Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
Fall 2012
SECTION #: 050
Lecture Time: 1:50 – 2:40 p.m.
Recitation Day/Time: Tuesday / TBD
Lecture Location: C-103 Holmes
Recitation Location: TBD
Lecture Instructor: Robert Bell
LA's: Julie Wilt & Jarred Fitch
Office Hours: MWF 8-9 a.m. & by appt. Office Hours: TBD
Office Location: W-32 Holmes
Office Location: 2nd FL lounge, E. Holmes
E-mail: rbell@math.msu.edu
E-mail: wiltjuli@msu.edu, fitchjar@msu.edu
Class Materials:
• Graphing Calculator: A graphing calculator is required for this course and should be
brought to every class meeting. A TI-83 or 84 is recommended for this course.
Only a pencil (or pen) and one graphing calculator will be required for quizzes and
exams. Calculators such as the TI 89/92, laptops, iPads, computers, cell phones, etc.,
are not to be used for any graded work in this course.
•
WeBWorK Online Homework System: Graded homework is completed online
with WeBWorK. (See Pages 6 and 7.) There is a course fee for WeBWorK (including
class notes) which will be handled by the mathematics department. The department
will be sending you more information after the semester begins.
•
Recommended Course Text: College Algebra (Michigan State Edition) by
Gustafson/Hughes, Cengage Learning, © 2013.
Evaluation:
• Your course grade will be determined by :
four (50-minute) exams
seven quizzes
27 graded WeBWorK homework assignments
uniform final exam
TOTAL POINTS FOR COURSE
400 points
100 points
100 points
200 points
800 points
The grading scale will be no worse than what is shown in the table below.
90–100%
4.0
65–72%
2.0
85–89%
3.5
60–64%
1.5
79–84%
3.0
55–59%
1.0
73–78%
2.5
0–54%
0.0
•
There will be 28 graded homework assignments that will be submitted online using
WeBWorK for a total of 100 points. (Homework from the class notes is self-graded
and will not be turned in.) Additional practice problems can be found under
“Appendix A” in the recommended textbook. WeBWorK homework submitted
after the due date will not be accepted. (Refer to Page 6 for due dates.)
•
There will be 7 in-class quizzes, each worth 20 points. Five highest scores will be
counted toward the final course grade. The two dropped scores will accommodate
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Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
Fall 2012
quizzes missed due to illness or other personal reasons, as well as low quiz scores.
There will be no make-up quizzes.
•
The final exam grading scale will be determined after all section results are submitted
at the end of the semester.
•
Students are expected to produce carefully written documents. All work must be
shown for problems! All writing must be in complete sentences employing standard
English and mathematical symbols. Writing must be legible and neat. Any use of
“crib sheets”, stored information in calculators, etc., as an aid in writing quizzes or
exams, is specifically prohibited in this course.
Attendance:
• Students are expected to be present and ON TIME for ALL class sessions.
•
You are responsible for the material covered if you are absent from class. If absent,
you will need to obtain missed material/information from classmates. Any changes in
this syllabus or in the scheduling of exams or quizzes will be announced during class
and/or via email.
Make-up Policy:
• There will be no make-up exams. A missed exam will receive a score of “0” unless
a valid reason is presented before the time of the exam or after the exam in the case of
an emergency. Only extreme situations with an official documented excuse will
allow a student to be “excused” from an exam. The score for the missed exam will
then be determined from the corresponding chapter questions on the final exam.
•
Students must look at this syllabus carefully and plan well ahead. Advance travel
schedules (business or personal) are NOT excuses.
Uniformly Graded (WeBWorK) Homework:
• There are 28 graded homework assignments. These assignments will be posted on
http://www.math.msu.edu/webwork/ .
•
Student solutions must be submitted by due dates for 100% credit. Homework
submitted within three days after the due date will be given 75% credit.
The due dates can be found on the WeBWorK website after you log in. (Refer to
Pages 6 and 7 of this syllabus for more WeBWorK information.) Late homework
will not be accepted. It is highly recommended that you submit homework early,
before the due date/time, to allow for any technical difficulty or other unforeseen
circumstances.
Integrity of Scholarship and Grades:
All students are expected to adhere to the University's policy concerning academic integrity.
According to this policy, "… no student shall claim or submit the work of another as
one's own." For more information about this policy please visit: http://www.msu.edu/
unit/ombud/dishonestyFAQ.html .
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Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
Fall 2012
Mathematics Learning Center:
The Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) is located in the C-wing lobby of Wells Hall and
will open on Tuesday, September 4, at 11:20am. The MLC offers free and friendly help to
students outside of the classroom setting. The weekly hours are:
Monday-Thursday
11:20 am - 4:00 pm and 6:20 pm - 9:50 pm
Friday
11:20 am – 2:50 pm
Sunday
5:10 pm – 8:40 pm
Important Dates:
Wednesday, August 29
Monday, September 3
Wednesday, September 5
Monday, September 24
Wednesday, October 17
Thursday - Friday, Nov. 22-23
Friday, December 7
Monday, December 10
First Day of Classes
Labor Day - University is closed.
Online open add period ends at 8 pm.
End of 100% tuition refund.
MIDDLE OF SEMESTER: Last day to drop a course
or withdraw from all courses with no grade reported.
Thanksgiving Break. University is closed.
Last day of classes.
Final Exam, 10:00am – 12:00 noon, Location TBA
Tentative Exam Dates:
Exam
1
2
3
4
Sections
1.1 – 1.6
1.7 – 3.1
3.2 – 3.7
4.1 – 4.6
MWF Classes
Friday, September 28
Friday, October 19
Friday, November 9
Friday, November 30
The uniform comprehensive final exam will be held on Monday, December 12,
from 10:00 am to 12 noon. The location (according to section number) will be
announced at a later date.
Tentative Course Schedule:
Fall 2012 – MWF Day Classes
Monday
8/27 ---------9/3
---------9/10
1.2
9/17
1.4
9/24
1.6
10/1 1.7, 1.8
10/8
2.3
10/15 3.1
10/22 3.3
Wednesday
8/29
1.1, Course Info
9/5
1.1, 1.2
9/12
1.3
9/19
1.5
9/26
1.7
10/3
2.1, 2.2
10/10 2.4
10/17 3.2
10/24 3.4
3
Friday
8/31 Course Info, Review
9/7
Review
9/14 Review, Q1 (1.1, 1.2, Syll)
9/21 Review, Q2 (1.3 - 1.5)
9/28 EXAM 1 (1.1 – 1.6)
10/5 Review, Q3 (1.7, 1.8)
10/12 Review, Q4 (2.1 – 2.3)
10/19 EXAM 2 (1.7 – 3.1)
10/26 Review, Q5 (3.2, 3.3)
Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
10/29 3.5
10/31 3.6
11/5
3.7
11/7
4.1
11/12 4.2
11/14 4.3, 4.4
11/19 4.5
11/21 4.6
11/26 4.6
11/28 5.1
12/3
5.1, 5.2 12/5
5.3
Fall 2012
11/2
11/9
11/16
11/23
11/30
12/7
Review, Q6 (3.4, 3.5)
EXAM 3 (3.2 – 3.7)
Review, Q7 (4.1, 4.2)
--------------------EXAM 4 (4.1 – 4.6)
Review
MTH 103 WeBWorK Assignment Due Dates:
Please Note: Homework must be submitted by 7:00 am for all due
dates.
Section #
100% Credit
75% Credit
Tutorial
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
1.7
1.8
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
9/10
9/10
9/15
9/17
9/22
9/24
9/29
10/6
10/6
10/8
10/8
10/13
10/13
10/20
10/22
10/27
10/29
11/3
11/5
11/10
11/12
11/17
11/19
11/19
11/24
11/26
9/13
9/13
9/18
9/20
9/25
9/27
10/2
10/9
10/9
10/11
10/11
10/16
10/16
10/23
10/25
10/30
11/1
11/6
11/8
11/13
11/15
11/20
11/22
11/22
11/27
11/29
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Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
5.1
5.2/5.3
Fall 2012
12/8
12/10
12/10
Not Available
Student Responsibilities:
Attendance & Preparation:
Regular attendance is required.
Before attending the lecture, read the current sections.
At minimum, attempt to work through the first two examples
in each current section, and write down any questions you have.
Work through the recommended textbook exercises for the
current sections.
How to read mathematics:
You should always have paper and pencil (and eraser!) readily available when
reading mathematics. Work through the examples by writing the steps out yourself
until it is clear to you that the solution is correct. Once a topic has been introduced in
lecture, you should re-read the corresponding sections from the text. You should
work on the exercises at the end of these sections until you are proficient.
Participation:
Be attentive and stay alert.
Work with your classmates, especially those adjacent to your seat.
Take careful notes.
Ask questions! Don't be shy: we (yes, me too) are all here to learn!
WeBWork:
Start the WeBWork assignments early and discuss these with your classmates.
Write your attempts to solve the WeBWork problems on scratch paper.
Re-write your solutions that you will submit as your final answer for WeBWork.
When the solutions to WeBWork assignments become available, compare your
attempts to the posted answers and solutions; you might learn a new technique or a
more appealing way to think about a topic.
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Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
Fall 2012
Recommended Textbook Exercises:
Attempt these problems and test your understanding. They will be assigned regularly.
These problems are not collected, but rather are for self-assessment.
Ask questions about these exercises. Ask your classmates, your LA, your instructor,
your roommate, your lab parter, etc. Part of the fun of mathematics (and the learning
part) is discussing mathematical ideas and challenges.
Recitation:
You are required to attend the recitation.
Prepare for recitation by making a list of specific problems or concepts with which
you would like additional help.
Please keep in mind that if time runs out before your question is answered that you
can send questions via e-mail to either the instructor or the LA.
What is recitation?
Recitation is a problem solving session lead by your Learning Assistant (LA). The
recitation will typically consist of a question and answer session followed by an
opportunity to solve problems suggested by the LA or your classmates.
Utilizing Office Hours:
Please consider bringing your questions to office hours. Both the instructor and LA
have regularly scheduled office hours. Office hours are times set aside specifically as
an opportunity for you to get additional help. If your schedule conflicts with the
scheduled office hours, please make an appointment (send and e-mail to arrange).
Please do not think of this as an inconvenience to your instructors; additional help is
available if you seek it out. However, it is your responsibility to come to office hours
only after first making a sincere effort to answer questions on your own. Learning is
difficult: work hard, try new ideas, and ask questions. If you do this, you will see
definite progress.
E-mail:
E-mail can be an effective way to obtain more immediate help. When e-mailing your
instructors, be sure to state your question clearly. If you are asking about a specific
exercise or example in the text, be sure to restate the problem in its entirety since,
while it is quite possible that your instructors are awake and online at 10 p.m., it
is unlikely that he or she keeps a copy of the text under his pillow!
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Math 103, College Algebra
Syllabus – MWF Day Classes
Fall 2012
Students with Disabilities:
MSU provides the Resource Center For Persons with Disabilities (RCPD); URL:
http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/ Please contact the RCPD if you require special
accommodations, and then schedule an appointment to meet with the instructor.
Academic Honesty:
Cheating in any form will not be tolerated and will be reported to the Dean. You will
receive a zero on any assignment in which their is a case of cheating. This includes,
but is not limited to, plagiarism, failure to give proper citations, and copying another's
work. A copy of the Lyman Briggs College academic honesty policy can be found at
this URL: http://www.lymanbriggs.msu.edu/academics/LBC-Academic-Honesty.pdf
If you are preparing an assignment and have a question about whether you are
adhering to this policy, please ask your instructor.
Advice:
The best way to learn mathematics is to write down solutions to specific
mathematical problems. If you are able to solve most of the assigned
problems, then I am confident that you will do very well in the course. But
don't limit yourself to the assigned problems; the textbook offers a variety
of interesting problems. Challenge yourself! Try working out problems that
sound interesting to you. If you want more practice or want more challenging
problems, please drop by my office during office hours or make an appointment
to meet with me.
If you are falling behind in the course, please seek help ASAP. There is help
available during office hours, from your classmates (just ask them!), and here in the
Holmes Hall math help room (2nd Floor of East Holmes Hall-- your LA and other
LAs will hold office hours here). Additionally, the Mathematics Department hosts the
Math Learning Center (MLC) in Wells Hall and in some of the neighborhood
communities on campus.
I want you to succeed in this course, and I'm here to facilitate this goal. But the
burden is upon you to work hard, to set aside realistic amounts of time for study and
to seek out help when you need it.
Some final advice: read the textbook. Then work some problems and read the
textbook again. I cannot emphasize this enough. Learn to read the textbook.
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