MAC 1140 – Precalculus Algebra (Fall 2013 Syllabus)
Tallahassee Community College
Instructor: Lina Williams
(Goal is to help her students mature academically in order to be successful in the college environment)
Class
Website
http://faculty.tcc.fl.edu/scma/williaml
You will find announcements, handouts, take home quizzes, homework, notes, and/or other
information for your convenience here.
MWF 12:20 – 1:10pm (Rm SM129)
Attendance will be taken at least once every day. Being tardy and/or leaving class early will
count as half an absence.
Class
Meeting
&
Attendance
If you are tardy, stay after class so that you do not get a full absence. If you are absent, you need
to contact me ASAP. You must catch up on your own before the next class time (refer to the
pacing on the website).
You will be academically withdrawn from class any time before Monday, November 4th if
you have more than 6 recorded absences and a test grade below 60%.
If you have any concerns, please contact me as soon as possible.
You should treat class as if it was a job. An academic mature student rarely misses class.
Extra
Credit
Attendance
Bucks
5 perfect attendances (no tardies) will allow you to re-take a quiz (test question) within a week a
quiz was given or allow you to re-open an online homework assignment up to a week passed
from the original due date of the assignment. Requests must be made by email. 15 perfect
attendances (no tardies) will allow you to take up to one test on a different day (within the week
of test day) without penalty. Requests must be made two days before the test day by email.
Office: SM 283
Email: williaml@tcc.fl.edu
Phone: 201-8367 (leave a message)
Mondays 1:30-2:30pm and 4:30-5:15pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 1-2:30pm and 3:30-5:15pm,
Wednesdays 9:30-11am, and Fridays 10-11am. Use them!
If your schedule conflicts all of these hours, please contact me as soon as possible.
In case I am unavailable, the TCC Learning Commons (located in LC 30,
www.tcc.fl.edu/learningcommons, 850.201.8193) provides one-stop convenient access to
expanded learning assistance and resources. They are now offering 30 minute individual tutor
sessions for precalculus algebra.
Office
Hours
and other
Resources
Smarthinking: Online tutoring service available to TCC students via blackboard (see website).
Along with the library and math center, AC210, AC211, & CT206 have computers access.
****It is your responsibility to seek help and exhaust all resources available to you in
order to do your absolute best in learning the class material.
Give it your best! No question is a bad question!
Disabilities
Act
Tallahassee Community College provides accommodations to eligible students in full
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA 2008).
Reasonable accommodations are available for students with a documented disability. If you
have a disability and may need accommodations to fully participate in this class or accurately
assess achievement of learning outcomes, please visit the Disability Support Services (DSS)
Office. All accommodations MUST be approved through DSS (Student Union, 172). Please
stop by or call 850-201-8430 to make an appointment with a counselor.
1. Textbook: PreCalculus, Mathematics for Calculus, 6th Edition., by Stewart, Redlin &
Watson 2012, Brooks/Cole. Cengage Learning.
You are required to purchase Webassign, a computer software
that gives you access to the online homework that you must do for this course.
Class Key: tcc.fl 6581 7553. (See “Registering for Webassign” handout)
Required
Materials
2. Calculator:
A graphing calculator is required. Calculators that do symbolic algebra, such
as TI 89, TI 92, HP 48, etc. are not allowed. Cell phones cannot be used as
calculators. (See Using Calculator Handout on website)
3. A Notebook: Syllabus, notes, homework, quizzes, tests, and any other class handouts need
to be with you in class at all times. The notebook is to contain material
related to this class only. This protects your grades.
4. Pencil, Eraser & Stapler: All work must be done in pencil. Work must be neat so being
able to erase is essential. If turning in more than one page, make sure to have
it stapled. Only turn in college level work
5. ID: A photo ID is required for tests and the final exam.
Prerequisite
A grade of C or better in MAC 1105 (or in MAC1102 if taken prior to Fall 1991 or MAC1104
if taken prior to Fall 1998. Please see me if you fall into one of these two categories).
Grades of C or better in both MAC 1114 and MAC 1140 are prerequisites for MAC 2311
(Calculus I).
THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE PREREQUISITE POLICY.
I suggest that you shoot for an A or a B if you are planning on taking Calculus I in the future.
Topics include polynomial and rational functions; applications of exponential and logarithmic
Course
Description functions; proof by mathematical induction; solutions of higher degree polynomial equations
and inequalities; solutions of systems of equations using matrices and determinants; sequences
and series, the binomial theorem; and an introduction to conic sections.
Final Exam Final exam is on Friday, December 13 from 12:30- 2:30pm. Photo ID Required. Counts 25%
Tests
There will be a total of three tests. The test dates are Mon. Sept. 23rd, Wed. Oct. 23rd, and Fri.
Nov. 22nd. You have exactly one week to make up a test. I take the same amount of time to
grade your tests. Only one make up test is allowed if the student has current good standing in
the class, a valid reason, and proof (valid reason is determined by me as well as loss in points).
Photo ID Required.
Quizzes
Quizzes are individual test questions and so will be part of your test grade. Expect a quiz every
class day. NO MAKE UP QUIZZES. Missing one will not hurt your grade much. Miss several
and your grade will significantly suffer. It is your responsibility to be prepared for a quiz even
when absent on the previous day (refer to pacing on website).
Homework (online and book) will be assigned on a daily basis. I suggest you work on
homework every day of the week in order to be ready for quizzes every class day. Start each
section the minute I start covering it in class and have it done by due date (use the pacing
schedule as a guide). Homework is due before the following class after finishing a section.
I strongly suggest that you use my office hours or the learning commons for questions on
homework.
An academic mature student does whatever they can to fully finish and understand their
homework.
Homework
Any question that you leave blank and do not understand hurts your homework completion as
well as understanding of the material, making you vulnerable on quizzes and tests.
It is okay to spend a good deal of time on a problem. It is part of learning the material to the
best of your ability.
I suggest you bring future homework to class in case you are able to get ahead while notes are
being covered. This can save you time.
The website will give you a great indication on the sections being covered and in what order.
Absence is not an excuse for not having your homework neatly completed by due date. Better
safe than sorry, so cover more homework if not sure. You have many resources like book, class
mate notes, office hours, and the learning commons that can assist you in doing so.
GRADING SCALE:
Evaluation
& Grading
Scale:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D others F
FACTORS DETERMINING YOUR COURSE AVERAGE:



Three Tests 65%
Online Homework using Webassign 10%
Cumulative final examination
25%
The last day to withdraw is Monday, November 4th. You may withdraw online or at the
W Deadline Registrar’s Office. You will be academically withdrawn from class any time if you have more
than 6 recorded absences and less than 60% current test grade.
You will receive an email from enrollment services verifying a W or AW.
If you have any concerns, please contact me as soon as possible.
Academic
Integrity
Policies
CLAS
You are expected to do your own work on exams taken in class. Providing information to
another student or receiving information concerning exam content is considered cheating and
will NOT be tolerated. If this should occur, disciplinary action will take place in one of the
following forms: a zero for the test, being dropped from the course, suspension, or expulsion
from school.
Disrespectful behavior toward anyone in the classroom such as tardiness, disruptive talking, cell
phone usage, smoking, etc. is not acceptable. Please place all trash in the appropriate container.
BE AWARE: Students are no longer required to earn a GPA of 2.5 or higher in your collegelevel mathematics courses. Completing both math classes with a C is sufficient to earn an AA
degree. The new placement test is called the FPERT.
Completing and understanding your homework and quizzes is the best way to study for tests.
More Tips
An academic matured student corrects all homework, quizzes, and tests in order to understand
the material better with or without being told to do so.
Study for a quiz as it was a test, study for tests as if it was a final, and never give up!!
Be neat, be ready, and be prepared!
WARNING: The two top deadly killers for college students are absences and procrastination.
Overcome these and you will surprise yourself how much simpler it is to go through college.
"It is not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer"
- Albert Einstein
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES MAC1140
1. Solve mathematics problems using quantitative methods that include using Properties of Logarithmic
and Exponential equations, Properties of Rational functions, Partial Fraction Decomposition and
Sequences and Series.
2. Use mathematical models or concepts to analyze and solve application problems using Properties of
Logarithmic and Exponential functions and Systems of Equations.