NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

GRADING CRITERIA

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

Last day to withdraw from a course with a “W” is Tue, June 29, 2021.

Homework and quizzes will be assigned for all sections and will be completed in MyLab Math, an online homework and course management system.  Other supplemental material is also there to help such as animations, applets, an etext, etc.  You will need to register for this ASAP, and may use a free two-week trial to do so. If you have any questions about the registration process detailed below, please feel free to email me and let me know.  Your free trial expiring will not excuse you from any assignment due dates.  Please make sure to purchase full access to the homework before letting your free trial expire.

Each homework assignment will begin with a video lecture, which must be watched (or at least clicked on) as a part of the assignment.  All assignments will be due the day of the test for which they belong.  In other words, all assignments for sections covered on Test One are due at a specified time on the day of Test One. You have an unlimited number of attempts for each homework problem, but 5 attempts for each quiz.  The homework will be available to you 24/7, and there are many places across campus that provide computers/internet in order to access the homework, therefore extensions will not be given for any reason, including technical difficulties. Please have an alternative plan should your computer fail, such as going to a public library.

1. On a laptop or desktop computer (Do Not use a phone or tablet) use the Google Chrome browser to get to Canvas.  (Browsers other than Chrome often have difficulties with our homework system.  Quite often, if you’re having an issue with the homework, simply switching to Chrome will fix the issue.)
2. In Canvas, select the tab on the left that says Courses, and select our course MATH 1314.0510
3. Select the tab in the menu on the left of our course that says Modules
4. Scroll down to the Homework Information module and select the tab that says "Click Here To Get To Your Homework"...click the link in that tab.
5. You should see an "End-User License Agreement and Privacy Policy", scroll down and select "I Agree" (This page may be missing if you've already agreed to the policy.)
6. This should be a page with two options, "Sign in with a Pearson account" or "Create a Pearson account".  If you do not already have an account, you should create a new account using your NCTC email address and your NCTC username.  Also, do not use your full email address as your username, just the beginning of it (the same one you would use to login to a computer on campus)…your username should not have @nctc.edu in it.
7. What you should see next are a few options to purchase access into the course. There is a place to type in an access code, and if you've bought one from the bookstore that's what you'll do. There is a place to purchase instant access using a credit card, with two different options for just access to the homework, or access to the homework and an electronic copy of the textbook. Lastly, towards the bottom, there is a link for a free 14 day trial. Choose which one you'd like, and that should be it.

If for some reason any of this doesn't work, please tell me which steps you were able to complete, which steps you got stuck on, and tell me the error message you received when you got stuck (you can even take a screen shot).

There are five regular exams and one final exam for this course, which can seem daunting, but it's done this way for a reason.  Taking exams more frequently allows for less content on each exam (each test only covers one chapter instead of multiple chapters) and each test is then weighted less (leaving room for students to have a "bad test day" without having a huge impact on their overall course grade).  Grading of tests will be based off the student's ability to convey thought processes and complete problems through written work, not through simply getting the correct answer...in other words, you must Show Your Work to get full credit!  Correct answers with no work shown will receive no credit.

The final examination will be a comprehensive exam and is required of all students.

MAKEUP EXAMS will be given at the discretion of the instruction only under the following conditions:

1. If an excused absence – the student provides documentation for the absence and contacts the instructor asap
2. If an unexcused absence – the student contacts the instructor before the day of the exam

In either situation, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor to request a makeup exam, and the student will have one week from the scheduled exam date to complete the makeup exam.

TENTATIVE TEST SCHEDULE:         

Test 1 – Monday June 14             Test 2 – Monday June 21             Test 3 – Monday June 28

Test 4 – Monday July 5              Test 5 – Sunday July 11              Final Exam – Tuesday July 13

**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.

North Central Texas College students should be aware that in the event of a college closure due to COVID-19 or other health related crisis, onsite classes will be converted to an online/remote format. Students should plan ahead to ensure they have access to the computer equipment (either PC, MAC, or tablet), webcam, and internet connectivity to continue their classes in an online/remote format. Please read all your official North Central Texas College student emails as the transition from onsite to online/remote might require a reorganization in your personal situation. Students will be granted a 72-hour transition and grace period. Online classes will continue as scheduled without disruption. Wear a mask, stay safe, and contact your Instructor as the situation arises. These policies and procedures were updated on June 2, 2021 and are subject to change as conditions change.

Per the North Central Texas College guidance on face coverings on campus, in the instructional setting, faculty and students are not required to wear face coverings, such as masks or face shields. In May, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott released an Executive Order prohibiting Government entities from mandating the use of masks. As a political subdivision of the State of Texas, NCTC will follow the Governor’s Executive Order for Government entities and effective immediately NCTC is no longer mandating the use of masks while on campus. This order does not mean that you cannot choose to wear a mask, rather it is no longer allowed to be mandated. These policies and procedures were updated on May 19, 2021 and are subject to change.