COURSE SYLLABUS Math 1314 Spring 2011 Reese Center TTR 1 00 pm 2 45 pm rm RC321 COURSE TITLE College Algebra 208 INSTRUCTOR Donna Scarborough Office 316 B Reese Phone 806 716 4886 EMAIL dscarborough southplainscollege edu OFFICE HOURS ANY CHANGES WILL BE POSTED ON OFFICE 316 B MONDAY 10 00 am 11 00 pm 1 00 pm 2 30 pm TUESDAY 3 00 pm 3 45 pm WEDNESDAY 10 00 am 11 00 am 1 00 pm 2 30 pm THURSDAY 3 00 pm 3 45 pm FRIDAY 9 30 am 11 00 am Or by appointment for other times COURSE DESCRIPTION MATH 1314 3 3 2 College Algebra This course includes linear equations and inequalities complex numbers quadratic and rational inequalities lines and slopes distance formula functions and language of functions quadratic rational and polynomial functions exponential and logarithmic functions systems of equations and inequalities matrices determinants and the binomial theorem This course will satisfy graduation requirements TEXT College Algebra By Blitzer 5th Edition 2010 Pearson Education Inc Upper Saddle River NJ My MathLab supplement packet CALCULATORS Calculators will be allowed TI 83 graphing calculators will be allowed or a simple calculator with a square root key If you do not have a graphing calculator I will furnish one for use in class only If a calculator disappears from class then the class will not be allowed to use graphing calculators until it is returned If in appropriate drawings or sayings appear on the calculator after class then that class will not be allowed to use the calculator until the person who did it admits to it Calculators on cell phones or other electronic devices will not be allowed COURSE ATTENDANCE Attendance and effort are the most important activities for success in this course Your lack of attendance will put you at risk of failing this course Class attendance may be taken at any time during the class period If you are absent more than 5 times during the semester you will receive an F for the course at the end of the semester even if your average is passing After 5 absences you have a week to drop the course if you do not want a grade of F or X on your transcript before I initiate an administratively drop Two 2 tardies equal one absence Tardies will be assigned to those students arriving to class up to 15 minutes late or leaving up to 15 minutes early Coming to class any later or leaving class any earlier will be considered an absence Tardies can be made up by student initiating contact with me to see what the conditions will be The policies of the current SPC catalog will be followed for attendance requirements as well as for both studentinitiated and administrative withdrawal procedures If you are tardy it is your responsibility to see me after class ON THE SAME DAY that the tardy occurs to be sure that I did not mark you absence Refer to the South Plains College General Catalog under Class Attendance and Withdrawals for withdrawal procedures on page 21 An absence is anytime you are not present All absences are unexcused Be mindful that while this course does not affect your GPA it does count for Financial Aid Eligibility and can affect transferring to a four year institution as it is recorded on your transcript Students that sleep during class or do not participate in class activities will be counted as absent In addition talking or whispering between students side comments offensive remarks excessive shifting of backpacks and or other materials side comments working on any assignment or activity other than which directly relates to the class sleeping wearing of headphones or audio ear buds and excessive leaving and returning to the classroom during the course of the class period will not be allowed Students might be asked to leave class and will be counted as absent Sunglasses are not to be worn in the classroom GRADING POLICY The final grade for this course will be determined in the following way Final average 4 major exams daily average final exam 6 Final grades will be as assigned by the following scale 100 90 A 89 80 B 79 70 C 69 60 D Below 60 F Your TSI score is used for placement only and will not be used to determine your final grade Page 2 MAJOR EXAMS Tentative test dates are noted in the class calendar There will be 4 major exam grades and a final exam The final will be a comprehensive The final exam grade if it is higher will be used to replace the lowest major exam grade If the final exam is lower than any of the 4 major exam grades it will only count once in the course average Students who have no more than two 2 absences may choose not to take my part of the final exam if they are satisfied with their course average but must take the eight departmental questions if required this semester If a student is exempt from the final exam due to attendance the student s class average excluding the exam will be used as the final exam grade A MAJOR EXAM QUIZ OR HOMEWORK GRADE MISSED FOR ANY REASON WILL COUNT AS A ZERO see Make Up Policy below On test days students are only to bring pencils calculators and an eraser The instructor will provide scratch paper Papers must be returned to the instructor after the test All graded papers are returned to students and the student is expected to keep those graded papers MAKE UP POLICY If a student is absent FOR ANY REASON when a major exam is given the student will receive a grade of zero for that exam At the end of the semester the final exam grade if it is higher will be used to replace the lowest major exam grade A second missed exam will be averaged as a zero There is NO make up for a missed quiz or a homework assignment and a grade of zero will be assigned If you miss a graded lab assignment warm up that is graded you may come into my office to replace this zero with a grade EXEMPTION POLICY Students with no more than two 2 absences may choose not to take my part of the final exam but must take the eight departmental questions Example two 2 absences and one 1 tardy will be required to take the final EXTRA CREDIT At the beginning of the semester each student will have 50 extra credit points A student will lose 10 of the extra credit points for each absent After 5 absences you will not receive any of these extra credit points At the end of the semester the extra credit points will be added to a daily grade s DAILY GRADES A portion of your final average is based on problems worked online via MyMathLab I encourage you to purchase your textbook immediately and use the Access Code Packet bundled with your textbook to