MATHEMATICS 1314
COLLEGE ALGEBRA
EAST TEXAS BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SPRING 2016
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Reeves Office Phone: 903-923-2313
Office: Meadows 200F E-mail:
Office Hours: 9:00-10:00, 2:00-3:00 MWF,
10:00-11:00, 2:00-3:00 TR
Course Description: This course is devoted to the study of functions, their graphs, and their inverses; factoring, as well as the use of synthetic division and partial fractions; linear, quadratic, rational, radical, and exponential expressions; and solutions to systems of equations and inequalities using graphing, elimination, and Cramer’s rule. Access to a departmentally approved graphing calculator is required.
Prerequisite: Math ACT score of at least 20 or consent of the department.
Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to
· solve linear, quadratic, higher order, and other types of equations
· define, graph, compose, and find inverses of functions
· analyze the structure of higher order polynomials
· solve systems of equations and inequalities using graphing, substitution, and elimination
Assigned Text: College Algebra: A Concise Approach by Paul Sisson
Students are required to purchases the College Algebra Software (ISBN 9781935782360). This will provide the student with access to the homework system and an electronic version of the textbook. Students who plan to purchase both the physical textbook and the software should purchase the combination package (ISBN 9781935782049).
Attendance: The ETBU attendance policy states the student must attend at least 75 percent of all class meetings. This translates into allowing a maximum of eleven absences in a class that meets three times a week. Twelve or more absences will result in an automatic grade of F for the course.
Students are expected to arrive on time and stay until class is dismissed in order to be counted as present. If a student is sleeping or engaging in disruptive behavior he will be asked to leave the room and will be marked absent. Cell phones, laptop computers and other electronic devices should only be used in class if they are serving an educational purpose.
Examinations and Grading Policy: The course grade will be determined by averaging the grades from the following components with the given weights.
· four exams (4@ 15% = 60%),
· homework (20%)
· comprehensive final (20%).
The grade on the final exam will replace your lowest test score if it helps you.
The semester grade will be based upon the following scale
A 90%-100%
B 80%-89%
C 70%-79%
D 60%-69%
F below 60%
Homework: Homework will be submitted online though the Hawkes Learning System software. There is a homework assignment for each section of the text that we will cover this semester. The online homework system will allow you to practice and receive helps before you certify for credit. To receive full credit for a section you will need to answer approximately 80% of the questions correctly. Homework will be due at class time on the class day after a section was completed. Late homework will be penalized 10% for each day that it is late. There will be some optional review assignments that you can use to improve your homework scores.
Academic Center for Excellence (ACE): ACE, located in the library, is intended to provide a place for individual and small group study. Also, computers are available for student use. Mathematics tutors will be on duty at times to be announced. Extra credit will be given for utilizing the ACE when a tutor is on duty. When you work on your mathematics course in the ACE for at least 30 minutes you will be issued a coupon by the tutor on duty. Only one coupon may be earned each day. Each coupon that you return to your instructor will increase your homework average by .5%. The maximum number of coupons you can earn during the semester is 10. Therefore, you can increase your homework average up to 5% by utilizing the tutors in the ACE.
Bonus Review Quizzes: Review quizzes for each chapter will become available in the Hawkes Learning Software as we finish the material for each test. You can submit up to three attempts on each quiz and your best score will be recorded. Your scores on the bonus quizzes can give you up to 5 points on each regular exam. Bonus quizzes must be completed before the exam is given in class.
Makeup Policy: If a student expects to miss a test while representing the university as a member of an authorized group, the student must contact me in advance in order to schedule a makeup test. Absences on test days due to illness or death in the family may require proper documentation in order to qualify for a makeup test. It is your responsibility to contact me in advance of your absence to discuss the possibility of a makeup test.
Academic Integrity: Students enrolled at ETBU are expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity avoiding all forms of cheating, illicit possession of examinations or examination materials, unwarranted access to instructor’s solutions’ manuals, plagiarism, forgery, collusion and submissions of the same assignment to multiple courses. If you are caught cheating on an assignment or exam you will receive a score of 0 on that assignment or exam. All incidents related to violations of academic integrity are required to be reported to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and multiple violations of academic integrity will result in further disciplinary measures which could lead to dismissal from the University.
Disability Accommodations: A student with a disability may request appropriate accommodations for this course by contacting the Office of Academic Success and Graduate Services, Marshall Hall, Room 301, and providing the required documentation. If accommodations are approved by the Disability Accommodations Committee, the Office of Academic Success and Graduate Services will notify you and your professor of the approved accommodations. You must then discuss these accommodations with your professor.
All proctored exams for students with accommodations will be given in the library. The five individual testing rooms are equipped for recording video and audio, so the student can be monitored by the testing coordinator and faculty can review video for up to 48 hours after test is given. Tests should be delivered to the testing coordinator two class days prior to the test date. It is the student’s responsibility to schedule the test date one week prior to the test and time using the ACE website (www.etbu.edu/ace). Ideally, exams will be given the same day as the course schedule.
Tentative Course Outline: We will cover about 3 sections per week. Homework due dates will be posted in the Hawkes Learning Software.
1.1 The Real Number System
1.2 The Arithmetic of Algebraic Expressions
1.3 Properties of Exponents
1.4 Properties of Radicals
1.5 Polynomials and Factoring
1.6 The Complex Number System
2.1 Linear Equations in One Variable
Test I -- Friday, February 5
2.2 Linear Equalities in One Variable
2.3 Quadratic Equations in One Variable
2.4 Higher Degree Polynomial Equations
2.5 Rational Expressions and Equations
2.6 Radical Equations
3.1 The Cartesian Coordinate System
3.2 Linear Equations in Two Variables
3.3 Forms of Linear Equations
3.4 Parallel and Perpendicular Lines
3.5 Linear Inequalities in Two Variables
Test II – Friday, March 4
4.1 Relations and Functions
4.2 Linear and Quadratic Functions
4.3 Other Common Functions
4.4 Transformation of Functions
4.5 Combining Functions
4.6 Inverses of Functions
Test III – Friday, April 1
Note: The last day to withdraw from a class is Friday, April 8.
5.1 Introduction to Polynomial Equations and Graphs
5.2 Polynomial Division and the Division Algorithm
5.3 Locating Zeros of Polynomials
6.1 Rational Functions and Rational Inequalities
8.1 Solving Systems by Substitution and Elimination
8.3 Determinants and Cramer’s Rule
Test IV– Wednesday, April 27
Final Exam –Monday, May 2, 8:00-9:50
Note: Students may request a change in time of their final exam for the following reasons:
Four scheduled exams on the same day
Serious personal illness
Death of an immediate family member