Summer 2008 College Algebra

Course Syllabus

 

Course Description: Relations and functions: linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic and inverse functions, composition of functions, absolute value, theory and systems of equations, complex numbers, matrices, sequences, and the binomial theorem. Lab required.

 

Course Credit Hours:  Lecture Hours: 3      Lab Hours: 1

 

Prerequisite: MATH 0310, Math 1332, or TSI placement.

.

College Repeat Policy: A student may repeat this course only once after receiving a grade, including “W”. The last day to drop this course without receiving a grade is June 12.

 

Course:

Math 1314.1W1-1W2

Instructor:

Denise Brown

Email:

dbrown@ccccd.edu

Phone:

972-881-5880

Fax:

972-881-5619

Office:

J106 - Spring Creek Campus
2800 E Spring Creek Pkwy
Plano, TX  75074

Office Hours:

W-R 1:00-3:00

Other times by appointment

I will be on Campus  on Wednesday's and Thursday's from 1:00-3:00.  During those times I will be checking  e-mail and the Discussion Board at the Thinkwell website frequently.  Week days that I am not on campus (M,T,F) I will check email and the discussion board three times a day once in the morning, afternoon and evening . I will check email and the discussion board  at least once on Saturdays and Sundays.  Hence, Monday - Friday there will be at most a 24-hour turn-around on answering emails and replying to Thinkwell's Discussion Board.  Since I will only be checking e-mail once a day on Saturday and Sunday there will be at most a 48 hour turn-around for emails and messages posted on Thinkwell's discussion board sent on Saturday and Sunday.   If there is an emergency and you need to get in touch with me my cell number is 214-202-3316.

Course Information:

The on campus Math 1314 classes meet for 8 hours a week.  One can expect to spend at least twice amount of time working problems outside of class as spent attending class.  That equates to a minimum of 16 hours a week.  This course is not self paced.  The course  calendar is a separate document and it lists what you are to complete on a weekly basis.  You can certainly work ahead, but due dates are strictly enforced.

All email must be through Courgarmail.  All Collin students are given a Cougarmail address upon registration. Please include the class and section in the subject line of any emails.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

 

PC   

Minimum Requirements
Pentium 166 MHz processor
Windows™ 95 or NT 4.0
32 MB RAM
Sound card


 

PC   

Recommended System
Pentium 200 MHz (or faster) processor
Windows™ 2000 or XP
64 MB RAM
Sound card


 

Mac   

Minimum Requirements
Power PC™ 120 MHz
Mac OS 8.1
32 MB RAM


 

Mac   

Recommended System
Power PC™ 200 MHz or faster
Mac OS 8.1 or later
64 MB RAM

 

COURSE MATERIALS 

All of the information you will need for this course in on the Thinkwell website.  This includes a lecture for each topic, notes, transcripts, sample problems, and practice exercises.  All that you need to purchase is the Thinkwell authorization code for College Algebra.  You may purchase the code at any of the CCCC Bookstores or directly from Thinkwell.  When you purchase the code from Thinkwell you are automatically placed in the class.  The cost at the Thinkwell site is around $88.00.  If you buy the code from the bookstore you still register at the Thinkwell site and will be asked to enter your code.  Once you have registered the code is good for one calendar year.  If you cannot complete the course you have a year to retake and complete the course without having to purchase another code.  Note:  You cannot begin ths class without purchasing the code.  This course begins on June 9 and the first exam  is due by June 18 .  The course orientation is a separate document that will explain how to register at the Thinkwell site and navigate through the course.  There is an optional work-text that you can purchase for around $40.00. It contains all of the notes, sample problems, and some review problems.  The order of the work-text is different from the order we will follow.  I have included page numbers on the course calendar.  A graphing calculator is required.  The TI83,84,85 or 86 is adequate.  The TI89 and 92 is not allowed.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Analyze relations between variables

2. Classify and manipulate functions and their graphs

3. Find the zeros and factors of polynomials with real coefficients

4. Solve exponential and logarithmic equations with applications to growth and decay

5. Use matrices to solve systems of linear equations and real life applications

6. Analyze sequences, including arithmetic and geometric sequences, and apply the binomial

    theorem

 

Course Requirements:

Watch tutorials on the Thinkwell Website

Complete practice exercises, quizzes, and labs on the Thinkwell Website

Complete Exams on the Thinkwell Website or in one of the CCCC Testing Centers

 

Method of Evaluation:

The course is divided into 5 units; each unit is divided into chapters (weeks by date). Each chapter is divided into subchapters, and each subchapter includes several topics. Each topic is followed by an online Practice Exercise set.  You will be graded on:

·        3 unit exams (100 points each for a total of 300 points), completed online or at the Spring Creek Campus Testing Center.

·        Completion of the online Practices Exercises for each unit (15 points each for a total of 60 points)

·        The average of the best 6 of 8 Labs (100 points), completed online

·        The Final Exam (150 points), Completed online or at the SCC Testing Center

If the percentage score on your final exam is more than any of your exam 1-3 grades, I will replace the lowest exam grade with the final exam percentage.  i.e., suppose you made 125 on the final (125/150 *100= 83%).  If any of exams 1-3 is lower than an 83 I will replace the lowest exam grade with the 83. Grades will be determined by totaling the points earned in the above 5 categories and using the scale below.

Total Grade Points

Grade

549-610

A

488-548

B

427-487

C

366-426

D

Below 366 

F

The course orientation outlines how to navigate the Thinkwell Site and what steps you will need to follow to complete the above assignments.

The Course Calendar references how the topics are grouped together to form Units and due dates for exams and labs

 

Attendance Policy:

 It is very important that you stay on schedule. The Course Calendar is dated. You may get ahead of the calendar, but not behind. You must take quizzes, exams, and labs by the due date or contact me on or before the due date with a REALLY good reason if you require an extension.  If you do fall behind and feel that you cannot keep up the last day to withdraw is Thursday July 3. Withdrawing from a class is a procedure that you yourself must implement. I cannot do it for you. Students who fall behind and do not drop by the drop will receive a performance grade, which is usually an F. 

You have to following choices to drop the course:

  •     in person:  Visit any of the at any campus. Go to http://www.ccccd.edu/register.html for addresses.  Students will fill out a withdrawal ticket and have it processed at the          Admissions counter.    
  •     by  mail:   The withdrawal request should include: student's name, CWID number, phone number,  class/classes about to withdraw,  and reason for withdrawal. Student's signature is requiredon mailed requests. For mailed withdrawals, the postmark date is the official drop/withdrawal date. Go to  http://www.ccccd.edu/register.html  for mailing addresses.

Note:  Students cannot drop or withdraw by phone or online (Webline) after classes have started.

 Remember that this course can be repeated only once after receiving a grade, including a W. The last day to drop without receiving a grade is Thursday June 12th.

 

 

Religious Holy Days: please refer to the current Collin Student Handbook

              http://www.ccccd.edu/frameset.asp?link=http://www.ccccd.edu/studentservices/pdf/StudentHandbook/0708Student_Hndbk.pdf

 

ADA Statement: It is the policy of Collin County Community College to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals who are students with disabilities. This College will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the ACCESS office, SCC-G200 or 972.881.5898 (V/TTD: 972.881.5950) in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations.

Academic Ethics: The College District may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts, or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work material that is not one’s own. Scholastic dishonesty may involve, but is not limited to, one or more of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion, use of annotated texts or teacher’s editions, and/or falsifying academic records.

Plagiarism is the use of an author’s words or ideas as if they were one’s own without giving credit to the source, including, but not limited to, failure to acknowledge a direct quotation.

Cheating is the willful giving or receiving of information in an unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination questions in advance, copying computer or Internet files, using someone else’s work for the assignments as if it were one’s own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements of a course.

Collusion is intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another in an act of scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, providing a paper or project to another student; providing an inappropriate level of assistance; communicating answers to a classmate during an examination; removing tests or answer sheets from a test site, and allowing a classmate to copy answers.