NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS
Course Title:		College Algebra Math1314.0404 MW 2 pm to 3:20 Canvas Conference
Course Prefix & Number:			MATH1314	Section Number:	0404	Semester/Year:	Fall 2020
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 Course Materials: MyMathLab access code (e-text included in MML) Scientific calculator, TI-30X IIS is recommended Recommended College Algebra, Lial/Hornsby/Schneider/Daniels, 12th edition, Pearson, 2017 Graphing calculators and phone calculators will not be allowed on exams.

 

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Kathryn Fritz
Campus/Office Location:	Gainesville based, but online this semester
Office Hours:	Will be held in WebEx this Semester; an email will be sent in Canvas with a join link.
Telephone Number:	NA
E-mail Address:	Please use Canvas email to contact me.

 

All office hours will be held online this semester. I will hold at least 3 one-hour homework web conference each week (this is not class time) using WebEx.  I am teaching three Math1314 classes this semester and hope to host all three class at once. I will send you an email in Canvas will a link to join me. (I hope this works.)  You will need to attend at least one of these homework conferences per week as your participation grade. To be fair to everyone, I plan to hold two meeting during the day and one at night. If anyone has a work conflict, please email me as soon as possible.  We will perhaps be able to hold a fourth meeting that week. In any case, I am willing to work with you if needed, but you must email early.

 

GRADING CRITERIA

# of Graded Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Over all Percentage
Up to 40	Homework	10%
15/5/16/6	Conference/Test Reviews/Attendance/ Mindset	10%
4	4 Chapter tests @ 10%, 4 Email test scratch paper @5%	60%
1	1 Mandatory Final @15%, 1 Email test scratch paper @ 5%	20%

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

Notes about procedures and policies regarding grading, late work, missed tests, etc

In lieu of taking an unexcused missed test, the final exam may be used to replace the lowest failed (grade under 70%) unit test grade.  No late work will be accepted.

 

 

 

This schedule is tentative and will most likely change 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. A complete weekly schedule is located in Canvas Modules in the Getting Started tab.

MyMathlab Access Code	If you are using Pell money in the NCTC Bookstore, buy before September 2	All codes need to by purchase by September 2.
Week 4, Test 1 Chapter 1	Monday, September 14 @ 2 pm	Test in Canvas Conference, mute your mic and allow video. Email me your pdf file of your scratch paper.
Week 7. Test 2 Chapter 2	Monday, October 5 @ 2 pm	Test in Canvas Conference, mute your mic and allow video. Email me your pdf file of your scratch paper.
Week 11, Test 3 Chapter 3.1 to 4.3	Monday, November 2 @ 2 pm	Test in Canvas Conference, mute your mic and allow video. Email me your pdf file of your scratch paper.
Week 14, Test 4 Chapter 4.4 to 7.1	Monday, November 23 @ 2 pm	Test in Canvas Conference, mute your mic and allow video. Email me your pdf file of your scratch paper.
Week 16, Final	Wednesday, December 9 @ 2 pm to 3:50	Test in Canvas Conference, mute your mic and allow video. Email me your pdf file of your scratch paper.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

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.

 

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)

To be clear, you are required to attend a web conference (Canvas Conference) on MW at 2 pm to 3:20 (twice a week) until the week of the final (week 16 you will only attend the day of the final).  For your participation grade, you must attend one Homework Conference held in WebEx (during weeks 1 to 15).

All homework and tests are completed online in MyMathLab (MML). You will need an MML access code that can be purchased in the bookstore (Pell money use before September 2) or online after you log into MyMathLab. Click on the Welcome to Class Module for instructions.

 

For Technical Help:

MyMathLab (MML) tech support phone 888-883-1299 or online http://247support.custhelp.com for live chat.

 To check to see if MML is working correctly, please use this link https://status.pearson.com/#/MyMathLab/Last_24_hrs

 

 

Homework:

All due dates are listed in MML and on the Weekly Tentative Schedule (found in Canvas Modules Getting Started). Complete the assignments by 10:59 pm of the due date listed. The homework may be attempted multiple times in order to increase your homework grade.

HINT: You are expected to watch all section video presentations in MML, but the Canvas Modules of the weekly lectures are there if you missed a class or need to take better notes.. 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. You can also access a power point presentation for each section located in the Canvas Modules tab.

 

Test Reviews:

Test reviews and/or Chapter Reviews will be due by Sunday night.  Test Reviews may be attempted five times, and each attempt has a time limit.  Only the highest score will be counted. Students should attempt the review multiple times in order to be prepared for the unit test. You review what you missed in the Gradebook in MML.  Please try to make at least 70% on the reviews without using your notes or any other aids as in apps or helpers.  You will not be allowed to use any of these on tests.

 

All testing will be online this semester except for classes that meet face to face.  Testing may be administered in a variety of ways and the mode of testing may change during the semester as deemed appropriate by the instructor.  Students may be required to use a webcam while testing.  Students may be asked to demonstrate knowledge/skills in a one-on-one conference if deemed necessary by the instructor. 

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 located on the Canvas homepage.  The tests will be given during class time in a Canvas web Conference.  You will need to log into the conference with your mic muted and video turned on for testing. You will have only one attempt for each test. Each test will have a time limit of 60-90 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 failed (under 70%) test grade. You must show your work on each question for receive any credit on the tests.  This means that you must send me a pdf file with your name, class & time, and the test number [ex. Fritz_math1314_MW_2pm_Test1.pdf], as soon as your complete each test.  REMEMBER be kind number each question that you are showing your work on the scratch paper.  After two hours from when the test is completed, I will no longer accept the pdf files of you scratch paper and your grade stands as is.   If you are having trouble sending me your file, please email me at once for we may work out a solution to the problem you are having.

 

The final exam will be comprehensive and is required of all students. The final exam will also be given in a Canvas Conference. The final exam may be used to replace your lowest regular exam grade. The final exam must be completed by Wednesday, December 9 at 2 pm to 3:50. Deductions may be taken if the final is taken late.

 

Gradebook:

The grade book in MML is only used to review quizzes and test reviews.  A running average of your grade is located in Canvas Gradebook. I review all tests 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. With this being said; it is imperative that you send me a pdf file of your scratch paper (where you worked out each question on the test) as soon as you completed your chapter tests and the final.

 

Notes from the NCTC Bookstore manager

• We have gone to digital provision of the MathLab codes for most all of the courses except MATH.0305, meaning that regardless of the time of day, orders should be fulfilled with a code emailed to the students soon after they order and we will not run out of stock.  The days of codes on pieces of cardboard are coming to an end!
• Please remind students that they can use Financial Aid as a form of payment on our website until Sept.2nd.  What typically happens is that students get their 14 day Free Trial, that trial ends on September 7th or 8th and they flood the store asking to use their Financial Aid so they can complete homework.  But their money isn't often dispersed to their accounts until late in Sept.

 

 

All testing will be online this semester except for classes that meet face to face.  Testing may be administered in a variety of ways and the mode of testing may change during the semester as deemed appropriate by the instructor.  Students may be required to use a webcam while testing.  Students may be asked to demonstrate knowledge/skills in a one-on-one conference if deemed necessary by the instructor.  As stated above, this section.

Last day to withdraw from a 16-week course with a “W” is Monday, November 2, 2020.

 

Students who need help with any math class can visit the NCTC Mathematics Lab to receive assistance. Sign up for an appointment or see the most current tutoring hours for all campuses at http://www.nctc.edu/student-services/student-success/tutoring/mathematics-lab.html. 

 

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  

 

CORE CURRICULUM FOUNDATIONAL COMPONENT AREA (For classes in the Core)________       

             Communication

             Mathematics                    

             Life and Physical Science

             Language, Philosophy & Culture

             Creative Arts

             American History

 

             Government/Political Science

             Social and Behavioral Sciences

             Component Area Option

 

             Critical Thinking

             Communication

             Empirical and Quantitative

 

             Teamwork

             Personal Responsibility

             Social Responsibility