NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Contemporary Mathematics
Course prefix, number, and section number: MATH 1332 0600
Semester/Year of course: Spring 2026
Semester start and end dates: 1/12/2026 – 5/9/2026
Modality: Face-to-Face, Denton Campus, Room 112
Semester credit hours: 3 (Lecture hours: 48)
Course Description: Intended for Non-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) majors. Topics include introductory treatments of sets and logic, financial mathematics, probability and statistics with appropriate applications. Number sense, proportional reasoning, estimation, technology, and communication should be embedded throughout the course. Additional topics may be covered.
Course prerequisites: Meet TSI college-readiness standard for Contemporary Mathematics; or equivalent.
Name of instructor: Tammy Burch
Office location: Online, Denton Campus (location TBD), Flower Mound Campus (faculty workroom)
Email address: tburch@nctc.edu
Office/Student hours will be held
- in person on campus in Denton Room 112, Tue/Thu, 8:00 – 9:00 am
- online by appointment, with guaranteed availability Mon/Wed 8:30 – 10:00 am
- Please email to schedule a Webex meeting.
Required course materials:
OpenStax, Contemporary Mathematics: https://openstax.org/details/books/contemporary-mathematics
Scientific calculator, TI-84 is recommended
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
Lion Book Bundle for OER Courses
The Lion Book Bundle is a program NCTC has in partnership with Barnes and Noble College (BNC) where students are charged $24 per credit hour ($72 for a 3-hour course) for first day access to all required digital materials. This course uses OER (Open Educational Resources) which means there is no cost for students for course materials. Because you are enrolled in an OER course, you might be able to save money by opting out of the Lion Book Bundle program and purchasing required materials for each course individually. Note: A student must either opt in or out for all classes—not each class individually. Click here for more information and for a link to the Opt-out page: Lion Book Bundle information
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: email for a WebEx appointment or to meet on the Denton or Flower Mound Campus.
Online student hours: Availability will vary depending on the day. Please email to schedule an appointment. Many times, immediate availability is an option; however, please try to make your appointment at least a day in advance. Please do not hesitate to set up an appointment. You’re the reason I am here. We will meet via WebEx.
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, access 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:
Scavenger Hunt 30
(5) Unit Projects @ 100 points each 500
(Up to 32) Quizzes @ 5-10 points each (keep top 20) 200
Total Points for the class 730
Final grade scale: 90 – 100% = A; 80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C; 60 – 69% = D; Below 60% = F
There will be an extra project that can be used to replace the lowest project grade.
Late work policy: If you know you will be missing a due date, you must make arrangements with your teacher to complete your project/test/ assignment BEFORE your absence. Although some quizzes are due in the middle of the week, they are open all week and close on Sunday. Try to complete them by the posted due date so that you are prepared for the next lesson. Projects cannot be submitted after their posted due dates. All final posts to discussions are due on Sunday, and initial posts that are submitted late will have points deducted.
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
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 has given another person access to his/her Canvas account, the credibility of any work completed becomes questionable.
Artificial Intelligence Policy: AI use is very commonplace today and is also quite useful in many ways; however, students must show that they have mastered specific objectives before receiving a passing grade for the class. If AI use is suspected, you will be questioned and expected to explain the material in such a way that indicates you understand it. Any suspicion of inappropriate AI usage is subject to a zero on the assignment. If you are unsure of what deems appropriate use, reach out to your instructor first.
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)
Attendance is taken for every scheduled class meeting. Students must be present, awake, and attentive to be counted present. If a student is marked absent more than 20% of the class (that is more than 6 times), he/she will be administratively dropped.
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 Spring 2026 course with a “W” is: Monday, March 30, 2026
Student Learning Outcomes: At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
- Apply the language and notation of sets.
- Determine the validity of an argument or statement and provide mathematical evidence.
- Solve problems in mathematics of finance.
- Demonstrate fundamental probability/counting techniques and apply those techniques to solve problems.
- Interpret and analyze various representations of data.
- Demonstrate the ability to choose and analyze mathematical models to solve problems from real-world settings, including, but not limited to, personal finance, health literacy, and civic engagement.
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.
THE OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) provides accommodations for students with
disabilities. OSD counselors and advisors also provide strategies for academic success; individual, career, and academic counseling services; referrals to campus and community services; and assistance with admission and registration.
- Students with disabilities do not need to disclose their disabilities to college officials if they are not requesting any accommodations.
- OSD is federally funded through the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Federal Grant.
- NCTC is committed to making its degree and certificate programs accessible to all qualified persons in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA Amendments Act, and The Rehabilitation Act (1973), Section 504.
REQUEST SERVICES
New Students
- Accommodations require preparation in advance. Please make your request before the semester begins to ensure complete coverage for the entire semester. You can certainly request accommodations after the semester starts, but please be aware that accommodations are not retroactive.
- Accommodations begin when OSD approves them. In other words, the sooner, the better.
- *Documentation is required before any accommodations can be provided. Depending on your diagnosis, this documentation should come from a medical doctor, psychologist, or other licensed or properly credentialed professional.
Current Students
- Contact the OSD at the beginning of each semester well in advance of registration.
Contact Us
Please reach out to us to schedule an intake or if you have questions or concerns.
Wayne Smith, OSD Manager, kwsmith@nctc.edu, (940) 498-6207
Yvonne Sandmann, OSD Advisor, ysandmann@nctc.edu, (940) 668-3300
https://www.nctc.edu/osd
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: Tammy Burch
Office location: online
E-mail address: tburch@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