NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE
COURSE SYLLABUS
COURSE AND INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Course title: Pre-Calculus Math
Course prefix, number, and section number: MATH 2412 0400
Semester/Year of course: Fall 2024
Semester start and end dates: 8/26/2024 – 12/14/2024
Modality: Face to face
Class meeting location, days, and times: Corinth, room 366. Mondays/Wednesdays 11am – 1:20pm
Semester credit hours: 4 (Lecture hours: 80)
Course description: In-depth combined study of algebra, trigonometry, and other topics for calculus readiness.
Course prerequisites: MATH 1314 College Algebra with a grade of “C” or better, or the equivalent preparation
Required course materials:
MyLab Math online system. You will need to buy an access code through the bookstore OR directly with a credit card. Information will be posted in Canvas.
Name of instructor: Jill Yoder
Office location: Corinth, room 207
Telephone number: 940-498-6282, Ext. 6269
E-mail address: jyoder@nctc.edu
To contact me outside of class, I prefer email. You may use my NCTC email address listed above or use the Canvas messaging inbox. You should send from your NCTC email address or Canvas. Do not use your personal email, please.
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.
You may meet with me in my office during office hours OR meet virtually online 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 for these virtual meetings at least a day in advance if possible. For in-person meetings, you do not have to make an appointment, although you may. You can just show up at my office (see exception for Fridays below.
Office hours for students: Monday/Wednesday: 9:30am – 11pm, 2pm – 4pm
Tuesday/Thursday: 1pm – 2:30pm
Friday: By appointment (mornings only for in-person meetings, and do make an appointment first, since I am not always in my office on Fridays)
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
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
Type of assignment Percent of grade
Quizzes 30%
~ 9 Group Quizzes
~ 14 Online Quizzes
4 Exams 50%
Final Exam 20%
Final grade scale: 90 – 100% = A; 80 – 89% = B; 70 – 79% = C; 60 – 69% = D; Below 60% = F
Group quizzes are done in class on Wednesdays (except on a week with an exam). You must be in class to take a group quiz. I will allow a one-time exception per student for doing a group quiz outside of class. Contact me on or before the day of the group quiz you will miss for instructions on how to do the quiz outside of class.
Online quizzes are done outside of class time. They are due on Saturdays by 11:59pm. You will have 5 attempts on each quiz. The highest grade of those attempts is the one recorded. Online quizzes are done through MyLab Math.
Two quiz grades (online and/or group) will be dropped at the end of the semester. For this reason, late assignments may not be accepted. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to get the online quizzes done. Do feel free to contact the instructor if you miss an online quiz, but you may not be able to take it late.
There will also be practice homework assignments and MyLab videos assignments each week, but these will not count in your overall grade. They are important, however, to your learning of the material. Make time each week to work on these. These will be open past their due dates. You can work on them at any time.
Exams are taken in class on the dates given below. Usually (not including the final exam) I will take the first 30 minutes of class time for a quick, last-minute review. This will only happen if students come prepared with questions to ask. If you have to miss an exam, you must contact the instructor on or before the exam date in order to have a chance at a make-up exam. Once an exam is handed back to the class it may not be made up. Contact the instructor for other options.
Exam Schedule
Exam #1: Monday, September 16
Exam #2: Monday, October 7
Exam #3: Monday, October 28
Exam #4: Monday, November 18
Final Exam: Week of December 9 – 12 (exact date/time will be announced when the college-wide final exam schedule is posted).
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 ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.
Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:
- Zero on the assignment
- Failing grade for the course
Artificial Intelligence Policy: While there are many great resources available to you, keep in mind that for this class ChatGPT, Desmos, Wolfram-Alpha, Chegg, Symbolab, and similar programs should only be used to help you understand the material we are covering in the class. Any student suspected of submitting work that is not their own (whether it is copied from another student or from technology) will be required to meet with me. If a student is found to have presented work that is not their own, they will be subject to the academic integrity policy. If you would not be able to explain to me how to work a similar problem, you should not submit the solution as your own.
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 the course with a “W” is: Monday, November 4, 2024
Student Learning Outcomes: At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate and apply knowledge of properties of functions.
- Recognize and apply algebraic and transcendental functions and solve related equations.
- Apply graphing techniques to algebraic and transcendental functions.
- Compute the values of trigonometric functions for key angles in all quadrants of the unit circle measured in both degrees and radians.
- Prove trigonometric identities.
- Solve right and oblique triangles.
Core Objectives:
X Critical Thinking
X Communication
X Empirical and Quantitative Reasoning
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.
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: Jill Yoder
Office location: Corinth, room 207
Telephone number: 940-498-6282, Ext. 6269
E-mail address: jyoder@nctc.edu
Name of Chair/Coordinator: 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