NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: College Algebra
Course prefix, number, and section number: MATH 1314 0310
Semester/Year of course: Summer 2026
Semester start and end dates: 6/1/2026 – 7/1/2026 (5-week session Summer I)
Modality: Asynchronous online
Class meeting location, days, and times: Support meetings in Webex. Look in Webex modules in Canvas for days and times. These meetings are recorded, and students are not required to attend.
Testing: Students are required to have two proctored tests this summer. Midterm testing June 15 to 17. Final testing June 29 to July 1.
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
Instructor Information
Name of instructor: Kathryn Fritz
Email address: Use Canvas email during the semester, and kfritz@nctc.edu before and after Summer 1.
I will not be on campus this summer. I will be working from home. If you need extra help, please use Canvas email saying what days and times you will be able to meet. I will schedule a Webex meeting where we may go over what concepts you need to address.
Required course materials:
Included in Lion Book Bundle
MyMathLab access (courseware and e-text included in MML)
Not included in Lion Book Bundle
Scientific calculator, TI-30X IIS is recommended
Note: Graphing calculators and phone calculators will not be allowed on exams.
Optional course materials: College Algebra with Integrated Review (physical textbook) Lial/Hornsby/Schneider/Daniels, 13th edition, Pearson, 2021 (updated 2024)
Purchasing Course Materials
Starting in Spring 2026 NCTC is partnering with Barnes & Noble College (BNC) to make purchasing course materials easy and affordable. When students register for classes, they are automatically opted in to the Lion Book Bundle which will provide students first day access to course materials. In this program students are charged $24 per credit hour ($72 for a 3-hour class) as a fee on their NCTC student account. (These are labeled as “Book Fees” on NCTC invoice). Students may choose to opt out of this program, but would then be expected to purchase needed class materials on their own. If opting out, students would receive a refund on their NCTC student account. Students may choose to opt out starting one month prior to classes beginning through the first week of class. Students might benefit from opting out if they are enrolled in classes that use OER (free course materials). Note: The Lion Book Bundle applies to all classes a student is registered for in a given semester (both 16-week and 8-week). A student must either opt in or out for all classes—not each class individually. If you want to take advantage of the Lion Book Bundle, no action is needed as students are automatically opted in. If you would like to opt out of the program, you must go to the Opt-out page (click link below).
Click here for more information: Lion Book Bundle information
STUDENT HOURS
Each week, there will be scheduled Webex meeting to go over lecture sheets. These meetings will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays during weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4. In week 5, we will only have one meeting on Sunday, June 28. We will be going over the final review. The meetings will start at 9 pm in the effort to let more student join the meetings. If the times are too late, we will change the meeting times for the most students may attend the meetings. Students are not required to join the Webex meetings. The meetings are recorded.
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. For on-campus tutoring no appointment is needed. For online tutoring, go to UpSwing tutoring in OneLogin to make an appointment.
Tutor schedules and more information: www.nctc.edu/math-lab.
SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER
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.
SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
List of graded assignments:
Homework: Pearson assignments 15%
Quizzes: Pearson assignments 10%
Midterm (100 points) and Final (200 points) 70%
Attendance: 5%
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 will not replace the midterm.
Testing
NCTC requires proctor testing for each math class. Due that this is a summer class, students will be required to have two proctored tests. The midterm test, in Week 3, June 15 to June 17, and the final June 29 to July 1. Recall the campus is closed on June 18 for Juneteenth holiday.
Late work policy:
This class moves really fast, this means for weekly readings, they are open the first day of class. Each reading has a due date, Monday, Wednesday, or Friday. Student have until the following Wednesday to upload all readings from the previous week.
Pearson assignments have weekly due dates that are soft due dates. It is really easy to get behind in this class, with that in mind, there are set-in-stone due dates. All the assignments on the midterm will have work past the due date without penalty, which will close on Thursday
of week 3. Week 3 and Week 4 Pearson assignments will stay open until the last day to take the final. For more information, see canvas for the complete course calendar, outline, detailed description of graded work, and other related material.
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” for more details.
Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:
- Zero on the assignment
- Failing grade for the course
Students may be required to meet with the instructor to explain their work and demonstrate their problem-solving methods, either in person or via Webex. If a student is unable or unwilling to schedule a meeting during regular business hours within one week of the request, a grade of zero may be assigned for the submission in question.
Student Obligation
Canvas Access: All students must have complete access to Canvas and other online course materials for the entire semester. It is the student’s responsibility to have access to the internet, as well as all needed programs to complete both in-person and online courses. Students are not to give any other person access to his/her Canvas or online course platforms. Students can be removed from the course immediately upon violating this rule. Once a student his given another person access to his/her Canvas account, the credibility of any work completed becomes questionable.
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance is expected and necessary for student success in this course. For more information on attendance regulations please see the NCTC Catalog. (Attendance Regulations – NCTC Catalog)
Students are expected to complete the weekly Pearson assignments to be counted as present each week.
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 Summer I 2026 course with a “W” is: Monday, June 22, 2026
Student Learning Outcomes: At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of properties of functions, including domain and range, operations, compositions, and inverses.
- Recognize and apply polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions and solve related equations.
- Apply graphing techniques.
- Evaluate all roots of higher degree polynomial and rational functions.
- 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 Policy
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 NCTC Student Services page for those departments/programs and links to their sites.
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: Kathryn Fritz
E-mail address: Use Canvas email during the semester, and kfritz@nctc.edu before and after Summer 1.
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