South Plains College Math 1314 – College Algebra (3:3:1) Course Syllabus Spring 2012 Instructor: Diane Eagle Office: M106 (mathematics building) Phone: 806-716-2736 E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 10:30 – 11:30 2:15 – 3:00 11:45 – 12:15 5:00 – 5:20 10:30 – 11:30 2:15 – 3:00 11:45 – 12:15 5:00 – 5:20 9:00 – 12:00 Prerequisites: 2 years of high school algebra or Math 0320, TSI compliance Textbook: College Algebra, 5th edition, Blitzer, Pearson-Prentice Hall, 2010 Supplies: Pencils, paper, straightedge and graph paper. No calculators above a TI-30 are allowed. Your calculator needs to be able to perform square roots, logarithms and exponential functions. Calculators on cell phones, graphing calculators, or other electronic devices will NOT be allowed during tests or in-class assignments. Arrive prepared to take notes every day. Course Description: A standard course in college algebra. Quadratic equations; ratio and proportion; variation; binomial theorem; inequalities; complex numbers; theory of equations; determinants and matrices. Course Purpose/Rational/Goal: The purpose of the course is to provide a fundamental background in algebra to meet the mathematics requirement for the core curriculum and to provide a basis for further study in mathematics. Student Learning Outcomes/Competencies: Upon completion of this course and receiving a passing grade, the student will be able to: 1. Solve and graph problems involving linear (1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4) quadratic (1.5, 1.6, 3.1) exponential (4.1, 4.4) and logarithmic (4.2, 4.3, 4.4) functions 2. Solve and graph linear, quadratic, and rational inequalities (1.7, 3.6, 5.5) 3. Identify and simplify complex numbers (1.4) 4. Apply midpoint, distance, and circle formulas (2.8) 5. Analyze and graph polynomial functions (3.2, 3.3, 3.4) 6. Analyze and graph rational functions (3.5) 7. Create and solve systems of equations with algebraic techniques (5.1, 5.2, 5.4) with matrix techniques (6.1) and with determinants (6.5) 8. Apply the Binomial Theorem to expand binomials of higher degree (8.5) *Developed by the Coordinating Board and the Faculty of South Plains College’s Math and Engineering Department.Course Requirements: To maximize the potential to complete this course, a student should attend all class and laboratory meetings, take notes and participate in class, complete all homework assignments and examinations including final examinations. Prerequisite Knowledge: To successfully complete the course objectives, students must already possess a prerequisite skill set. Students need to be able to reduce and/or simplify algebraic, polynomial, exponential, radical, and rational expressions, as well as perform basic operations with each of these types of expressions. Knowledge of factoring polynomials is REQUIRED, as is a basic understanding of the coordinate plane and graphing equations. These topics are covered in Chapter P of the textbook. An online quiz over this prerequisite material will be given during week 1 to assess the student’s readiness to proceed in College Algebra. Course Evaluation: Your final grade will be determined by the average of 4 major tests (400 points) the comprehensive final exam (100 points) homework/quizzes (150 points.) A total of 650 points are possible. The number of points earned will follow the grading scale below: A 90 to 100 582 to 650 points B 80 to 89 517 to 581 points C 70 to 79 452 to 516 points D 60 to 69 387 to 451 points F Below 60 0 to 386 points Exams: Dates for the 4 major tests and comprehensive final exam are listed on the calendar. There are NO makeup tests! If you miss one of the 4 major tests, your final exam will count twice to replace the missing grade. A second missed test will be averaged as a zero. The final exam grade (if higher) will also replace the lowest major exam grade; however, if the final exam is lower than any of the 4 major exam grades, then it will only count once in the course average. Homework: Homework is assigned from each section covered and will be collected periodically. Time will be available at the beginning of class to ask questions. Consistently working problems reinforces the skills and concepts presented, and therefore is essential for success in this course. In addition, many test questions come directly from the assigned problems and examples worked in class. Quizzes: Online quizzes (worth 5 points each) will be assigned for most sections and may be accessed at: http://wps.prenhall.com/esm_blitzer_coll_alg_3/. Upon completion of the quiz, you will receive your score. A link will appear so that you can email your results to me to be recorded. You are strongly urged to email your score to yourself also and to print the summary page for study purposes. Other days, a worksheet or brief, 10-point quiz may be given at the end of class. These quizzes will consist of a few problems from the previous day’s homework. Completed homework assignments and notes may be used when taking quizzes in class, but not the textbook. There are NO makeups for missed quizzes, and a grade of zero will be assigned. Bonus Points: Do NOT ask for extra credit. Typically, students who request extra credit help are those who are not completing the basic requirements of the class to begin with. Occasionally, tests may include a bonus problem, or a bonus problem may be assigned to complete outside of class. Tutoring: Students can obtain free tutoring in room M116 in the math building on the South Plains Campus in Levelland or in Building 8 at the Reese Center. Tutoring schedules will be posted on campus. Please remember to sign in when you seek the help of a tutor in each of these places.Attendance Policy: Attendance will be taken every class period. Students who arrive late, leave early, sleep during class, or fail to sign the attendance sheet may be counted absent. Whenever absences become excessive and, in the instructor’s opinion, minimum course objectives cannot be met due to absences, the student will be withdrawn from the course. Any student who misses 3 consecutive classes or exceeds 5 absences throughout the semester will be administratively dropped and receive a grade of X or F. Students wishing to drop this class must see the registrar by Tuesday, April 24, 2012 to