FLOWER MOUND - 111
|
|
Mon
10:00 am – 5:00 pm
|
Mon through Thurs
9:00 am – 6:00 pm
|
Mon & Wed
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
|
|
Tues, Wed, Thurs
9:00 am – 5:00 pm
|
Fri 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
|
Tues & Thurs
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
|
|
Fri 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
|
Sat 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
|
Fri 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
|
|
Sunday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
|
|
|
|
DISABILITY SERVICES (Office for Students with Disabilities)
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students who have a documented disability. On the Corinth Campus, go to room 170 or call 940-498-6207. On the Gainesville Campus, go to room 110 or call 940-668-4209. Students on the Bowie, Graham, Flower Mound, and online campuses should call 940-498-6207.
North Central Texas College is committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, ADA Amendments Act of 2009, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-112). http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/disability-services.html.
CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)________
o Communication
x Mathematics
o Life and Physical Science
o Language, Philosophy & Culture
o Creative Arts
o American History
o Government/Political Science
o Social and Behavioral Sciences
o Component Area Option
REQUIRED CORE OBJECTIVES (For classes in the Core)
x Critical Thinking
x Communication
x Empirical and Quantitative
o Teamwork
o Personal Responsibility
o Social Responsibility
COURSE TYPE
o Academic General Education Course (from ACGM but not in NCTC Core)
x Academic NCTC Core Curriculum Course
o WECM Course
STUDENT HANDBOOK
Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. http://www.nctc.edu/catalog/North-Central-Texas-College-Student-Handbook/nctc-student-handbook.html.
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion. Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty. See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.
Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:
- Zero on the assignment
- Failing grade for the course
QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?
|
Division Chair :
|
Dr. Elizabeth Howell
|
|
Office Location:
|
Corinth 236
|
|
Telephone Number:
|
940-498-6209
|
|
E-mail Address:
|
ehowell@nctc.edu
|
|
Instructional Dean:
|
Sara Flusche
|
|
Office Location:
|
Gainesville 1306
|
|
Telephone Number:
|
940.668.3351
|
|
E-mail Address:
|
sflusche@nctc.edu
|
CAMPUS RESTRICTIONS
Tobacco-Free Campus: NCTC restricts the use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and smokeless tobacco, on campus property.
Campus Carry: Effective August 1, 2017, a license holder may carry a concealed handgun on or about the license holder's person while the license holder is on the campus of an institution of higher education or private or independent institution of higher education in this state. For more information, see the website at http://www.nctc.edu/police/campus-carry.html.