Vanguard University
School for Professional Studies
BUSINESS MATH ONLINE
MATH #106
Student Guide
TF 04/12
Trish Fisher
Business Math Online Syllabus
Page 1 of 5
MATH 106 Business Math Online
Professor Contact Information
Name:
Email:
Phone:
Office Hours:
Professor Trish Fisher
tfisher@vanguard.edu
714-556-3610 ext 6304
Summer hours are by appointment – email to make appointment
Professor Bio
Trish Fisher is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the Department of Business & Management and
Chair of Business in the School for Professional Studies. Professor Fisher holds both a baccalaureate and a
master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Massachusetts and an M.B.A. in strategic planning
and marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
Professor Fisher brings both corporate and academic experience to her role at the university. She is a
Procter & Gamble-trained marketer and marketing/management consultant whose passions include
strategic planning, branding, and the adult learner market. She has experience in developing and executing
growth strategies for leading Fortune 500 companies in the health and beauty care, pet care, and food
services industries as well as non-profits in the government and education sectors. Her client list includes
Kal Kan Pet Foods, a division of M&M Mars, Breyers® Ice Cream, the City of Richmond, Michigan, and
Texas Folklife Resources.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course applies the principles and practices of mathematics to everyday business problems and
situations. The course prepares students to understand the mathematical and business concepts in number
sets, problem solving, ratios and proportions, percentages, business measurements, insurance, simple and
compound interest, installment loans, consumer credit, and depreciation. The course includes a brief
overview of number sense and algebra concepts in its overall design to introduce students to common
mathematical skills necessary for courses in business. (Meets Natural Science/Math requirement)
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the conclusion of this class, students will learn to:
1. understand mathematical principals involving business measurements, insurance, and depreciation,
2. use inductive and deductive reasoning to draw logical conclusions,
3. categorize and manipulate large quantities of data, providing the essential tools to organize, interpret
and analyze such data,
4. participate in a variety of mathematical topics and problem solving skills that relate to aspects of
everyday life,
5. acquire a solid understanding of number sense and critical algebra concepts, and
6. develop and use critical thinking skills through finding solutions to real-world situations.
comprehend and manipulate problems in proportion and percentage
TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Required text and calculator:
* Tuttle, M.D. (2001). Practical Business Math: An Applications Approach Brief Edition (8th Edition).
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0130256609.
* Calculator with basic mathematical functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, square
root and memory/storage key)
Trish Fisher
Business Math Online Syllabus
Page 2 of 5
COURSE POLICIES
Class participation
Class participation in the online course is evaluated by participation in the discussion forums. Students are
expected to post thoughtful responses to the discussion board prompts. Participation is evaluated
according to quality of participation and meeting minimum word count.
Students who fail to participate in the first two weeks of the course will be automatically dropped.
Late Work, Grading and Late Point Policy
Student grades are determined using the formula noted in the Grading section. All assigned work is due as
noted in this guide and on the course website. Students have one week to complete the assignments for
each chapter. If there are extreme circumstances that preclude the student from submitting work on time,
the instructor should be notified prior to missing the deadline. Extreme or unusual circumstances will be
handled on a case-by-case basis. If an assignment is accepted after the due date, a point deduction will be
assessed.
Academic Dishonesty
Work submitted must be the independent work of the student concerned. Plagiarism or copy of another’s
work without proper acknowledgement is not permitted. It is also, not permissible to copy a former student’s
work and submit it as your own. Copying answers from the text is not permitted. Academic dishonesty will
result in a zero for that assignment, and the University policy on cheating will be followed.
Disability Services
For students with documented medical or psychological disabilities, please contact the Coordinator of
Disability Services to request reasonable accommodations. The Coordinator of Disability Services is located
in the Counseling Center on the second floor of the Scott Academic Center and can be reached at
extension 4489 or by email at disabilityservices@vanguard.edu. For students with a documented learning
disability who would like to request appropriate accommodations, please contact the Director of Learning
Skills, located upstairs in Scott Academic Center at extension 2540 or by email at
disabilityservices@vanguard.edu.
Diversity Statement
The School for Professional Studies intends to foster a Christ-centered community that promotes
appreciation and respect for individuals, enhances the potential of all members, and values differences in
gender, race, abilities, and generation. As such, we endeavor to communicate with honesty, to speak with
encouraging and edifying words, and to create a safe environment in our classes and interactions.
STUDENT EVALUATION
Assignments are listed in the course outline. Students are expected to read the listed definitions, terms,
laws, formulas, theorems and/or properties in each of the required sections as assigned in the reading
assignments. Completed assignments are due on the week that they are assigned. Each assignment will be
graded and posted in the grade book.
Assignments/homework
Students must read through each specified assignment and complete the assigned problems. Students will
be graded on completion and accuracy of each assignment.
Trish Fisher
Business Math Online Syllabus
Page 3 of 5
Weekly Assignments
Week
Chapter
Skill Problems
1
7
#1-55
Business Application
Problems
#3-30 multiples of 3
2
9
#10-55 multiples of 5
#5, 10, 18, 21
3
10
#9, 12, 16-20, 41, 47
#9, 11, 15, 21
4
13
#3-6, 12, 15
5
14
6
15
7
16
#11-19, 46-48, 62-65, 68-71,
78-79
#3-15 multiples of 3, and 30,
33, 34-36, 55-60
Midterm exam this week
#1-4, 11-14, 211-22, 36-45,
62-65
#15-28, 41-50
8
#1-9
#1-4, 6, 9
Discussion Forum
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
Initial Post by Thursday,
2 responses by Sunday
#13-17
Final Exam this week
Weekly Discussion Forums
Discussion Posts: Students are required to respond to weekly discussion questions. Each student will
upload one discussion post by Thursday night of each week. Each of the posts must be a minimum of 200
words.
Discussion Responses: Students are also required to respond to two different posts each week by Sunday
evening at the close of the week. Response posts (30-50 words) should be thoughtful comments that
further the discussion.
The discussion forum is an opportunity for students to thoughtfully, substantively, and critically engage the
material and the discussion questions.
Weekly Quizzes
Regular review of mathematical, logical, and business concepts is critical in the development and
understanding of the subject matter. Weekly quizzes are timed and must be completed by Sunday night.
Exams
A mid-term exam will be given Week Five and a Final Exam in Week Eight.
Grading
Students may refer to the University’s Student Handbook for details on the grading system. The following
criteria will be used in determining the student’s grade:
Assignment/Grading
Assignments/Homework
Participation/Discussion Forum
Weekly Quizzes
Mid-term Exam
Final Exam
Total
Trish Fisher
Percentage
15%
10%
25%
25%
25%
100%
Business Math Online Syllabus
Date Due
Weeks 1-8
Weeks 1-8
Weeks 1,2,3,4,6,7
Week 5
Week 8
Page 4 of 5
Trish Fisher
Percentages
Grade
Significance
GPA
93-100%
A
Exceptional
4.00
90-92.9%
A-
3.67
87-89.9%
B+
3.33
83-86.9%
B
80-82.9%
B-
2.67
77-79.9%
C+
2.33
73-76.9%
C
70-72.9%
C-
1.67
67-69.9%
D+
1.33
63-66.9%
D
60-62.9%
D-
00-59.9%
F
Above Average
Average
Below Average
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.67
Failure
Business Math Online Syllabus
0.00
Page 5 of 5