SYLLABUS FOR MATH 116, UWinterim 2016
Instructor: Suzanne Boyd
Email: sboyd@uwm.edu
Class time and location: 1/4--1/21, MTWRF 9 am - 12:15 pm, EMS E423.
Office Hours: TBA, and by appointment
Prerequisites: Placement level B, including: Placement score of 30 or greater, or a
grade of C or better in Math 105.
Online Homework System/Textbook: ISBN: 0078140838. You’ll need to buy an
"11 week license ALEKS 360 with ebook" College Algebra, 1st Edition, by Julie
Miller, published by McGraw Hill. To purchase online, go to www.aleks.com, then
click the link marked 'sign up now', to the left, under the space for Registered Users,
and supply our course code: 6DCWK-WGRXQ (this is a unique code for our section!),
and supply other information when prompted. Hardcopy of textbook is optional.
Note: during Fall 2015, UWM courses using Aleks charged fees (paid with
tuition) to cover Aleks, so you didn’t pay for it on Aleks. But we didn’t set up the fee
for UWinterim, so you’ll need to purchase the 11 week aleks license, which is the
shortest one available with an ebook (trust me, you want the ebook!).
Financial Aid Access Code: You can use this temporary (2-week) access code:
6CE9A-2F93E-987F2-A8710,
until you purchase your permanent access code: (The Financial Aid Access Code
does not add an additional two weeks to your account.)
Aleks Technical Support
If you need technical support with Aleks, contact:
Customer Support - Higher Education: Phone: (714) 619-7090
Hours (Eastern Time):
Sunday, 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM
Monday - Thursday, 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM
Friday, 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM
Email: contact at http://support.aleks.com
Registrar's Calendar UWinterim 2015:
Sun 1/3: Last day to drop with full refund.
Mon 1/4: First day of classes. Last day to add or change credit/no
credit/audit status. Students enrolling on or after this date pay a $50.00 late
enrollment fee.
Fri 1/8: Last day to drop without owing at least 75% tuition.
Fri 1/15: Last day to drop without owing full tuition, and last day to drop.
Mon 1/18: Campus closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Thurs 1/21: Last day of the UWinteriM term.
Tues 1/26: Priority deadline for instructor grading.
Time Investment: To comply with a Higher Learning Commission requirement, the
course syllabus provides information on the minimum investment of time by an
average student to achieve the learning goals of the course. (The number of hours
should be at least 48 per credit hour; here, 48 x 3 = 144 hours.)
See https://www4.uwm.edu/secu/docs/faculty/2838_Credit_Hour_Policy.pdf
The minimum time an average student should expect to spend on this class is:
Time in the classroom (face to face instruction) = 38 hours
Time taking exams = 6 hours
Time completing assignments = 60 hours
Time spent reading lecture and other material = 20 hours
Time for preparation and study for exams = 20 hours
You'll need to spend more time if you are less familiar with the prerequisite material.
IMPORTANT NOTE: for this very compressed UWinterim session, we have 14 class
days. Subtracting class time, this averages out to 5.5 hours each day of work, after
class, every day including Saturdays and Sundays.
Math 116 Major topics
Function concepts: Polynomial, Rational, Exponential, and Logarithmic functions.
Systems of equations and inequalities, Matrices and determinants, Sequences and
Series, Analytic geometry and Conic sections, and Induction
It is assumed that students are competent in some aspects of algebra already,
including:
 Elementary Geometry, including properties of parallel lines, similar triangles,
circles, and the Pythagorean Theorem for right triangles
 Analytic geometry of lines
 Arithmetic with complex numbers
 The quadratic formula and graphs of parabolas
 Algebra of polynomials and rational functions
 Linear equations and inequalities in one and two variables
 Exponents and radicals
Grading Scale: Plus/Minus grading will apply, standard scale
A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D D93 90 87 83 80 77 73 70 67 63 60
Course Grades: Course grades will be based on class participation and attendance,
online homework, paper homework, and two in-class exams as follows:
5%: Class Participation and Attendance
25%: Aleks (online) Homework – see below, or Aleks calendar for due dates
5%: Paper Homework – Due at the start of each class
30%: Midterm Exam - Wednesday, Jan 13, 9 am - 12:15 pm.
35%: Final Exam - Thursday, Jan 21, 9 am – 12:15 pm, our room.
Attendance: It is important that you come to class in order to master the material.
Attendance will be taken and will count toward your course grade. Attendance at the
exams is required. There is no provision for absences due to vacations, family
outings, and other social activities, other special plans and appointments, etc.
Absences due to illness require a note on Physician’s letterhead, signed by the
physician, submitted before alternate arrangements for the exam will be made.
Online Homework: Much of the homework will be done online in Aleks, especially
the more basic/computational types of problems. The aleks course consists of a set
of problem types. Rather than assigning specific problems to be completed each
week, I have set 'Pie mastery progress goals' for each Tuesday, Thursday, and
Sunday. Your Aleks HW grade will be based on the extent to which you meet those
goals.
Tues
Thurs
Sun
Tues
Thurs
Sun
Tues
Thurs
Due date
Jan 5
Jan 7
Jan 10
Jan 12
Jan 14
Jan 17
Jan 19
Jan 21
Pie progress goal
10%
20%
40%
50%
60%
75%
90%
100%
Aleks Pie Mastery Minimum Requirement for earning C or better for your
COURSE grade is at least 90% by 11:59 pm on Thursday, January 21.
Your instructor reserves the right to assign you a lower grade if you do not
meet this minimum requirement.
Aleks Pie Mastery Extra Credit for achieving more than 90%
Aleks Pie Mastery 91%-95%: 5% will be added to Final Exam grade
Aleks Pie Mastery 96%-99%: 8% will be added to Final Exam grade
Aleks Pie Mastery 100%: 10% will be added to Final Exam grade
Paper Problems: During each class period, some paper problems (often more
conceptual) will be assigned, and collected either that day or the next class period.
These problems may not be turned in late (unless you have an excused absence),
and will be graded with little partial credit (course policy). Proper organization of
your solutions is expected, as is checking your answers in an appropriate manner.
Failure to do so will result in lower homework grades.
Exams: Each test will consist of an aleks portion and a written portion. All test
problems will be based on the assigned homework problems, including both online
and paper problems.
NOTE: Only the Aleks provided Calculator will be allowed on the exams, and
only during the Aleks portion.
Assessments on Aleks:
Aleks contains three types of Assessments.
One is an initial assessment, which contains an overview of the whole course,
which you take at the beginning of a course (like a pretest).
Next there are progress assessments, which cover the topics you've learned since
the last assessment, and a few you are 'ready to learn'. These assessments are
designed to make sure that you do not forget the things that you have been learning,
so they are basically quizzes. Aleks automatically assigns you a progress
assessment after you learn a certain number of topics, or spend a certain amount of
time in Aleks.
Your instructor can also assign you comprehensive assessments, which are
assessments over all of the topics you have learned in the course so far. The Aleks
portion of your exams will be comprehensive assessments that your instructor will
schedule in Aleks on the advertised exam dates.
Getting questions right on Assessments can help you add topics to your pie,
but it can also take topics out of your pie if you get them wrong.
Plan ahead for these Assessments. You must complete each assessment before
work is allowed on the next objective. All Aleks due dates for homework and
assessments may be viewed on your Aleks calendar.
Learning Outcomes:
This course satisfies a General Education Requirement (GER) – A Part B of the GER
Competency Requirement In Quantitative Literacy. Upon successful completion of
this course, students will be able to do all of the following.
1. Interpret and analyze quantitative information using appropriate
quantitative tools (such formulas, tables, statistical graphs/displays, and
diagrams.
2. Reach logical conclusions, predictions, or inferences.
3. Assess the reasonableness of one’s own conclusions.
Assessment of Learning Outcomes:
Homework and examinations will present material as a challenge to the student in
such a way that the instructor will be readily able to identify strengths and weakness
as related to the stated learning goals. The accumulated class data will result in
continual improvement of the course presentation and appropriate adaptation to the
student audience. To determine whether a student has successfully met these goals,
some exam problems will be designated as GER problems. For each GER problem, the
instructor will determine whether the student has (i) exceeded, (ii) met, or (iii) not
met the GER goals. For the final course grade however, no distinction will be made
between GER and non-GER problems, and any student earning a passing grade will
earn GER QL-B credit.
Additional University Policies:
 Room changes, course cancellations, etc., will be emailed to the students and
posted outside of the classroom door.
 Students will be allowed to complete examinations or other requirements
that are missed because of a religious observance.
 If you will need special accommodations in order to meet any of the
requirements of the course, please contact the instructor as soon as possible.
 Information on other UWM policies can be found at
http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/SecU/SyllabusLinks.pdf
Academic Misconduct: The University has a responsibility to promote academic
honesty and integrity and to develop procedures to deal effectively with instances of
academic dishonestly. Students are responsible for the honest completion and
representation of their work, for the appropriate citation of sources, and for respect
of others’ academic endeavors. Further information can be found at:
http://www4.uwm.edu/acad_aff/policy/academicmisconduct.cfm
Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is reprehensible and will not be tolerated
by the University. It subverts the mission of the University and threatens the
careers, educational experience, and well being of students, faculty and staff. The
University will not tolerate behavior between or among members of the University
community that creates an unacceptable working environment. The policy on
discriminatory conduct, including sexual harassment, can be found at:
http://www4.uwm.edu/sexualharassment/
Repeat Policy: According to university policy, students attempting to repeat a
Mathematical Sciences course for the second time (third taking) need permission of
the student’s academic deans office. If you are a student in this situation, please
contact your academic dean’s office ASAP, obtain permission from them for this
repeat, and then take your completed add/drop form (including academic dean
approval) to Mellencamp Hall 274.