Heartland Community College

Math / Science Division

Syllabus

Math 087

Course Title: Beginning Algebra

Course Prefix and Number: Math 087

Credit Hours: 4

Instructor’s Name: Lester C. Van Bibber

Phone: 309-533-2333

Email:

Office Hours: By Appointment Only

Catalog Description: Prerequisite: Math 070 with a grade of C or higher, or assessment. Topics include real numbers, order of operations, ratios, proportions, percents, exponents, polynomials, factoring, rational expressions, linear and quadratic equations, and inequalities. Problem solving will be stressed throughout the course.

Textbook: Bittinger, Marvin, and David Ellenbogen. Prealgebra and Introductory Algebra. Boston: Pearson Addison Wesley, 2008

MyLabsPlus: REQUIRED The access code is packaged with the book when purchased from the bookstore. An access code must be purchased if you do not purchase the book from the bookstore. This program offers math practice, tutorials, video lessons, immediate feedback and free tutoring. All students will use this program to complete the pre-test and post-test in Math 087. Register at www.heartland.mylabsplus.com using the login and password that was emailed to your heartland email account. You will be prompted to enter an access code after clicking on any link in your course.

Pre/Post-Test: REQUIRED A pre-test is given during the first two weeks of the course. This is required of all students taking Math 087. In addition, during the last two weeks of class, a required post-test is given. Both of these exams are found in MyLabsPlus.

Required Calculator: Scientific Calculator – Graphing calculators are not allowed in this course. No calculator is allowed on real number arithmetic.

Student Communication: To access Blackboard, IRIS, and your Heartland Student Email, you will need to log into myHeartland, at https://my.heartland.edu.

Relationship to academic programs and transferability: Math 087 is designed to enhance students’ academic performance for other college courses for which they are currently under prepared, as indicated by their performance on HCC’s math placement exam or the review of approved documents. Credit earned from successful completion of Math 087 is not calculated into students’ HCC GPA, will not apply toward degree or certificate requirements, nor will it transfer to other colleges or universities. However, some institutions calculate admissions GPA using grades from all courses, including developmental courses.

Course Outline: After completing this course you should be able to:

1. Perform arithmetic calculations with real numbers.

2. Solve linear and quadratic equations and linear inequalities and basic application problems.

3. Use linear and quadratic equations to solve problems.

4. Simplify exponential, polynomial, radical, and rational expressions.

5. Factor polynomials.

6. Graph linear equations and inequalities.

Course Objectives: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to

Outcomes / General Education Outcomes / Range of Assessment Methods
Perform basic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) on real numbers. / HW, Worksheets, Test
Simplify an expression using the correct order of operations. / PS1 / HW, Worksheets, Test
Solve application problems using various methods, including linear and quadratic equations and proportions. / CT1 / HW, Worksheets, Test
Simplify exponential expressions involving integer and rational exponents. / HW, Worksheets, Test
Solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable, including literal equations. / PS2 / HW, Worksheets, Test
Simplify square roots and convert radical expressions to exponential form. / HW, Worksheets, Test
Perform basic operations on polynomials and factor polynomials. / HW, Worksheets, Test
Solve quadratic equations by factoring. / CT1 / HW, Worksheets, Test
Multiply, divide, and simplify rational expressions. / HW, Worksheets, Test
Graph linear equations and linear inequalities in two variables. / HW, Worksheets, Test

Method of Evaluation (Tests/Exams, Grading System): Students’ grades will be based on the cumulative score of all tests and quizzes. However, the lowest regular exam score will be disregarded. The final exam will be comprehensive, and will NOT be disregarded. Department rules prohibit the use of note cards and/or note sheets for all quizzes and exams. Students arriving late for quizzes or exams will NOT be granted additional time to complete the respective quiz or exam. Below is the grade scale:

90-100% / A
80-89% / B
70-79% / C
60-69% / D
<60% / F

Required Writing and Reading: Some instructors may incorporate writing assignments as part of the course grade, in keeping with learning outcomes. Reading assignments (other than the text) may be assigned, possibly in conjunction with writing assignments.

Late work policy: There are NO make-ups for exams, quizzes, videos, worksheets or homework assignments.

Participation (or Attendance): Regular attendance is necessary to be successful in this class. If a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to obtain any class notes and assignments that they missed.

Incompletes: An incomplete grade may be given to a student who, by the withdrawal date, can reasonably be expected to pass the course. Incompletes may be granted only when justified by extreme circumstances (e.g., serious illness, accident, death or serious illness in the immediate family). Incomplete grades are not given for such reasons as unjustified failure to appear for the final examination. A written agreement, outline the requirements to be met, must be signed by the instructor and the student. The agreed upon requirements must be completed no later than the end of the following semester. By the agreed upon date, the instructor will assign a grade or the incomplete will be changed to an F if the requirements are not completed.

Student Conduct, Academic Integrity, Plagiarism: Please refer to the Student Conduct Policy in the Heartland Community College Catalog, http://www.heartland.edu/catalog/index.jsp#catalog, for specific policies concerning discipline, academic integrity and plagiarism.

Heartland Library Information http://www.heartland.edu/library

The Library, located in the Students Commons Buildings at the Raab Road campus, provides Heartland students with a full range of resources including books, online journal databases, videos, newspapers, periodicals, reserves, and interlibrary loan. Librarians are available to assist in locating information.

Tutoring Center: http://www.heartland.edu/tutoring/ (309) 268-8231

Testing Center: http://www.heartland.edu/testing/ (309) 268-8231

Academic Disabilities: If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact Anita Moore at 268-8249 or .

Notice of Cancelled Class Sessions: Cancelled class sessions, for all HCC classes, will be listed under Cancelled Class Meetings in the A-Z Index and under Academic Information in the Current Students page on the HCC Web site. Go to http://www.heartland.edu/classCancellations/ to learn what classes have been cancelled for that day and the upcoming week. Be sure to check the last column, which might contain a message from the instructor.

Syllabus Disclaimer: This syllabus is subject to change. Any changes will be announced in class. You are responsible for any and all changes made to the syllabus.

Important Dates:

Jan 10 ...... Classes Begin for 16-Week

Jan 24 ...... Final Day to Drop with Refund for 16-Week Session

Mar 7-12 ……… Spring Break

Mar 14...... Midterm Grade Rosters due by Midnight for 16-Week Session

Apr 7...... Final Day to Withdraw for 16-Week Session

May 4 ...... Classes End for 16-Week

May 5 ………….. Optional Review Day

May 6-12 ...... Final Exam Week for 16-Week

May 17...... Final Grade Rosters due by Midnight

3