MATH 1314 0460 - INTEGRATED COLLEGE ALGEBRA

Introduction

Syllabus

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

 

COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

 

 

Course title:  College Algebra

Course prefix, number, and section number:  MATH 1314 0460

Semester/Year of course:  Spring 2025

Semester start and end dates:  1/21/2025 – 5/17/2025 (16-week session)

Modality: Face to face

Class meeting location, days, and times:  Monday/Wednesday; 8:00 to 10:20 am; Rm 326

Support course (if needed):  NCBM 0214 0460

Semester credit hours: 3 (Lecture hours: 48)

 

Course Description:  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 prerequisites:  Meet TSI college-readiness standard for College Algebra or equivalent

 

Required course materials:  Registration in the course automatically adds a textbook fee to your NCTC tuition and fees which gives you access to the online learning platform and e-book needed for MATH 1314 (ALEKS).  You do not need to purchase a separate access code.  Instructions on how to get your access code can be found in a document on the Course Homepage or in the course Modules. (see * Inclusive Access below for more information)

 

Suggested course materials: 

Scientific calculator, TI-30X IIS is recommended

Graphing calculators and phone calculators will not be allowed on exams.

 

Optional course materials:  Miller | Greken, College Algebra with Corequisite Support, 1st ed, 2021.

 

Name of instructor:  Marla Owens

Office location:  COR 206,

Telephone number:  940 – 498 -6226

Email address:  mowens@nctc.edu

When emailing, please use your Canvas email, give your name and class (course and section, or course and time)

 

STUDENT HOURS (OFFICE HOURS)

Each week instructors have time set aside to meet with students outside of class. (Traditionally these times are called “office hours”.) This is a time when a student may ask questions regarding the class, or discuss a particular problem/topic with an instructor one-on-one.  Student hours may be held in-person or online.  See below for instructions on where/when/how instructors will offer student hours in this class.

In-person student hours are on the Corinth campus only:

  Monday / Wednesday: 7:00 - 8:00 am; 10:30 am – 12:30 pm

Online student hours:  Appointments for virtual meetings can be made by clicking this Cisco Webex Link in Canvas and selecting the “Office Hours” option at the top.  Please make appointments at least a day in advance.

Tuesday | Thursday: 10:00 am to Noon 

Any virtual appointments outside of the designated times will need to be arranged via email.

 

 

MATH TUTORING LAB

 

Students who need help with any math class can visit the NCTC Mathematics Lab to receive assistance.  There are math tutors available on most campuses and online.  This service is free for all students enrolled in an NCTC math class. Sign up for an appointment or see the most current tutoring hours for all campuses at https://www.nctc.edu/math-lab. 

 

 

 

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

 

CLASSROOM POLICIES

 

  1. COMMUNICATION: All pertinent course information will be contained in the course Canvas site including general materials, course updates, and grades. Students are expected to check Canvas and email accounts regularly to keep up with course information. Further, when sending messages to multiple students in the course, message will be sent through Canvas. Students are welcome to reply to these messages with questions or send a direct email to mowens@nctc.edu. Please make sure to include the course and section in all emails. I check my emails daily during the week.  I will do my best to reply within 24 hours. Please allow me up to 48 hours to reply on the weekends.
  2. HOMEWORK: Homework will consist of weekly modules completed online in ALEKS. Assignments will be due at 11:59 PM on Sunday of each week; however, testing weeks will have will have a different deadline.  Make sure to check ALEKS for the due dates:  Students should expect to spend several hours each week working on their math in ALEKS. The time necessary will vary weekly depending on the content and the prerequisite skills students are bringing to the class.
  3. ALEKS: ALEKS is an adaptive, online learning system. On the first day of class students will take the Initial Knowledge Check. ALEKS will then create a personalized learning path based on the performance on that assessment. This learning path gives students credit for what they already know and shows what students are ready to learn. Throughout the semester students will work through ALEKS, mastering knowledge of the topics necessary for success in Beginning Algebra. ALEKS will periodically check students’ knowledge retention. Faculty will be guiding you through this new learning experience.

 

  1. QUIZZES/Practice Quizzes: You will see two sets of quizzes.  First, you will see practice quizzes.  You will have 3 attempts on the practice quiz.  The purpose of the practice quiz is to get familiar with pertinent content that you were presented from the previous weeks.  When taking the practice quizzes, you should take them like a mini test. Next, you will see the regular quiz.  You will have only 1 attempt on the quiz.  Do not use any outside material or apps.

 

  1. TESTS/test review: There will be four one and half-hour examinations and a two-hour comprehensive final exam for this course. Exams can be made up, only if the student has contacted the instructor before exam time. Not all excuses will be accepted. It must be under extreme circumstances. If you are sick, you will need a doctor’s note.

 

  1. The final exam period (as scheduled by the college) for this course is Monday, May 12 8:00 – 9:50 am
  2. ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION: All students are expected work on assignments every week. Communication is critical, so if a student expects to miss assignments for whatever reason, please communicate with the instructor. Participation and attendance points will be awarded based on your NCBM attendance grade.  Please note, that due dates will not be altered for absences except at the discretion of the instructor.

 

 

  1. BINDERS: Each student should maintain a well-organized binder or notebook containing notes from class and/or during online lectures, work from online homework assignments, and all returned quizzes and tests. This binder should be brought to class and/or used when working on math assignments.

 

 

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

 

TENTATIVE TEST SCHEDULE

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.

  • Test 1               Week of February 10
  • Test 2              Week of March 3
  • Test 3              Week of April 14
  • Test 4              Week of May 5
  • Final Exam       Wednesday, May 12, 8:00 – 9:50 am

 

 

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

 

List of graded assignments: 

# of Graded Elements                        Title of Graded Element                                 Percentage

Approximately 16                                     ALEKS HW                                                   12%

Approximately 16                                     Practice/Quizzes                                        18%

          16                                                  Attendance                                             10%

            4                                                       Tests                                                            40%

            1                                                  Final Exam                                               20%

Includes all material listed above. TOTAL       100%

Final grade scale:  90 – 100% = A;  80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C;  60 – 69% = D;  Below 60% = F

*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.

     

     

 Late work policy:  Homework and quizzes may be worked past the original due date with a 20% penalty up until the test for that section. There is no need to ask the instructor to modify due dates because of this policy.

 

 

COURSE POLICIES

 

 

Academic Integrity Policy: Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation, and collusion.  The use of online math solvers with submitted work is considered academic dishonesty.  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 Code of Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.  

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

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

 

Attendance Policy:  Regular attendance is expected and necessary for student success in this course. For more information on attendance regulations please see the 2024-2025 NCTC Catalog.  (https://www.nctc.edu/catalog)

 

Withdrawal Policy: A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.

 

Last day to withdraw from a 16-week course with a “W” is: Monday, April 7, 2025

 

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.

 

Core Objectives:

X          Critical Thinking

X          Communication

X          Empirical and Quantitative

Teamwork

Personal Responsibility

Social Responsibility

 

 

 

 

 

COLLEGE POLICIES

 

 

 

 

ADA STATEMENT

NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations.  See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.


AI STATEMENT

Absent a clear statement from a course instructor, use of or consultation with generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or other similar technologies shall be treated analogously to assistance from another person, agency, or entity. In particular, using generative AI tools to substantially complete an assignment or exam is not permitted. Students should acknowledge the use of generative AI (other than incidental use) and default to disclosing such assistance when in doubt.

 

When students use generative AI to replace the rigorous demands of personal engagement with their coursework, it runs counter to the educational mission of the college and undermines the heart of education itself. Artificial Intelligence, large language models, and other such technologies hold promise for deploying knowledge in service to others and accelerating the discovery of new knowledge. However, such technology poses new challenges to pedagogy and to integrity. Within the context of the teaching mission of the college and consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, the authority to define the appropriate use, study, and deployment of these technologies rests with the faculty.

 

Individual course instructors, in coordination with their divisions, set policies regulating the use of generative AI tools in their courses, including allowing or disallowing some or all uses of such tools. Course instructors will set such policies in their course syllabi and clearly communicate such policies to students. Students who are unsure of policies regarding generative AI tools are encouraged to ask their instructors for clarification.

 

AI MATH DIVISION STATEMENT

Many online calculators, equation solvers, and graphing tools exist that may aid students in computing and visualizing math problems. These tools are a great resource for helping better understand how to work problems and can be a huge help in studying. However, these tools can be misused/overused. Math classes require students to develop a certain level of skill that a student must be able to demonstrate without the aid of these tools. Often a student may become reliant on these tools or have false sense of confidence in their knowledge and skills. Generally, if a student is using tools or resources to help learn material, eventually they must take away those resources to ensure they are able to work problems with only the tools allowed in the class. In short, we encourage students to use whatever tools they find useful in developing their knowledge and skills. But, these tools must be used thoughtfully so that true understanding and proficiency are developed.  

 

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

 

STUDENT SERVICES

NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students.  See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

 

* Inclusive Access

The NCTC Bookstore and Pearson Education have partnered to provide the best learning resources on the first day of class so that students can gain access to Pearson’s adaptive online platform with the latest version of the eBook at a discount. If students would like to purchase a physical copy of the textbook, they can purchase it through the bookstore.

 

Students who drop before the add/drop date will have their book fees credited back to their student account, and students who remain in the course will be charged a materials fee by the school to have continued access of the online platforms.  If you remain enrolled in the course but wish to opt-out of access to the book please email the NCTC Bookstore within the first two weeks of class with your name and student number.

 

 

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

 

 

The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class.  If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division.  If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.

 

Name of Instructor: Marla Owens

Office location:  COR 206

Telephone number:  940.498.6226

E-mail address:  mowens@nctc.edu

 

Name of Chair:  Ben Owens

Office location:  Corinth 174

Telephone number:  940.498.6209

E-mail address:  bowens@nctc.edu

 

Name of Instructional Dean:  Mary Martinson

Office location:  Gainesville 1403

Telephone number:  940.668.7731 ext. 4377

E-mail address:  mmartinson@nctc.edu

 

Syllabus File(s)

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