2018 Fall Course Syllabus - Mathematics 0702.010
Course: Mathematics 0702.010.
Course Title: Intermediate Algebra Section 010 Fall 2018.
Time: TR 08:00 - 09:40 am.
Place: Wachman Hall Room 016.
Instructor: Sherwood V. Polter.
Instructor Office: 10th Floor Room 1034 Wachman Hall.
Instructor Email: sherwood.polter@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: (215) 204-7840 Math Office.
Course Web Page: math.temple.edu/ugrad/coordinated/0702/
Office Hours: TR 07:15-08:00 Appointment Only. I may not be there if you drop in unexpectedly or I may be with another student.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of Introductory Algebra is expected. Placement is based on the Placement Test score, a grade of C- or better in Math 0701, or transfer credit for Math 0701.
Textbook: Intermediate Algebra, 7th edition, by Elayn Martin-Gay. You may obtain the textbook either by purchasing it from the Temple Bookstore (for a physical copy) or directly from the publisher (for the online version). Please do not delay getting book. The book is necessary for this course. You can fall behind in this course very easily if you delay getting your copy. We follow the book closely and assign problems directly from book. A word of caution! If you purchase your book used from other than the publisher it may not contain MyMathLab Account information. You may be required to pay additional cost to obtain MyMathLab Account.
Course Goals: The goal of this course is to cover the core topics of algebra as a preparation for precalculus mathematics.
Topics Covered: This course covers solving linear equations and inequalities, compound inequalities, and absolute value equations and inequalities, an introduction to functions, graphing linear equations and finding equations of lines, the laws of exponents, operations with polynomials, factoring polynomials and solving polynomial equations, operations with rational expressions, finding roots, scientific notation and operations with radicals. The techniques learned for solving equations and inequalities will be applied to solving application problems involving projectile motion, finance, mixtures, and more.
Course Grading: Tests 1-3 (The higher two test scores will each be worth 20% and the lowest score 15% of the final grade), Quizzes (10%), MyMathLab Assignments (5%), Final Exam (30%).
Exam Dates: Test 1 - Date: Tuesday September 18; Test 2 - Date: Tuesday October 16; Test 3 - Date: Thursday November 15; Cumulative Final - Date: Thursday December 13 at 3:30 - 5:30 pm location to be determined. (All exams held in classroom, start at 8:30 end 9:40am except as noted).
Attendance Policy: Attendance is required. Unexcused absences will affect your final grade according to the schedule given in the Student Guidelines. For TR sections the limit is: Nine unexcused absences will result in a failure for the course. There is NO need to email me if you are not attending class other than if you need to miss an Exam.
Quizzes: A quiz will be given every week except for first week and during those weeks in which a test is scheduled. Quizzes are administered towards the last 15 minutes of class. No make-up quizzes will be given if you miss class. Please don't ask for make-ups or extra credit as they are not permitted. Your two lowest quiz scores will be dropped if more than 8 quizzes are administered during the term, and your lowest single quiz score will be dropped if 8 or fewer quizzes are administered. Missed quizzes will receive a score of zero and are to be counted among the dropped scores as NO MAKE UP's are permitted per math department rules. You must be present in person during class to take a quiz. If you are a DRS student and need more quiz time I will ask that you take quiz with a proctor at the Math Department on Wachman 6th floor as the classroom will be used for the next incoming class.
Homework Assignments: Regular reading and writing assignments from the textbook will be given, these assignments will be made from the problems posted on the assignment list for each section covered in the course. This is the content of the course for which you are responsible. Not all homework assignments will be covered in class due to time constraints. Assignments will be checked randomly for credit during class or announced. Assignments are checked only for completion, half credit may be given or none for less than 50% completion depending on the assignment. Assignment checks usually occur when quizzes and tests occur. If you miss a homework credit check it cannot be redone for credit at any other time. Homework credit is a once and done process regardless of excuse. You are required to clearly PRINT name in upper righthand corner on lined notebook paper, write topic/section number of assignment (Example: Linear Equations and Inequalities Sections 2.1, 2.4, 2.5) at upper righthand corner and use sticky note tab in your notebook to locate your assignment work quickly during homework checks. If your papers are detached from notebook, please staple them and put name on each page. Without this identification and organization of your work you will not be able to receive credit for completed assignment. Please be sure to do this for homework, it makes it much easier to give you credit.
MyMathLab Assignments: A subset of the homework problems will be assigned and scored using MyMathLab. You will receive in the range of 20-to-25 MyMathLab assignments during the semester covering each topic of the course. If you successfully complete 90% of the work assigned, you will earn a score of 100 for this part of the course. Extra credit can be earned by any amount of work completed above the level of 90% and loss of credit due to incomplete or incorrect work is concurrently mitigated by this formula. MyMathlab Assignments are performed entirely on-line and WILL NOT be covered in class. You must get a MyMathLab Account on-line from the publisher. Added cost may be needed to obtain your own MyMathLab account. Trial Accounts are available for 14 days, after that if you do NOT get an official account none of your work is reported to the instructor which means you may receive 0 for any work you completed in MyMathLab after the trial period is over. Attempting to avoid account fees by resigning to trial only accounts will not report work to instructor and again you may sacrifice getting no credit for MyMathLab towards your final grade. MyMathLab assignments all have a due date required to complete assignments for credit. Once the due date passes you will no longer have access to that assignment. If you need date extension to complete a MyMathLab assignment, email instructor explaining why you missed the due date. In certain circumstances your instructor may grant date extension. Please stay on top of your on-line assignments and please do not ask instructor consistently to extend the dates.
Make-up Policy: The weekly quizzes cannot be made up regardless of the emergency. If an emergency should occur and you cannot attend an exam (Test), contact me as soon as possible to make an appointment for a make-up exam. Make-up exams may be harder problems given on test so you do not want to miss test. Documentation of the emergency is required and any make-up exam must be taken within one week of the exam date with a proctor at the math department. Make-up exams must be taken at Math Department (6th Floor Wachman Hall) no later than 2:30p the day of test. Tests are 70 minutes long.
Tutoring: Every student regardless of your scores in the class should take advantage of the free one-on-one tutoring throughout the semester at the Student Support Center located at Tuttleman Learning Center. Don't wait until the last minute (Recommend going early on in the semester and frequently to get the help you need). Getting math help when you need it is recommended. Get to know your tutor. Get to know your classmates. Group study is recommended. This course requires at least 2 to 3 hours on your own time to study and do homework problems for every hour spent in class. The Student Success Center (SSC) offers free tutoring for this course through the STEM Learning Lab. During tutoring sessions, tutors will work with you one-on-one to review and understand the concepts in this course. The tutoring service is located in the Tuttleman Learning Center, suite 100, and is available on a drop-in basis or by booking an appointment online. You can learn more about the STEM Learning Lab, as well as other resources offered by the SSC, by visiting in person, by calling 215-204-0702, or by checking out www.temple.edu/class.
Calculator Policy: No calculators no electronics of any kind may be used for any quiz or test. Must be secured in personal belongings.
Common Final Exam: The final exam is scheduled for Date: Thursday December 13 3:30 - 5:30 pm. Do not miss it. If a student misses the final exam, he or she will not be allowed to take a make-up exam unless there is a official documented emergency. You should arrive 15 minutes early to the final exam location to allow time for seating.
Use of Electronic Devices: All cell phones and other personal electronic devices including smart watches (such as i-phone watch) must be taken off and turned OFF and stowed away during class sessions. Place all phones in AIRPLANE MODE during quizzes and tests and secure in your back pack.
Exam Security Policy: Under no circumstance is the use of a personal electronic device, such as a phone, computer, tablet, or smart watch, allowed during exams. All such items must be stowed away and out of sight out of mind for the duration of the exam. Any student found with such a device during an exam will not be allowed to complete the test, will receive a score of zero for the test, and will be reported to the Student Code of Conduct Board and in all likelihood fail the course. In addition, under no circumstance, will students be allowed to bring in any kind of paper for use during an exam. Should a student need extra paper during a test, the instructor or proctor will provide it. Any student found using papers that they themselves brought into the exam will not be allowed to complete the test, will receive a score of zero for the test, and will be reported to the Student Code of Conduct Board and may fail the course.
Student Responsibility: This course requires 2-3 hours on your own time to study and complete homework assignments for every hour spent in the classroom not counting time spent with tutors or classmates. Regardless of how well you know Algebra you are still responsible for self study and self learning. The instructor is not responsible for how you wish to learn or study that is something you must manage on your own.
DRS Students: If you are a DRS student and want to take advantage of the services provided to students you MUST register with DRS services prior to taking an Exam or Final. The location of where you go to take the exam is determined by DRS services. As a word of caution-It is possible that your DRS services may be taken away from you if you are not using the services to allow room for other students to use. So please consider this when taking exams. For quizzes it is possible that the instructor may ask that you take quizzes at DRS services or for the occasional time being a few quizzes can be administered at the Math Department.
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. Check the University calendar for exact dates.
During the Drop/Add period, students may drop a course with no record of the class appearing on their transcript. Students are not financially responsible for any courses dropped during this period. In the following weeks prior to or on the withdrawal date students may withdraw from a course with the grade of "W" appearing on their transcript. After the withdrawal date students may not withdraw from courses. Check the University Calendar (Opens in new tab/window) for exact dates. See the full policy by clicking here. (Opens in new tab/window)
The grade "I" (an "incomplete") is only given if students cannot complete the course work due to circumstances beyond their control. It is necessary for the student to have completed the majority of the course work with a passing average and to sign an incomplete contract which clearly states what is left for the student to do and the deadline by which the work must be completed. The incomplete contract must also include a default grade that will be used in case the "I" grade is not resolved by the agreed deadline. See the full policy by clicking here. (Opens in new tab/window)