Spring 2015 Course Syllabus - Mathematics 1021.001
Course: Mathematics 1021.001.
Course Title: Math 1021 College Algebra.
Time: 8:00 AM to 9:10 AM.
Place: Barton Hall, B401.
Instructor: Moussaoui, Chafika.
Instructor Office: 1015 Wachman Hall.
Instructor Email: chafika.moussaoui@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: NA.
Course Web Page: Blackboard.temple.edu
Office Hours: MWF 10:40-11:40.
Prerequisites: Math Placement or a C or better in Math 0701, 0702, 1015, or transfer credit for any of these courses.
Textbook: College Algebra: Basics to Theory of equations, Fall 2010 edition by John J. Schiller & Marie A. Wurster.
Course Goals: College Algebra is a course designed to teach the fundamentals of algebra that are essential for future mathematics courses.
Topics Covered: This course covers polynomial, rational and algebraic expressions, solving linear equations and inequalities, algebra and graphs of quadratic expressions, and an introduction to the concept of a function.
Course Grading: Review Quiz: 3%; Weekly Quizzes: 14%; Tests 1, 2 and 3: 17% each; Cumulative Final: 32%. Numeric-To-Letter-Grade Scale: 93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, 70-72 C-, 65-69 D+, 55-64 D, 50-54 D-, 0-49 F.
Exam Dates: Review Quiz Wednesday, January 14; Test 1 Wednesday, February 11; Test 2 Wednesday, March 18; Test3- Friday, April 17; Final- Common Final - THURSDAY, April 30, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m, room TBA.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is mandatory. Three or more absences will affect your grade. You will be penalized one grade notch (e.g. from B to B-) for your fourth absence and one grade notch for each increment of 3 classes or a portion thereof that you miss from that point forward. . Failure to attend class during quiz dates will also affect your Quiz Average. Promptness is also required. Some absences are excused such as illness or death in family, given that documentation (with a contact phone number) is provided. If there is another reason for absence, the situation will be evaluated by the professor on a case-by-case basis.
Enter Review Quiz: There is a Review Quiz on pre-algebra scheduled on Wednesday, January 14. This quiz contains material you should have had before. If you have difficulty with this review material, it indicates that you do not have enough background to continue in Math 1021 and you may want to take Math 0701 or 0702. During the first few days of the semester, the Math Department can help you switch from Math 1021 to Math 0701 or 0702. If you wish to do this, please contact Dr. Boris Datskovsky at bdats@temple.edu.
Weekly Quizzes: A short in -class quiz will be given every week starting the second week of class (and excluding exam weeks). Each quiz will consist of 4-5 problems based on the homework problems assigned that week. When computing your overall quiz average, the lowest two quiz scores will be dropped (If 8 quizzes or less are given, the lowest quiz score will be dropped). No makeup quizzes will be given. Missed quizzes will receive a score of zero and are to be counted among the dropped score(s).
Common Final Exam: The final exam is scheduled for THURSDAY, April 30, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., room to be announced. BE AWARE THAT THE FINAL IS SCHEDULED AT A SPECIAL TIME OUTSIDE OF THE FINAL EXAM MATRIX. DO NOT MISS IT. If a student misses the final exam, he/ she will NOT be allowed to take a make up exam unless there is a documented emergency. If you miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in, your grade for the course will be F.
Homework Assignments: Homework will be assigned on a regular basis. Each exercise represents a typical type of problem that you are expected to solve. If a certain type of problem gives you difficulty, you should get help from your instructor or at the tutoring center and try more exercises of that type until you understand the concept. It is your responsibility to make sure you are doing these problems correctly by checking your answers in the back of the textbook (for the odd-numbered problems) and on the course webpage (for the even-numbered problems).You can find the list of the sections that will be covered and the corresponding homework problems under the Course documents tab under the Syllabus and HW sheet link in the course webpage (http://www.math.temple.edu/~nhamid).
Make Up Policy: There will be no make up for weekly quizzes given. If an emergency arises and you cannot attend the Review Quiz or an exam, you should contact your instructor AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to alert her/him to the situation so that we can make other arrangements. DOCUMENTATION OF THE EMERGENCY IS REQUIRED and any make-up exam must be taken WITHIN TWO DAYS of the exam date. No make ups will be given once the graded tests are returned. Some absences are excused such as illness or death in family, given that documentation (with a contact phone number) is provided. If there is another reason for the absence, the situation will be evaluated by the professor on a case-by-case basis. Note: Some students have travel plans around the end of every semester. If you are in this category of students, please plan ahead. Under any circumstance, students will not be allowed to reschedule any exam, especially the final exam, because of travel/ work plans.
Review for Midterms & Final: Reviews for the tests and the final will be posted on the course webpage, (www.math.temple.edu/~ nhamid) one week prior to each test week. Please be aware that this review material may not be all-inclusive. Any problem similar to a sample problem or a homework problem may appear on the tests and the final. You are also responsible for the examples worked out in each assigned section in the textbook even though they are not done in class.
Tutoring: Free one-on-one tutoring is available throughout the semester at the MSRC located at 1810 Liacouras Walk, 2nd Floor. See www.temple.edu/msrc for more information.
Calculators: Free one-on-one tutoring is available throughout the semester at the MSRC located at 1810 Liacouras Walk, 2nd Floor. See www.temple.edu/msrc for more information.
Cell Phone Policy: All cell phones and other personal electronic devices must be turned OFF during class sessions as well as during Quizzes and Tests. Texting is also prohibited during Class. If a cell phone is answered during a test, it will result in an automatic failure of the test.
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.
Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date given below.
During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.
The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.