MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra
Valencia Community College
Instructor: Paul V. Flores, Ed.D., Ph.D.
Email: pflores@atlas.valenciacc.edu
Office: 4-237
Syllabus
Fall, 2010
Office Hours: Mon/Wed: 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Tue: 10:30 a.m. -- 2:30 p.m.
Thur: 10:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Fri: 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (Online)
Fall Term Dates: August 30, 2010 – December 19, 2011
Final Exam: Tuesday, December 14 from 7:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Course Description:
Prerequisite: Minimum grade of C in MAC 1105 or appropriate score on an approved assessment. Algebra preparation for the calculus sequence. Topics include a symbolical, graphical, and numerical analysis of polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, power, and rational functions; matrices; sequences; induction; binomial theorem and conic sections. Applications emphasizing connections with other disciplines and the real world will be included. Technology tools will be utilized in addition to analytical methods. Gordon Rule course.
Minimum grade of C is required if MAC 1140 is used to satisfy
Gordon Rule and general education requirement. Credit not given for both MAC 1140 and MAC 1132 nor for MAC 1140 and MAC 1142 nor for MAC 1140 and MAC 1147.
Valencia Core Competencies:
Valencia desires their graduates to possess and demonstrate a set of global competencies including the ability to think, communicate,

value, and act. In an effort to help you acquire and improve upon your ability to demonstrate these competencies, this course will include activities that require you to:
1. Think clearly, critically, and creatively.
2. Communicate with others in written and verbal form.
3. Make reasoned value judgments and responsible commitments.
4. Act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly.
Due to the nature of these global competencies, many problems and activities will be presented in the context of an application. These applications will require students to select appropriate information from the problem and communicate effectively how to arrive at an appropriate solution for the problem.
Required Course Materials:
Text: Precalculus with Modeling & Visualization, 4 th Edition, ISBN 0-
321-56800-1
Calculator: A graphing calculator is required for this course
Class Policies:
Homework: Mathematics is learned by doing homework. It will be assigned every class, and should be completed prior to the next meeting. If you do not do homework, you cannot reasonably expect to learn the material. We will begin every class by reviewing homework problems. You may choose to do the online homework available through course compass. Whether you use the online resources or not, all homework needs to be written out by hand; otherwise, it is impossible to correct your errors. You will not learn anything by sitting in front of the computer and inputting answers WITHOUT working out
EVERY detail BY HAND!!!!
Attendance: Attendance is expected of all students except in case of an emergency. If you must miss a class, you are responsible for getting all notes

Tardiness:
Electronic :
Devices from a classmate. Certainly, I am available for assistance, but I would not expect a student to be absent more than once or twice. Excessive absences —more than 3—without adequate excuse may result in withdrawal from the course.
All students are expected to be on time, every day.
I do know emergencies arise. If you think you will arrive late or you need to leave early, please communicate this to me as soon as you know.
Students are required to silence all electronic devices (e.g., pagers, cellular phones, etc.) during class. If you have an emergency that necessitates keeping the device on, I expect you will communicate this to me prior to the start of class. If it goes off, I do expect you to leave immediately and tend to your business. I will see you next class.
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities who qualify for academic accommodations must provide a notification from the Office for Students with
Disabilities (OSD) and discuss specific needs with the instructor, preferably during the first two weeks of class. The Office for Students with Disabilities determines accommodations based on appropriate documentation of disabilities. The East Campus Office is located in
Building 5, Room 216.
Withdrawals:
Per Valencia Policy 4-07 (Academic Progress, Course Attendance and Grades, and Withdrawals), a student who withdraws from class before the withdrawal deadline of November 5, 2010 will receive a grade of “W.” A student is not permitted to withdraw after the withdrawal deadline. A faculty member MAY withdraw a student up to the beginning of the final exam period for violation of the class attendance policy. A student who is withdrawn by faculty for violation of the class attendance policy will receive a grade of “W.” Any

student who withdraws or is withdrawn from a class during a third or subsequent attempt in the same course will be assigned a grade of
“F.” For a complete policy and procedure overview on Valencia
Policy 4-07 please go to: http://valenciacc.edu/generalcounsel/policydetail.cfm?RecordID=75 .
Outline:
The course will be divided into four units (each lasting four weeks —or 8 classes each) and a test will be given over each one.
Below is a schedule showing the approximate content and test dates for each unit. Exact dates will be announced in class. Make up exams will NOT BE GIVEN.
Text Material Week of
Exam 1 (20%)
Exam 2 (20%)
Exam 3 (20%)
Exam 4 (20%)
Chapters 1, 2, 3
Chapters 3, 4
Chapters 5, 9
Chapters 10, 11
Final Exam (20%) Cumulative
9/20
10/18
11/22
12/6
12/14
Grading:
Grades will be based upon four in class exams. The final exam score may replace the lowest test score (provided no tests have been missed). The course average will be the average of the final exam and the four tests. Letter grades will be assigned according to the final average using the standard grading scale.
Grading Scale:
90 —100% = A
80 —89% = B
70 —79% = C
60 —69% = D
Below 60%= F

Academic Honesty:
All students are expected to be in complete compliance with Valencia
Community College’s policies on academic honesty. In no instance will cheating of any type be tolerated. Students found to be in violation of this policy will be disciplined consistent with the policy established by the college.
How to do well in this Class:
If you wish to earn a high grade in this class —A or B—there are a couple of “must-do” things you will need to do. I can tell you, this class is difficult. Any one who has ever taken Precalculus can attest to this fact. Earning an “A” or “B” means you’ve pretty much mastered the material. This means you have to understand the concepts, not just memorize the formulas. In fact, there will be very little memorization involved in this class; you will be expected to practice the concepts learned until you internalize them. Though this process is difficult —you can expect to study at least 1-2 hours for each class meeting —it is a worthwhile undertaking. Precalculus is a relevant, powerful subject that can help you develop quantitative competence that will prepare you for subsequent course work in the Calculus sequence. You will have a step up on the competition if you earn a high grade in this class. It makes transfer applications to UCF and other fouryear universities more impressive if you have an “A” or “B” in this difficult class.
Okay, one other thing, studying Precalculus does not mean reading the book. This is an important fact to understand. Studying
Precalculus means doing problems, more problems, and then some additional problems .
Homework is an important aspect of this class. Unless you do it all , you will be lost!! Please do not fall into the trap of saying, “ I’ll wait until the weekend to study .” Precalculus is not like other subjects where

you can “cram” to get the work done. You have to work on it everyday.
If you have any problems, issues, or concerns, remember I am here for you. Please do not forget this. I am committed to helping you be successful in this class. I will do what I can for you, but remember I can’t study for you—that’s up to you!
Good Luck!! 
Disclaimer:
I reserve the right to change/modify any aspect of this syllabus at any time. I will communicate all changes to students via class emails in addition to announcements in class. It is important you check your atlas email regularly.

Directions to give students on registering in MML:
If you have a used book and need to purchase an access code online:
Step 1: Go to www.coursecompass.com
Step 2: Under Students, click on Register
Step 3: Click on Purchase online access now using a credit card.
Step 4: Enter the course ID flores83676 and click next. (Note the lowercase letters and no space between name and number.)
Step 5: Click on Purchase. Then follow the directions on setting up an account. You will need to enter Valencia’s zip code of 32825.
Step 6: Record your login information. If you forget your user name or password you have to contact Technical Support at 1-800-677-6337 (M-F 8am-5pm CST)
Step 7: Download the necessary plug-ins by logging into your course and then clicking on Installation Wizard in the menu on the left.
If you purchased a new textbook that came with an access code:
Step 1: Go to www.coursecompass.com
Step 2: Under Students, click on Register
Step 3: Click on Next in the bottom right hand corner.
Step 4: Follow the directions on the screen to register in the course. When asked for the course ID, enter flores83676. (Note the lowercase letters and no space between name and number.) You will need to enter Valencia’s zip code of 32825.
Step 5: Record your login information. If you forget your user name or password you have to contact Technical Support at 1-800-677-6337 (M-F 8am-5pm CST)
Step 6: Download the necessary plug-ins by logging into your course and clicking on
Installation Wizard in the menu on the left.
Note: If you ever have problems accessing the site through the above link, then go to www.mathxl.com and log in through there as a MyMathLab user. This is a form of a back-door into the class.