Precalculus
4
In person
TR - 9:50-11:30am
Wachman 16
Wachman 524
N/A
Tuesday - Wachman 524 - 2:30-3:30pm,
Wednesday - Zoom https://temple.zoom.us/j/8655012181 -https://temple.zoom.us/j/8655012181 https://temple.zoom.us/j/8655012181- 10am-12pm,
And by appointment
Textbook: Stewart/Redlin/Watson's Precalculus: Mathematics for Calculus, 8th edition, and Enhanced WebAssign, Cengage Learning. Students must have access to the 8th edition text. Access to the online homework system, WebAssign, is optional. Students may gain access to the text via any of the following:
- Rent the text with WebAssign through the University Bookstore.
- Use any of the purchase or rental options available directly through the publisheoptions available through the publisher.
- Purchase access to Cengage UnlimitedCengage Unlimited, allowing for access to multiple Cengage products simultaneously for this course and some courses in other departments.
- Purchase a copy of the 8th edition textbook either with or without WebAssign access through any other vendor they choose, including purchasing a used copy of the book, but it must be the 8th edition.
Written Homework: 10%;
Weekly Quizzes: 10%;
Tests 1 and 2: 25% each;
Cumulative Final: 30%.
Letter Grades: 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. NOTE: A grade of C or better is needed to move onto Math 1041: Calculus I. A grade of C- or better is needed to move onto Math 1039: Calculus I with Lab.
Mathematics placement, grade of C or better in Math 1021 or transfer credit for Math 1021. Students with a C- in Math 1021 may also enroll but must also be enrolled in Math 1023.
- Appreciate the significance of a strong mathematical foundation and its associated critical thinking and analytical skills and apply these in future endeavors and courses, especially Calculus.
- Evaluate, graph, and analyze algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions and straightforward combinations of these functions.
- Solve problems using algebraic, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric equations, and analyze and interpret the solutions.
- Recognize underlying mathematical principles in a variety of representations and use these principles to identify the appropriate tools to solve problems.
- Explain, construct, and critique mathematical arguments by focusing on why strategies work.
Topics include functions and function operations, one-to-one and inverse functions, exponential and logarithmic functions and equations, trigonometric functions and equations, inverse trigonometric functions, and basic trigonometric identities. The course also contains a brief review of algebra.
Weekly Quizzes - typically on Thursdays (see Canvas for dates);
Common Midterms:
Test 1: Friday EVENING, October 3, 5:30-7:00pm;
Test 2: Friday EVENING, November 14, 5:30-7:00pm;
Common Final - Wednesday, December 10, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
NOTE: THE FINAL IS SCHEDULED AT A SPECIAL TIME OUTSIDE OF THE FINAL EXAM MATRIX.
Learning math can be challenging at times and is best done in an interactive environment. Attendance in class is therefore required. Any time you are absent, be sure to check Canvas and WebAssign and to email one of your classmates to see what you missed. If unforeseen circumstances cause you to miss multiple sessions, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss the situation. You will be allowed no more than 4 unexcused absences during the semester. You will be penalized one grade notch (e.g. from B to B-) for your fifth absence, and one grade notch for each increment of 4 classes that you miss from that point forward.
The Student Success Center (SSC) at Temple is offering Peer Assisted Study Sessions (PASS) and STEM tutoring for this course online and in person throughout Fall 2025. During weekly PASS sessions, you can work with a trained peer leader and your fellow classmates to practice and explore course content together. Please visit studentsuccess.temple.edu for more information.
Review materials for each test and the final will be available on the course Canvas for review approximately one week prior to each test day. Questions on these reviews will contain homework problems. 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. Please note that you can certainly start reviewing for your exams PRIOR to the release of these materials, using your quizzes and assigned homework from the included sections.
To achieve course learning goals, students must attend and participate in classes, according to the course requirements. However, if you have tested positive for or are experiencing symptoms of a contagious illness, you should not come to campus or attend in-person classes or activities. It is the student’s responsibility to contact me to create a plan for participation and engagement in the course as soon as you are able to do so, and to make a plan to complete all assignments in a timely fashion.
It is important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse.
Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in Howard Gittis Student Center South, Rm 420 (drs@temple.edu215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.
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 (opens in new tab/window).
Students will be charged for a course unless dropped by the Drop/Add deadline date. Check the University calendar (opens in new tab/window) 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 use of generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) is not permitted in this class unless specifically announced for a particular assignment; therefore, any use of AI tools for work in this class may be considered a violation of Temple University's Academic Honesty policy and Student Conduct Code, since the work is not your own. The use of unauthorized AI tools will result in a grade of zero on the assignment; a second offense will be reported to the Student Conduct Board.
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).
The following academic support services are available to students (all links open in a new tab/window):
The Math Consulting Center
Student Success Center
University Libraries
Undergraduate Research Support
Career Center
Tuttleman Counseling Services
Disability Resources and Services
If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Division of Student Affairs.
Quizzes will be given each week in class, typically on Thursdays after a brief HW review.
- You need to be present and on-time to take the quiz.
- The quizzes will be similar to the homework due earlier that week. You need to thoroughly understand the homework to do well on quizzes.
- The quizzes are designed with the tests in mind. The format and feedback will be similar to your tests to help you be prepared.
- Make-up quizzes: I only allow for make-up quizzes for documented, excused absences. Please email me the document within 2 days of the missed quiz. The make-up quiz must be completed before I return the quiz to the rest of the class.
- Dropped quiz: If you have a low or missing quiz, I will drop this grade when calculating your quiz average. This dropped grade is reflected in the Canvas gradebook.
- Bonus quizzes: You can complete several optional assignments in Khan Academy to bring up your quiz grade. See Canvas assignments for details.
On Canvas, you will receive a list of assigned homework problems from the textbook as well as some supplementary problems for sections 2.3, 3.7, 2.6, and 3.6. The textbook problems are broken into warm-up, required, and challenge problems.
The "required" problems will be collected each week and will be worth 10% of your course grade. You will submit your homework each week in two submissions:
- First submission: You will submit your first attempt of the "required" problems on Canvas on Mondays. This is graded on completion and will unlock an answer key which you will use to correct your work.
- Second submission: You will submit your second attempt of the "required" problems on Canvas on Tuesdays. You will correct your first submission using the answer key. Be sure to use a different color pen for your corrections. You will need to include a check mark next to all problems that were correct in your first submission and rework all the problems that are incorrect in your first submission. This assignment will also be graded for completion. Note: the second submission is required even if you get all answers correct on the first submission. Simply put check marks next to all your answers for your second submission.
Optional homework: the "warm-up" problems are strongly recommended but may be skipped if you are very comfortable with that material. The "challenge" problems are optional, and they will be especially helpful to ensure you are ready for a quiz or test on the material. Several problems on the homework list are also available in WebAssign for additional practice. Completing WebAssign problems is optional.
Videos designed by the department have been created to support your success in this course. The links to these videos will be located in the Canvas course and on our department website, https://cst.temple.edu/department-mathematics/undergraduate/courses/supplementary-videos. It is strongly recommended students use these videos to support their in-class learning and to strengthen their understanding of the content throughout the semester.
Under no circumstances is the use of personal electronic devices such as phones, computers, smart watches allowed during exams. All such items must be stowed away and out of sight 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. In addition, under no circumstances, will students be allowed to bring in any kind of papers for use during the exam. Should a student need extra paper during a test, the 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.
While it may be presented in a variety of ways, the language of math is universal. From a young age, mathematical curiosity is present in humans across the globe and the beauty of its absolute truth and the infinite doors it can open are accessible to all. This classroom aims to enhance this atmosphere of embracing mathematical curiosity and the advancement of mathematical knowledge for all students, from all backgrounds. As the instructor, it is my responsibility to foster an environment where all students feel supported in their efforts to learn and understand the content, and are encouraged to offer their own ideas and suggestions to create a deeper learning experience. My intention is that the mutual respect between students and myself will allow for open communication and, when necessary, a dialog may take place regarding ways in which this classroom can be made more inclusive for all. I firmly believe each student in this class has valuable contributions to be made to our collective learning environment, and I will do my best to maintain an atmosphere in which these contributions are highly regarded by all.
Exams can only be rescheduled in cases of document emergencies or unavoidable conflicts, such as another class scheduled at that time. In the case of a DOCUMENTED EMERGENCY that prevents a student from taking a test as scheduled, the student must contact the instructor, the course coordinator (Dr. Meredith Hegg, mhegg1@temple.edu), and the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Dr. Boris Datskovsky, bdats@temple.edu) immediately to discuss alternative arrangements. Documentation must be provided within 48 hours of the missed exam. In case of an unavoidable personal conflict, students must contact their instructor, the course coordinator (Dr. Meredith Hegg, mhegg1@temple.edu), and the Director of Undergraduate Studies (Dr. Boris Datskovsky, bdats@temple.edu) no less than 2 weeks prior to the exam. Documentation may be required.