Syllabus: MATH 109 College Algebra
Spring 2010 Sections 0401 &0901
INSTRUCTOR:
Manal Elbeshir, mmelbeshir@umes.edu
OFFICE:
Kiah Hall, Room1127
PHONE:
410-651-6429
OFFICE HOURS:
MW 9:00-10:00 TuThr 12:00-3:00
TEXTBOOK:
Algebra and Trigonometry: Enhanced with Graphing Utilities, Sullivan and
Sullivan, Custom Edition for University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Pearson
Custom Publishing.
This is a custom edition bundled especially for MATH 109 College Algebra at UMES. Packaged
materials include the course text and MyMathLab Student Access Kit. Before purchasing used
materials, students are advised that the access code to MyMathLab included with the text purchase is
required for the course and is nontransferable.
CALCULATORS: I allow any kind of calculator for homework assignments and special projects.
However, you will not be able to use a graphing calculator on tests or the final exam. Only simple,
inexpensive calculators are allowed on exams. You may not use your cell phone as a calculator. It is
suggested that you purchase a Texas Instruments graphing calculator as soon as possible to use
throughout your university mathematics career as your textbook uses this calculator.
COMPUTERS: You do not need your own computer for this course. However, we will be using two
internet-based sites, MyMathLab and Blackboard. You may use the public computers in Waters Hall
to access both of the sites. Please remember to use good hygiene practices with public computers
(wash hands prior to and after use, carry hand sanitizer, etc.)
PREREQUISITE:
MATH 101 with grade of “C” or better, or placement by ACCUPLACER
examination (must verify to instructor)
SCOPE:
To provide the student with a firm foundation in Algebra and Trigonometry
for the successful study of MATH 112 Calculus and Analytic Geometry I.
GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students will be able to:
1. Use problem solving approaches to investigate and understand mathematical content.
2. Recognize and formulate problems from situations within and outside mathematics.
3. Formulate mathematical definitions and express generalizations discovered through
investigations.
4. Use mathematical vocabulary, notation, and structure to represent ideas, describe
Relationships and model situations.
5. Read written presentations of mathematics with understanding.
6. Make and test conjectures.
7. Follow logical arguments.
8. Represent situations that involve variable quantities with expressions, equations and
inequalities.
9. Operate on expressions and solve equations and inequalities.
10. Represent and analyze relationships.
11. Translate among tabular, symbolic and graphical representations of functions.
12. Use and analyze algorithms.
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SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this course the student
should be able to:
1. Add, subtract, multiply and divide functions.
2. Form compositions of functions.
3. Identify and graph linear and nonlinear functions without/with the use of graphing utilities
4. Solve linear, fractional, and quadratic equations.
5. Solve linear and fractional nonlinear inequalities.
6. Simplify exponential, logarithmic and radical expressions.
7. Solve exponential and logarithmic equations.
8. Solve systems of equations and inequalities algebraically and graphically.
9. Solve systems of equations algebraically and by using matrices and determinants.
GRADING POLICY:
Final grades will be computed using the following formula:
Homework
In-class Quizzes
In-class hourly examinations
Attendance & Class Participation
Final Examination
A:
B:
C:
D:
F:
15%
10%
45%
5%
25%
90 – 100%
80 – 89.9%
70 – 79.9%
60 – 69.9%
below 60%
CLASS POLICIES:





Turn off all cell phones prior to the start of class!
No late assignments will be accepted. If you must be absent, you are still expected to do
homework on MyMathLab as it is posted several weeks ahead of the due date.
Students in MATH 109 are expected to take full advantage of technology-based learning
opportunities available through this course. Materials bundled with the required text includes a
video lecture on each section of the text. Student Access Codes to MyMathLab allow students to
access homework as well as a variety of interactive support vehicles including video clips,
additional examples, and interactive and animated presentations. All homework is completed
online with MyMathLab.
You are expected to take notes every day. Come to class with pencils and paper in a 3-ring
notebook. All lectures from class will be presented in PowerPoint form and these are made
available on Blackboard after class so that you can review the material that was presented.
However, research has shown that taking notes is extremely important to the learning process.
Thus, your will take notes and your notebook will be graded periodically throughout the semester.
Students enrolled in all sections are expected to complete the common assignments independently.
Do not let other people do your homework for you or your grade will suffer. The University’s IT
Department has ensured that all appropriate plug-ins have been installed on the machines in Waters
Hall labs. Students will find the MyMathLab logo on the desktop when they log in. Students who
choose to utilize private machines for MyMathLab assume responsibility for proper installation of
required plug-ins.
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HOMEWORK: Homework is assigned regularly on the MyMathLab site. All homework problems
are graded. Keep a hard copy of these assignments, and you will be asked to submit some of them
randomly.
EXAMS:
 There will be four traditional “chapter” exams given during class time. No graphing calculators on
tests.
 You are expected to take exams on test days. If you have no emergency and have to miss a test, you
will take a zero on that test. No late, early, or make-up tests will be provided, and no exam scores
are dropped.
 There will be a departmental final exam. You will take this final in-class according to the schedule
provided by the university. You may not use a graphing calculator.
 The final exam is comprehensive and you must score at least 50% on the final to pass this class.
 FINAL EXAM 1:00-2:50 pm on May 17, 2010
SUPPORT SERVICES: At the first sign of difficulty, students are encouraged to seek assistance
from their instructor during posted office hours. Office hours mean I am there and you can just show
up – no appointment needed – so take advantage of this opportunity! Instructors are also able to
broker a variety of interventions including direct assistance as well as tutoring available through the
Student Development Center.
STUDY HABITS: As a rule of thumb, undergraduate students can be expected to devote three (3)
hours coursework outside of class for every hour spent in class. That means you should expect to study
9 hours per week for Math. Those students who struggle with mathematics should prepare to devote
additional time. All students will be required to make a schedule of their weekly activities. In addition to
class times, students will consider work study hours and time for sleep, meals, recreation, exercise, and
other important activities. Finally, students should commit an uninterrupted time block of 1½ hours that
will be devoted to the study of mathematics. Conventional wisdom supports that students who commit
their schedules to paper are more likely to devote the necessary time to their studies and are generally
more successful academically.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT: Students are expected to demonstrate respect for their classmates, their
instructors, and themselves at all times. This respect is demonstrated by appropriate language,
attitude, and mode of dress. Disrespect will not be tolerated. Suggestive clothing or language has no
place in the classroom. Trips in and out of class are disruptive. Students should plan to arrive to class
early and be prepared to attend for the entire class period. Students are expected to attend to personal
needs before class begins. No cell phones are permitted.
ATTENDANCE: You need to be in class to understand the material, to see example problems, and to
ask questions. Thus, attendance is taken every day. As Math 109 is a 3-credit course, you are allowed
3 “free” absences. No excuse is needed for these 3 days. (This also allows you a few free days to miss
for Swine Flu, should you be unfortunate enough to catch it.) After that number, each absence will
result in 5 points being subtracted from your average (i.e. 5 absences = 10 points deducted from your
course average.)
You are tardy after 10 minutes. Each tardy equals ½ absence, and their accumulation will be subtracted
as points from your average. (See UMES Attendance Policy at end of this syllabus.)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENT ATHLETES: Any student athlete (or participant of other
University activities) enrolled in class must make an appointment within the first week of the semester
to meet with the instructor so that game schedules and travel schedules can be discussed and the
instructor can clarify for the athlete procedures and policies on make-up work. Student athletes are
reminded that absences (whether excused or unexcused) do not relieve them of their responsibility to
complete course assignments. Instructors must know in advance that absences related to athletic
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events will occur so that early planning can take place. (See attached policy on class attendance).
Additionally, homework is available on-line through MyMathLab. Since hotels generally provide free
internet access student athletes are encouraged to secure a laptop with appropriate plug-ins installed
and fully utilize the support services available on-line.
ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students are expected to secure, read, and understand their rights and
responsibilities relative to academic honesty under the UMES Student Code of Conduct: Student
Judiciary Manual (http://www.umes.edu/students/UMESStudentCode2003.pdf). Students who cheat
by violating the integrity of testing situations, copying the work of others, or representing as their own
work that they did not actually do will result in a zero grade. Of course, students may appeal the
decision of their instructor. This will require the instructor to register the incident formally to the
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs in accordance with established University policy.
UMES Policy for Cheating and Plagiarism
Academic honesty and integrity lie at the heart of any educational enterprise. Students are expected to
do their own work and neither to give nor receive assistance during quizzes, examinations, or other
class exercises. Because the university takes academic honesty seriously, penalties for violations may
be severe, including failing the course and possibly being dismissed from the university. Students
accused of academic dishonesty will be given due process before disciplinary action is taken. Please
request most current policy and procedure followed when academic dishonesty accusations are
lodged by faculty against students from the faculty member, the academic advisor, or the
department chair.
Cheating and plagiarism are two of the most common forms of academic dishonesty and are described
below:
Cheating includes but is not limited to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
giving answers to others in a testing situation without permission of the instructor;
taking or receiving answers from others in a test situation without permission of the
instructor;
having possession of test materials without permission;
taking, giving, or receiving test materials prior to tests without permission;
having someone else take a test or perform an assignment for you;
submitting as your own work, work done by someone else;
permitting someone else to submit your work under that person’s name;
falsifying research data or other research material;
copying with or without permission any work, e.g., essays, short stories, poems, etc.,
from computer, hard drive or discs and presenting them as your own.
Plagiarism is the act of presenting as your own creation works actually created by others. Plagiarism
consists of:
a.
b.
c.
taking ideas from a source without clearly giving proper reference in a way that
identifies the original source of the ideas and distinguishes them from your own;
indirectly quoting or paraphrasing material taken from a source without clearly giving
proper reference in a way that identifies the original source and distinguishes the
paraphrased material from your own compositions;
directly quoting or exactly copying material from a source without giving proper
reference or otherwise presenting the copied material as your own creation.
UMES Policy for Class Attendance
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1. The University expects all students to take full responsibility for their academic work and progress.
All students must meet qualitative and quantitative requirements of each course in their curricula to
progress satisfactorily. They are expected to attend classes regularly, for consistent attendance offers
the most effective opportunity open to all students to gain command of the concepts and materials for
their courses of study. Absences (whether excused or unexcused) do not alter what is expected of
students qualitatively or quantitatively.
2. In many courses, in-class participation is an essential part of the work of the course, such as courses
requiring group discussion, laboratories, clinics, public speaking or language conversation, or
performance of particular skills. In other courses, occasional in-class assessments may occur, without
prior notice.
3. The University will excuse absences of students that result from instances such as: illness (where the
student is too ill to attend class), death in the immediate family, religious observance (where the nature
of the observance prevents the student from being present during the class period), participation in
University activities at the request of the University authorities, and compelling circumstances beyond
the student’s control. Students requesting excused absences must furnish acceptable documentation to
their course instructors to support their assertions that absences were the result of one of these causes.
However, the nature of some courses will preclude makeup of assessments missed. In these cases,
students will not be penalized for excused absences, grades will be computed on actual assessments as
explained in the course syllabus. Otherwise, students with excused absences will be given an
opportunity to make up missed assessments. The responsibility for granting excused absences and
determining which assessments can be made up lies with the instructor of each individual course.
Absences (whether excused or unexcused) do not relieve the students of their responsibility to
complete the course assessments. Instructors are especially understanding in cases related to health
and/or death, provided the student provides proper documentation.
4. Students must notify their instructors of the reason for any absences as soon as possible. When the
reason for an absence is known in advance (for example, in cases of religious observance or
participation in University activities at the request of University authorities), students must inform
their instructors two weeks prior to the absence, if known that far in advance or immediately upon
discovering the impending absence. Prior notification is particularly important in connection with
examinations and other major assessments since failure to reschedule them before conclusion of the
final examination period may result in loss of credits during the semester. Where the reason is not
known in advance (for example in cases of health related emergencies or compelling circumstances
beyond their control), students must inform their instructors as soon as possible after its development.
5. In cases of dispute, the student may appeal to the chair of the department offering the course within
one week from the date of the refusal of the right to make-up assessment. In those cases where the
instructor is the chair, the appeal may be made to the dean. The dean’s decision will be final in all
cases. When permitted, a make-up assessment must be given on campus unless the published schedule
or course description requires other arrangements. The make-up assessment must be held at a time and
place mutually agreeable to both the instructor and the student. The make-up assessment must not
interfere with the student’s regularly scheduled classes. In the event that a group of students requires
the same make-up assessment, one make-up assessment time may be scheduled at the convenience of
the instructor and the largest possible number of students involved, and a second make-up for the
remaining group.
6. All students are expected to attend all classes. Excessive unexcused absences for any reason may
result in either a low grade or course failure. All students will be considered excessively absent from a
class if they miss a class more hours during the semester or term than the class meets each week. For
example, a student should not miss (unexcused absences) a class that meets three hours per week more
than three hours during the semester or term nor be absent from a class that meets one hour per week
more than once during the semester or term.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
Chapter R
Review
Algebra Review
R
Chapter 1
Graphs, Equations, and Inequalities
1.1 Rectangular Coordinates; Graphing Utilities; Introduction to Graphing Equations
1.2 Solving Equations Using Graphing Utility; Linear and Rational Equations
1.3 Solving Quadratic Equations
1.4 Complex Numbers; Quadratic Equations in the Complex Number System
1.5 Radical Equations; Equations Quadratic in Form; Absolute Value Equations; Factorable Equations
1.6 Problem Solving: Interest, Mixture, Uniform Motion, Constant Rate Jobs
1.7 Solving Inequalities
1.8 Lines
1.9 Circles
Test #1
Chapter 2
Functions and Their Graphs
2.1 Intercepts and Symmetry; Graphing Key Equations
2.2 Functions
2.3 The Graph of a Function
2.4 Properties of Functions
2.5 Linear Functions and Models
2.6 Library of Functions; Piecewise-Defined Functions
2.7 Graphing Techniques: Transformations
2.8 Mathematical Models: Constructing Functions
Test #2
Chapter 3
Polynomial and Rational Functions
3.1 Quadratic Functions and Models
3.2 Polynomial Functions and Models
3.3 Properties of Rational Functions
3.4 The Graph of a Rational Function; Inverse and Joint Variation
3.5 Polynomial and Rational Inequalities
3.6 The Real Zeros of a Polynomial Function
3.7 Complex Zeros: Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
Test #3
Chapter 4
Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
4.1 Composite Functions
4.2 One-to-One Functions; Inverse Functions
4.3 Exponential Functions
4.4 Logarithmic Functions
4.5 Properties of Logarithms
4.6 Logarithmic and Exponential Equations
4.7 Compound Interest
4.8 Exponential Growth and Decay; Newton’s Law; Logistic Growth and Decay
Test #4
Chapter 5
Systems of Equations and Inequalities
5.1 Systems of Linear Equations: Substitution and Elimination
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