MATH0310/1314 Syllabus

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course Title: Integrated Intermediate/College Algebra

Course Prefix & Number:

MATH 0310/1314

Section Number:  320

Semester: Spring 2018

Semester Credit Hours: 6

Lecture Hours: 96

Lab Hours: 0

Course Description for Math 0310 (NCTC Catalog):

Concepts instructed in this course are algebraic including polynomials and rational expressions, linear expressions and inequalities, exponents and radicals, absolute value equations and inequalities, factoring, and quadratic equations and graphs.

This course does not count toward graduation at NCTC.

Course Description for Math 1314 (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): Pass Math 0305 with a “C” or better, or earn satisfactory TSI Assessment placement score, or earn satisfactory placement score on another approved assessment.

Required or Recommended Course Materials:

Required:

MyMathLab Access Code

Current email address (default email address is Lion Pride)

Non-graphing Scientific Calculators (TI-30XIIS highly recommended)

*** NO GRAPHING CALCULATORS NOR CELL PHONE CALCULATORS ALLOWED – ONLY SCIENTIFIC CALCULATORS ALLOWED. ***

 

Recommended:

Blitzer: College Algebra with Integrated Review, Pearson, 7th ed.

 (**e-textbook is included with the MyLabsPlus  Access Code)

Headphones (for online lectures and webcasts)

Notebook for class handouts, notes, etc.

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:

Dr. Elizabeth Howell

Campus/Office Location:

Corinth  COR 236

Office Hours:

Mon – Fri  10 am – 12 pm

(*unless in a meeting - please let me know if you plan to come by)

Additional times by appointment

Telephone Number:

940-498-6209

E-mail Address:

ehowell@nctc.edu **best way to reach me!

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements

Graded Course Elements

Percentage or Point Values

Approx. 35

Homework

10%

10-11

Quizzes

10%

4

Tests

60%

1

Final Exam

20%

Grade Scale for Math 0310:   90 – 100% = A;   80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C;     Below 70% = F

Grade Scale for Math 1314: 90 – 100% = A;   80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C; 60 – 69% = D    Below 60% = F

*No late homework will be accepted, and no individual make-up exams will be given. 

*The two lowest quiz grades will be dropped at the end of the semester.

*The final examination will be a comprehensive college algebra exam and is required of all students.  The final exam may replace a low or missing test grade. Students who do not complete the course with at least a 70% may be required take a comprehensive intermediate algebra exam to determine their grade in Math 0310. 

*Any student who accumulates in excess of 2 weeks of absence in the class may be dropped. 

*The grading policy may be amended during the semester at the instructor’s discretion.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES MATH0310

 

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.

Define, represent, and perform operations on real and complex numbers.

2.

Recognize, understand, and analyze features of a function.

3.

Recognize and use algebraic (field) properties, concepts, procedures (including factoring), and algorithms to combine, transform, and evaluate absolute value, polynomial, radical, and rational expressions.

4.

Identify and solve absolute value, polynomial, radical, and rational equations.

5.

Identify and solve absolute value and linear inequalities.

6.

Model, interpret and justify mathematical ideas and concepts using multiple representations.

7.

Connect and use multiple strands of mathematics in situations and problems, as well as in the study of other disciplines.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES MATH 1314

 

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.

Demonstrate and apply knowledge of properties of functions, which include 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.

 

STUDENT EMAIL

All students at NCTC are assigned a student email address, also known as Lion Pride email. Lion Pride email can be accessed on the NCTC home page by clicking on MyNCTC, then the link “Lion Pride Email” to the left. After clicking the Lion Pride Email link, the Microsoft Office 365 window will open.
1. Enter your NCTC student e-mail address. (for example, Smithj123456@student.nctc.edu)

  1. Enter your password (your NCTC Student ID Number, either 7 or 9 numbers).
  2. From the list of Microsoft icons, choose MAIL.
  3. You will be asked to set your language and local time zone (Central Time). Your account is now activated.

 

**It is the student’s responsibility to activate and regularly monitor the assigned NCTC (Lion Pride) e-mail account. Important announcements and notifications from the Admissions office, Financial Aid, or other college staff will be sent via the Lion Pride student email system.

 

For communicating with classmates and instructors, students also have an option to communicate through Canvas. Canvas messaging is NOT the same as Lion Pride e-mail. Failure to read and/or receive NCTC e-mails (either in Lion Pride or in Canvas) is no excuse for not complying with the College Prep Attendance Policy or any other school policies. Be sure to regularly check BOTH the Lion Pride email as well as the Canvas inbox for important messages and information.

 

TSI COMPLIANCE

At North Central Texas College, students who test but do not meet the passing scores in ALL sections of the TSI Assessment or any other THECB approved testing measurements are required by state law to obtain TSI advising and continuously enroll in a formal college preparatory studies (developmental) program every semester until all TSI requirements are satisfied. TSI program attendance is MANDATORY. Non-compliance with the rules of attendance will result in a student being WITHDRAWN from the college preparatory and college-level math courses and possibly being placed on academic hold at North Central Texas College. Withdrawals are subject to college policies as set forth in the college catalog.

 

ATTENDANCE POLICY

Regular and punctual attendance is expected of all students in all College Prep classes for which they have registered. There are NO excused absences.  Faculty teaching College Preparatory courses will notify students of absences on a regular basis and one courtesy warning e-mail notification will be sent to the students’ current NCTC student e-mail address (Lion Pride email and/or Canvas email) when the student accrues 1 week absence (not necessarily consecutive days) in a course. Please check your NCTC student email (Lion Pride) frequently to ensure that you are receiving notifications from the college and from your instructors. Some faculty may send notifications in Canvas as well. Failure to read and/or receive NCTC e-mail (Lion Pride) is no excuse for not complying with the Attendance Policy. It is the student's responsibility to maintain correct and current e-mail and local and permanent addresses with the college.

 

After a student has been absent from class 2 weeks (not necessarily consecutive days), the student may be dropped. A student dropped from a College Prep course will also be dropped from the co-requisite credit math course. After a student receives an F/W in the same College Prep course twice, the student will receive an academic hold so that the student is blocked from enrolling in any other course except the required College Prep courses in the subsequent semester. This hold will be enforced even in summer.

 

Inform the instructor in writing during the first week of class of any religious holidays observed this semester. Documentation must be given to the instructor at the class following the holiday.

 

HOMEWORK, QUIZZES, AND TESTS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

All homework and quizzes will be completed online in MyMathLab (MML). You will need an access code that can be purchased in the bookstore or online after you log into MyMathLab. Read the announcements in Canvas for all instructions. The TSI Form/Attendance Policy Notification must be ‘signed’ and submitted no later than January 22, 2018.

 

Learning New Content:

You are expected to watch all section video presentations in the MyMathLab classroom. These videos can be accessed from the Chapter Contents menu or in the assignments list in MML. This takes the place of going to class in a traditional course. If you do not have a high-speed Internet connection, it may be difficult to view the videos. The videos contain instruction on each objective that is to be covered in the course. If you don’t watch the videos it is equivalent to not coming to class, and will make the HW difficult to complete. There is also a power point presentation for each section within MML.

 

In addition to the videos, your instructor will hold 1 or 2 webcasts each week to give an overview of the material you will be learning that week. The webcasts will be held in Canvas in the Conferences tab of the course. If you miss a live webcast, you can watch the recording in Conferences for 14 days.

 

Homework:

All due dates are listed in MML. You can complete the assignments until 11:59 pm of the due date listed. The homework may be attempted multiple times in order to increase your homework grade.

 

Quizzes:

Weekly quizzes will be due.  All due dates are listed in MML.  Quizzes may be attempted three times, and each quiz attempt has a time limit.  Only the highest score will be counted. Students should attempt the quiz multiple times in order to be prepared for the unit test. At the end of the semester, the lowest two quiz grades will be dropped.

 

Tests:

Four unit tests are scheduled during the semester and a comprehensive final exam. Make sure to follow the deadline dates listed in MML, and watch for the test announcements.  The tests will be given in a proctored setting. Students can take a test in the campus testing centers, or on the designated test dates on the Corinth campus. You will have only one attempt. Each test will have a time limit of 60-80 minutes. Students will be allowed to use a non-graphing calculator on the tests. No make-up exams will be given, but the final exam can replace your lowest test grade.

 

The final exam will be comprehensive and is required of all students. The final exam will also be given in a proctored setting. The final exam may be used to replace your lowest regular exam grade. The final exam must be completed by Sat May 5th.  No exceptions.

 

The test dates for this semester are listed below:

Exam #1 – week 4 - Saturday Feb 10

Exam #2 – week 8 - Saturday March 10 (Sat at the start of Spring Break)

Exam #3 – week 11 – Saturday April 7

Exam #4 – week 14 – Saturday April 28

FINAL EXAM – week 15 – Saturday May 5

 

**If you are unable to take a test on the Corinth campus on the above dates, you are welcome to take a test in a campus Testing Center that is closer to you or in an alternate proctored setting. The dates above are the LAST DAY to take the test, so any Testing Center or alternate testing must happen prior to the dates listed for each unit test. Please contact me ASAP if you have concerns about the testing dates.

 Testing times are scheduled by availability, so please plan accordingly.  Students will be allowed to use a non-graphing calculator on the tests. No make-up exams will be given, but the final exam can replace your lowest test grade.

 

Gradebook:

The gradebooks in MML and in Canvas keep a running average of your grade. I will review all quizzes in order to assign partial credit where possible.  (*I look for answers that are technically correct, but have not been submitted in ‘good form’. An example would be an answer of 14/16 that has not been simplified to 7/8. Your answers will be more complicated than this example, but you get the idea that I will be looking for answers that are technically correct.) I will NOT review HW answers because you have unlimited attempts for each problem. 

 

CLASS RULES

  1. Regular participation and attendance is VERY IMPORTANT in this class! You are enrolling in a SIX HOUR math course, so expect to work on your Math work very frequently. Waiting to work on one day at the end of the week would be disastrous for this six hour course!! Assignments will be broken up into two units each week. Failure to complete work in each unit will result in an absence – see below.
  2. An absence in this online course is defined as the following:

Our typical ‘week’ will be broken into two units: Sunday to Wednesday, and Wednesday to Saturday. (The first week is a little different, since the first day of class is Tuesday January 16.)  All assignments for the week will typically open on Sunday, and the first unit homework section(s) will close on Wednesday. The second unit homework section(s) will close on Friday, and the weekly quiz closes on Saturday.

  1. You must log in and complete required assignments at least once every unit (so at least twice a week) or you will be considered absent for the unit and/or week. Optional activities such as study plan, or videos do not satisfy the attendance requirement. To be counted present, you must log in and complete at least ONE graded assignment per unit (e.g., homework, quiz, practice test, or test) with a score greater than 50%. If needed, seek help so that you can re-take quizzes or re-try homework in order to get your grade up.
  2. To be clear: from the first day of the semester, even if you are ahead of the due dates, you must log in at least twice every week and work on assignments until you have completed all the assignments and taken the final.
  3. Please do not ask me to extend the due dates. Work ahead on the assignments instead (remember… if something can go wrong, it will).
  4. If you live close to one of the NCTC campuses, you are welcome to visit the on campus Math Lab during their posted hours for additional help.
  5. You are welcome to come to my office during my posted hours. We can talk by phone if necessary. The best way to contact me is via email, ehowell@nctc.edu.

 

 

TENTATIVE  SCHEDULE

The schedule posted in Canvas is tentative and may change slightly as the semester progresses.  It is provided so that you have a general idea of the order and speed with which we will be covering the material.

 

LAST DAY TO WITHDRAW

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Thursday, April 5, 2018.

 

 

MATH LAB

Students who need help with any math class can visit the NCTC Mathematics Lab to receive assistance. No appointments are necessary. See the most current tutoring hours for all five campuses at http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/student-success/tutoring/mathematics-lab.html.

 

TIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE BASED ON TUTOR AVAILABILITY:

GAINESVILLE – 1403 (Library)

CORINTH – 182

FLOWER MOUND - 111

Mon & Thurs

9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Mon through Thurs

9:00 am – 6:00 pm

Mon & Wed

9:00 am – 3:00 pm

Tues & Wed

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISABILITY SERVICES (OSD)

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.

 

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

 

Name of Chair/Coordinator:

Elizabeth Howell

Office Location:

Corinth 236

Telephone Number:

940.498.6209

E-mail Address:

ehowell@nctc.edu

Name of 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: 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.

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