NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE (Gainesville) COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Title:		College Algebra
Course Prefix & Number:			MATH1314	Section Number:	104	Semester/Year:	Fall 2019
Semester Credit Hours:			3	Lecture Hours:	48	Class Time:	TR 12:30-1:50pm
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: College Algebra, Lial/Hornsby/Schneider/Daniels, 12th edition, Pearson, 2017 [Recommended] MyMathLab (MML) Access Code – There is a copy of the e-text included. [Required] A scientific (NON-GRAPHING) calculator will be required for this course. The TI-30X IIS is the recommended calculator. NOTE: Phone calculators and graphing calculators will NOT be allowed on exams.

 

 

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Jason Rutledge
Campus/Office Location:	Gainesville – Room: 825 Corinth – Room: 206
Office Hours:	MW in Corinth: 1 – 2pm and 4:30 – 5pm W in Corinth: 6 – 6:30pm and 9:30 – 10pm TR in Gainesville: 9 – 9:30am and 11 – 12:30pm R online: 8 – 10pm Or by Appointment (Email the instructor for flexible days and times)
Telephone Number:	(940) 498 – 6286 [Corinth Office]
E-mail Address:	jrutledge@nctc.edu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRADING CRITERIA

 

MML Quizzes: (20% of Overall Average)*

All of the quizzes are done online using MyMathLab (MML), which can be accessed through Canvas. You will be able to attempt each quiz at most 5 times before the due date and time. Each attempt must be completed in one sitting. (So plan ahead and make sure you have enough time to complete that quiz before you begin.)

 

Tests and the Final Exam: (80% of Overall Average)**

There will be 3 tests and a comprehensive Final Exam. Each test is worth 20% of your overall average and the Final will also be worth 20%, for a grand total of 80%. You want to make sure you are super ready for each test. NO MAKE-UP TESTS. Tests will be administered in class and you will be allowed pen/pencil, scratch paper (supplied by the instructor) and an appropriate calculator (when authorized by the instructor). You will be given an hour and 20 minutes for each test and 2 hours for the Final Exam on the following dates:

 

Test #1 – Tuesday, September 24^th – Chapter 1

Test #2 – Tuesday, October 15^th – Chapter 2

Test #3 – Tuesday, November 5^th – Chapter 3

Final Exam – Thursday, December 12^th from 12:30 – 2:20pm – Comprehensive

 

Homework (NOT FOR A GRADE)

The online homework is not a graded component of this course. However, choosing not to do them will GREATLY increase your chances of failing the course. The homework assignments are not designed to be fully completed for every section. (Basically, there are a lot of problems. Hopefully, more than you will need to master the material.) In my very humble opinion, if you are looking to make a 100 on every homework that will be a tough goal to attain. Instead, use these as practice to better understand the material and a source to ask questions for clarification. Quality is better than quantity.

 

Online Homework: A limitation of MML is that the final answer is all that matters. As you will soon learn, on my tests the work that supports that final answer is FAR more important. (To be honest, on the tests I am far less concerned with whether or not your final answer is right or wrong. How well does the work you supply support that response?)

 

Offline Homework: There is a list of problems from the book given in Canvas. This can be a great place to reinforce the online materials. Since on the tests the work you supply is more important than the answers you find, this is a great place to get some practice.

 

*The lowest five (5) quiz grades will be dropped from the calculations of the final grade.

**The final exam is a comprehensive exam and must be taken by all students. The final exam may also be used to replace the lowest intrasemester test grade. 

 

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

 

 

 

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.

 

 

Tentative Schedule

The following is a list of the projected material to be covered on that day. There may be some movement of content on these various days depending on the pace of the course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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)

2. Enter your password (your NCTC Student ID Number, either 7 or 9 numbers).

3. From the list of Microsoft icons, choose MAIL.

4. 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 any school policy. Be sure to regularly check BOTH the Lion Pride email as well as the Canvas inbox for important messages and information.

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 from a 16-week course with a “W” is Friday, November 1, 2019.

 

 

 

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: Corinth Math Lab – 186 All other campuses Monday – Thursday          8:30 am – 6:30 pm Check the Math Lab/tutoring hours Friday                                    8:30 am – 12:00 pm on the website listed above. Saturday                             10:00 am – 1:00 pm

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).    https://www.nctc.edu/catalog/student-services/office-students-with-disabilities.html  

 

MOBILE DEVICE POLICY

All cell phones, tablets, laptops and other electronic devices need to be put away during lecture and only used in class when directed by the instructor. It is distracting and rude to have these devices out during most meetings; however discreet you think you might be. Exceptions will be made on a case by case basis, so bring those to me individually. Any time you need to use these devices, quietly remove yourself from class, attend to your business and quietly return.

 

Recording Lectures: The use of any audio or visual devices to record any part of the course lecture needs to be cleared by the instructor BEFORE that class session begins. This does include but is not limited to video/audio recordings and pictures from a cell phone.

 

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:

1.  Zero on the assignment
2. Failing grade for the course

 

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the student handbook. https://www.nctc.edu/_documents/academics/student-handbook.pdf. 

 

 

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

 

x          Critical Thinking

x          Communication

x          Empirical and Quantitative

 

o           Teamwork

o           Personal Responsibility

o           Social Responsibility

COURSE TYPE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMPUS RESTRICTIONS