Intermediate Algebra—Fall 2008—RGC Room 341
Course Abbreviation: MATD Course Number: 0390
T/Th 8:20 – 10:00AM Section 026, Synonym 23910T/Th 10:10 – 11:50AM Section 028, Synonym 23912
Instructor: Anne Praderas
Office Phone: 512-223-3356
E-mail:
Webpage: www.austincc.edu/apradera
Required Text & Materials:
Text: Intermediate Algebra Concepts and Applications, 7th Ed. (ISBN 201-70848-5) by M. Bittinger & D. Ellenbogen published by Addison Wesley
Materials: Pencils with eraser; 1-subject spiral notebook; graph paper; scientific calculator
Prerequisite Requirement: C or better in Elementary Algebra, MATD 0370, or its equivalent knowledge, or a passing score on the MATD 0390 placement test.
TSI Warning: If you are relying on this course to meet a requirement that you be in mandatory remediation in mathematics this semester**, then
i. if you are not "continually in attendance" in this course, you should be withdrawn from the course by your instructor,
ii. if you withdraw yourself from this course or are withdrawn by your instructor, you will be automatically withdrawn from all of your other college courses if this is the only TSI-mandated course you are taking.
** If you are unsure whether or not this warning applies to you, see an ACC advisor immediately.
WHERE TO TAKE THE TESTS…
Rio Grande Testing Center (Room 127; phone#223-3164) Hours:
M-Th 8:00a.m.-8:00p.m. Fri 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m. Sat 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m.
***Please see last page of this packet for ACC’s Testing Center Policies.***
WHEN YOU NEED HELP…
Rio Grande Campus Learning Lab (Room 212; phone#223-3367) Hours:
M-Th 8:00a.m.-9:00p.m. Fri 9:00a.m.-1:00p.m.
ACC main campuses have Learning Labs that offer free tutoring (first-come first-serve) for mathematics courses. Software, videotapes, and DVDs designed to support this particular text are also available there. Go to www.austincc.edu/tutor for other campus locations.
Other Support Services Available to You
· MyMathLab is an interactive online course that accompanies the textbook. It comes free inside all new texts or is available from Addison Wesley for $25 if you bought a used text. The software contains an online version of the entire textbook as well as multimedia learning aids (such as videos and animations) for selected examples and exercises in the text. Students can take tests in MyMathLab that generate a personalized study plan with links to practice exercises for the topics you need to study. Visit www.mymathlab.com for more information.
· Addison Wesley has a tutoring center that is available by phone for students using any of their texts. Information about the service can be found at www.aw-bc.com/tutorcenter/.
Call toll-free 1.888.777.0463. Hours of operation are Sun-Thur: 4 PM – 11 PM. Or eMail questions to
Appropriate Course Placement
· A placement test will be given on the first or second class day to determine your comfort level with algebra skills. If you miss the placement test, you may be asked to take it in the ACC Testing Center.
· If you think you need to be in a different level course, you must do well on the pretest for THAT course in addition to performing well on the pretest for THIS course (unless you’re moving to a lower-level course). Talk to me IMMEDIATELY if you want to change classes to lessen the amount of work you will miss in the other class.
Calculator Policy
· Scientific calculators are allowed at any time, unless announced otherwise. BRING CALCULATOR DAILY.
· No calculator sharing during tests or quizzes. The Testing Center has calculators you may borrow while you take the tests. Also, NO CELL PHONE CALCULATORS and NO GRAPHING CALCULATORS.
Withdrawal Policy
I may choose to (but do not promise to) withdraw students with four or more absences from class. You are responsible for submitting appropriate paperwork by the published deadlines if you choose to withdraw from the class. The deadline for withdrawing from the course this semester is Nov. 24, 2008.
Expected Conduct for Everyone
· Work hard.
· Be respectful.
· Show up every day, on time.
What To Do If You’re Absent
· Do the next two homework assignments (over the sections we discussed while you were gone; see syllabus).
· Contact me via e-mail or phone if you will miss more than one day, or if you are confused about what HW to do.
· Turn-in all missed assignments at the beginning of the day you return to avoid late penalties. It is your responsibility to turn-in missed assignments; I will not necessarily ask you for them!
Grade Distribution: Homework10%, Spiral Notebooks10%, Quizzes10%, Tests50%, Final20%
HOMEWORK: You are expected to complete a set of practice problems for each text section we cover. There are two ways you may choose to do your homework. You may do some (or all) assignments online and some (or all) with the textbook, as long as you complete one assignment for each section on the syllabus.
· ONLINE HOMEWORK: For this option, you will need to have the MyMathLab Student Access Kit which comes bundled with your new text purchase. See separate “Getting Started” handout given in class for more information. Online homework must be completed by 11:59p.m. of the night before each testing period begins. Online homework is graded primarily for accuracy, but any grade 80 or above will count as a 100. Grades below 80 will be counted as is. You may re-work problems as many times as you like before the deadline. Also, the program can provide hints and extra help if you need it. Grades are automatically sent to me—you don’t need to print anything.
· TEXTBOOK HOMEWORK: For this option, you will use your text and do the assignments listed on a handout I’ll give you on the first day of class (also available on my website). These assignments will be due at the beginning of the class after I assign them. You must copy down every problem to receive credit. On word problems, you do not need to copy the entire question, but you must show how you arrived at your answer. Late assignments lose 20 points. “Late” means anytime beyond 10 minutes into classtime, up through 10 minutes of the next class day. After that, the assignment is too late and the grade will be a zero. I check textbook homework for completion, not accuracy. Your grade will be…
Ø 100 if every problem is copied & attempted
Ø 80 if all but 1 or 2 problems are copied & attempted OR a completed assignment is late
Ø 50 if all but 3 problems up to half the assignment are copied & attempted OR if you have all the answers, but did not copy the problems.
Ø 0 if you have less than half of the assignment OR the assignment is turned in too late for credit.
SPIRAL NOTEBOOKS: At the beginning of each test review day, you will turn in a spiral notebook in which you have written notes for each section of the unit we just completed. Notes should include all definitions, procedures, and/or formulas from each section, along with examples worked out. IF YOU ARE ABSENT, YOU MUST TAKE NOTES ON YOUR OWN FROM THE TEXT OR ONLINE RESOURCES. Please do not put work from other classes in this spiral, and be sure to label sections by number and topic. The goal is for you to have a summary of intermediate algebra which will be helpful to you in future classes. Reading over the notes may also help prepare you for the unit tests.
QUIZZES: One in-class quiz will be given prior to each unit test. You may use your own notes or homework during quizzes, but no textbooks or other resources. Calculator usage will be announced at the time of the quiz. Some quizzes may be “group quizzes” where you are allowed to work with 2-3 classmates, if you choose (OK to work alone if you prefer). All students within a group will receive the same grade on group quizzes. There are no quiz make-ups. I average how ever many quiz grades you have at the end of the term. If you are in class to take EVERY quiz, I will drop your lowest quiz grade. If you miss 2 or more quizzes, I may require that you take a replacement quiz outside of class time. NO CELL PHONE CALCULATORS OR CALCUALTOR SHARING DURING QUIZZES.
TESTS: There will be 4 tests given during the semester. Each test will be closed-note and will be given in the ACC Rio Grande Testing Center during dates I announce in class. DO NOT MISS ANY TESTS; THERE ARE NO MAKE-UPS. If you do not take a test for any reason, you must contact me prior to the beginning of the following class period, or your grade will be a zero. I will consider, but not guarantee, extending the test deadline or allowing your final exam to replace that test’s grade. It depends on the circumstance AND your overall effort/attendance in the course. If you miss a second test for any reason, that grade will be a zero. I REQUIRE PENCIL(with eraser—no scratch-outs, please!) ON ALL TESTS. Test questions will primarily come from the most recent chapter(s) covered in class, and material from prior chapters will also be included. I may give partial credit on tests provided: 1) the work is partially correct; 2) I can easily read and follow the work you’ve shown. *For test dates, please see HW Assignment list.*
The FINAL EXAM is “departmental,” meaning all Intermediate Algebra students take essentially the same exam. It will be during the last class day--DON’T MISS IT. It is closed-note and scientific calculators are OK. I will provide you with a “departmental” review sheet before the exam. If you miss final exam day, it’s a zero. No make-ups. Exam date: Thursday, December 11.
Grades:
All of the above grades are based on a 100-point scale. Students should expect to receive one of the following grades, based on their average (see grade distribution above) at the end of the semester:
A=90-100 B=80-89 C=70-79 D=60-69 F=59 or below
Special Circumstance Grades:
•IN-PROGRESS (IP): If a student is attending regularly, doing all assigned work but is still not earning a grade of C or higher, I will consider the IP grade. Students who receive an IP grade are expected to register and pay for the same course again in the following semester—they are NOT permitted to go on to the next course. A maximum of 2 IP grades can be awarded in any one course.
•INCOMPLETE (I): These are given only in extremely rare circumstances. Generally, to receive a grade of “I”, a student must have taken all examinations, be passing, and, after the last date to withdraw, have a personal tragedy which prevents course completion. Arrangements for completing the course will be made individually.
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Math Department Course Statements
MATD 0390 INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA (3-4-0) COURSE DESCRIPTION
A course designed to develop the skills and understanding contained in the second year of secondary school algebra. Topics include review of properties of real numbers, functions, algebra of functions, inequalities, polynomials and factoring, rational expressions and equations, radical expressions and equations, quadratic functions and their graphs, solving quadratic equations, and exponential functions. The same course is sometimes offered in a one hour (0190) and two hour (0290) format.
COURSE RATIONALE
This course is designed to prepare students for various college-level science and mathematics courses. After succeeding in this course, students may enroll in a number of courses in science, mathematics and various technical areas. These include General College Physics, General Chemistry, Magnetism and DC Circuits, AC Circuits, Manufacturing Materials and Processes, Math for Business and Economics, and College Algebra.
Instructional Methodology: This course is taught in the classroom as a lecture/discussion course.
Reinstatement Policy: Students who withdrew or were withdrawn generally will not be reinstated unless they have completed all homework and tests necessary to place them at the same level of course completion as the rest of the class.
Statement on Students with Disabilities
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented physical or psychological disabilities. Students with disabilities must request reasonable accommodations through the Office of Students with Disabilities on the campus where they expect to take the majority of their classes. Students are encouraged to do this three weeks before the start of the semester. Students who are requesting accommodation must provide the instructor with a letter of accommodation from the Office of Students with Disabilities (OSD) at the beginning of the semester. Accommodations can only be made after the instructor receives the letter of accommodation from OSD.
Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty
Acts prohibited by the college for which discipline may be administered include scholastic dishonesty, including but not limited to, cheating on an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and unauthorized collaboration with another in preparing outside work. Academic work submitted by students shall be the result of their thought, work, research or self-expression. Academic work is defined as, but not limited to, tests, quizzes, whether taken electronically or on paper; projects, either individual or group; classroom presentations; and homework.
Statement on Scholastic Dishonesty Penalty
Students who violate the rules concerning scholastic dishonesty will be assessed an academic penalty that the instructor determines is in keeping with the seriousness of the offense. This academic penalty may range from a grade penalty on the particular assignment to an overall grade penalty in the course, including possibly an F in the course. ACC's policy can be found in the Student Handbook under Policies and Procedures or on the web at: http://www.austincc.edu/marketng/handbook/student_handbook_02-03.pdf
Statement on Academic Freedom
Institutions of higher education are conducted for the common good. The common good depends upon a search for truth and upon free expression. In this course the professor and students shall strive to protect free inquiry and the open exchange of facts, ideas, and opinions. Students are free to take exception to views offered in this course and to reserve judgment about debatable issues. Grades will not be affected by personal views. With this freedom comes the responsibility of civility and a respect for a diversity of ideas and opinions. This means that students must take turns speaking, listen to others speak without interruption, and refrain from name-calling or other personal attacks.