Great Basin College
MATH 127
Precalculus II
Fall 2007
Syllabus
Main Items
Credit Hours:
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
email:
Office Hours:
Three (3)
Mike Peek
Wendover, Nevada
(775) 664-2246
WebCampus course site email or mpeek1@hotmail.com
By appointment
Required Text: Precalculus, Functions and Graphs, Swokowski and Cole, Eleventh edition
Prerequisites: MATH 126, MATH 124 (a discontinued GBC course) – within two years, sufficient placement
test, or SAT/ACT score.
Course Description (from the Great Basin 2007- 2008 General Catalog)
A course intended for those majoring in a science field or mathematics, as part of a mathematics
endorsement for elementary education, or for students going on to calculus. Topics include circular
functions, their graphs and applications; trigonometric identities and equations, conic sections;
complex numbers; matrices; sequences and mathematical induction. This is the second half of a twosemester sequence. The two semesters satisfy the requirements for a bachelor’s degree. The two course
sequence: MATH 126 and MATH 127 are equivalent to MATH 128 at UNR or UNLV.
Major Units of Study
Chapter 5: The Trigonometric Functions
Chapter 6: Analytic Trigonometry
Chapter 7: Applications of Trigonometry
Chapter 9: Sequences, Series, and Probability
Chapter 10: Topics from Analytic Geometry
Important Dates:
Course Begins:
Labor Day Holiday:
Last Add Day:
Nevada Day Holiday:
Veteran’s Day Holiday:
Drop Deadline:
Thanksgiving Holiday:
Course Ends:
Mon, August 27
Mon, September 3
Fri, August 31
Fri, October 26
Mon, November 12
Fri, November 16
Thu – Fri, November 22 – 23
Wed, December 12
Method of Instruction: Online presentation. Each session is presented like a daily classroom lesson.
With the exception of holidays or other breaks, lessons will be posted Monday through Friday of each
week; usually before 5 PM. Students may log in to class at a time of their convenience, but are asked to
do so with the same regularity as face-to-face instruction.
Please Note: Missed class meetings are the responsibility of the student. This includes lessons,
scheduled events, such as help sessions and exams, updates and other announcements. Lessons will
remain posted for past referral.
Using WebCampus: Be sure to download the appropriate Java script and adjust your browser to allow
pop-ups for this site.
Course Goal
Students successfully completing MATH 126 and MATH 127 will have the necessary entry level skills
for calculus. These courses strengthen a pursuit of a science or mathematics major.
Learner Outcomes
1. Students will demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge and understanding of circular functions,
their graphs, and applications.
2. Students will rewrite and simplify trigonometric identities and solve trigonometric equations.
3. Students will successfully perform tasks involving topics of: conic sections, complex numbers, and
matrices.
4. Students will demonstrate an acceptable level of knowledge and understanding of sequences and
apply these and other skills toward generalization using mathematical induction.
Student Work and Assessment
Homework: Homework for this course falls into two categories: (1) Quiz and Exam Preparation and
(2) Hand-in for grade.
(1) Work from the first category is not handed in. It usually consists of problems from the text and as
the name suggests, it serves as a preparation for most of the problems appearing in quizzes and exams.
Answers to most of the problems in the text are found in the back of the book and students are
encouraged to use these wisely.
(2) Work from the second category: Hand-in for Grade, consists of a single randomly selected 50-point
project chosen by each student from a list of unanimous projects of about the same level of difficulty.
These are not meant to mimic problems in the book, but instead are designed to strengthen studentinvestigation using a combination of topics from the course. Work from this category is handed in by
the posted deadline.
Quizzes and Exams: There are five bi-weekly quizzes, each worth 50 points, and two comprehensive
exams: a midterm and a final, each worth 200 points. All of the quizzes are online with books, notes,
calculators, and scratch paper allowed. The midterm and final exams may be proctored onsite. The
quizzes and the final exam have time limits and must be completed when started; possible exceptions
are technical issues or documented emergencies. If for some reason an offline exam becomes
necessary, sites and proctors will be pre-arranged.
Students are reminded of the conduct policy of the college and must take quizzes and exams without
consultation. Further, students are asked not to discuss contents of quizzes and exams with anyone
until the deadline is reached for all students. Any violations will be reported as a breach of the Great
Basin Student Conduct Policy.
Makeup policy on Quizzes and Exams: Makeup is allowed only for instances of verifiable emergency
or bereavement and is done with the instructor by prior arrangement. If this is not possible due to
conditions beyond the student’s control, a makeup may still be possible (not automatic) by appeal with
supporting evidence. All such Appeals must be received by the instructor prior to the end of the
semester and whether granted or not, become part of the student’s educational records for this course,
please refer to the section: FERPA. Contact your instructor for more information on the appeal process.
Student Emergency: For the purposes of this course, emergencies are considered to be events that
under normal conditions are unforeseeable and unavoidable.
Late Work: Not accepted under normal circumstances. Exceptions may be allowed for student
emergency (see above).
Extra Credit Work: None given.
Grading
Point Totals:
Quizzes (5)….50 points each = 250 points.
Project (1)………………………50 points.
Exams (2) ….200 points each = 400 points.
Total………………….………...700 points.
Grades:
A
B
C
D
F
89.5 % and above
79.5 % - 89.4 %
69.5 % - 79.4 %
59.5 % - 69.4 %
Below 59.5 %
Additional Information
INCOMPLETE POLICY: A student may request the grade of “I” (Incomplete) after completing at
least ¾ of the course with a grade of “C” or better, but are unable to complete the course for good
cause. Students must arrange for an incomplete with the instructor and acknowledge the statement of
work to be completed in order to receive the final grade. This work must be completed by October 15
for spring and summer semester courses. An incomplete not made up by this date will result in a grade
of “F” or “W”.
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: It is the responsibility of the student who qualifies for
specific accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) who wishes to seek
services, to contact a specialist at the Enrollment Management Office, Berg Hall to apply for
accommodations. The DSS Specialist can be reached at (775) 753-2271.
FERPA: The Family Educational Privacy Act (FERPA) protects the privacy of students’ non-public
educational records and will be enforced by the instructor during the proceedings of this course. Please
secure all coursework documents on your person, proctor, or with the instructor. Students have the
right to inspect their educational records and documents by way of prior arrangement with the
instructor. Please see page 26 of the GBC General Catalog for more information.
Classroom Etiquette: Remember, courtesy is the “glue” that binds human interaction. Coursework,
on occasion, can be difficult and frustrating by itself. It’s everyone’s responsibility to avoid adding
unnecessary complications. Please note: This instructor feels strongly about classroom etiquette and
will refer to Great Basin Student Conduct policy and procedures in the event of its breach.
Changes to the syllabus: Due to the dynamic nature of coursework and classroom activity, the above
schedule, procedures and policies are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances.