Course Syllabus

MAT 111 TCCM MW Spring 2022.docx 

COURSE SYLLABUS

MAT 111 College Math (Intermediate Algebra) 3 credits      Course Location: online via Zoom on Canvas Course Hours: MW 9:50pm – 11pm Office Hours: Fridays, 12pm or by appointment

 

Professor:  Caroline Diaz, M.S. 

Email:  carolinediazmath@gmail.com

Brief Biography:

• S. Pure Mathematics, Public Policy Minor, UCLA
• S. Mathematics, CSULB
• Have over 15 years teaching experience

Textbook and supplies:

• Textbook: For free online! College Algebra from OpenStax, Print ISBN 1938168380, Digital ISBN 1947172123, www.openstax.org/details/college-algebra Textbook is also embedded in Canvas Modules (your welcome).

• Knewton Account: In order to purchase, you can simply click on your first Knewton assignment on Canvas and it will prompt you to create an account.
• Graphing calculator such as TI-83, TI-84 or TI-84C is strongly suggested.
• Supply of notebook and graph paper
• Pencil, Pens and Highlighter

 

Attendance/Participation :  

 

In order for me to do my job well, I need you to make sure you stick to the schedule. You can go ahead, but you do NOT want to fall behind!! I have spent lots of time planning the course and if you wait until the last week of school to finish your work, trust me it will be a formidable, if not impossible task.  The best way to learn is to commit to your participation in the course. If I do not see that you have enrolled into Knewton within the first week, I may drop you from the course.   Also, if you miss any live lectures you are expected to view the recordings on Canvas.

 

 

Course Description:

This course is a review of basic arithmetic and algebraic properties. Also, topics that will provide a strong foundation for more advanced mathematics courses will be discussed. These topics include equations and inequalities in one and two variables; solving systems of linear equations (using algebraic and graphing techniques); exponents and rational expressions; quadratic functions; and an introduction to exponential and logarithmic functions.

The course is intended to teach students the basic concepts of algebra. This should enable students to enroll in courses in both mathematics and other disciplines for which a strong background in algebra is required. Goals include the fostering of analytical and quantitative thinking, and the ability to solve problems and interpret data.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of general education requirements students should be able to:

• PLO 1: Write and speak fluently and expressively
• PLO 2: Identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in one’s own and others’ writing
• PLO 3: Analyze and interpret data in a scientific or social context
• PLO 4: Demonstrate a comprehension of one’s individual cultural identity in relationship to other cultures and lifestyles
• PLO 5: Analyze situations based on moral and ethical principles
• PLO 6: Assess, access and use information responsibly
• PLO 7: Collaborate with others in diverse group settings
• PLO 8: Comprehend the nature of the natural world and scientific inquiry
• PLO 9: Interpret creative expressions of the human experience
• PLO 10: Explain human behavior as it relates to its social environment
• PLO 11: Explain today’s political & social circumstances in terms of historical & social factors

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

SLO1:

Use properties of Real Numbers to perform operations.

SLO2:  

Solve application problems.

SLO3:

Graph equations and inequalities in one and two variables.

SLO4:

Solve systems of equations, using graphing and algebraic techniques.

SLO5:

Solve quadratic equations by factoring, completing the square, or using the quadratic formula.

SLO6:

        Perform operations with Radical and Complex Numbers.

SLO7:

        Perform operations with Exponential and Logarithmic functions.

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

 

Course Work Component #1    Knewton – 15%of the student overall grade.  This will cost about 10/month, 40 for the semester.

Course Work Component #2     Book HW -  10% of the student overall grade.  After every lecture I will assign book hw, you are to complete, scan or take a picture and upload to Canvas for credit. Late work is not accepted. NO EXCEPTION! If you fail to hand in your assignment on the due date it may result in a grade of zero.  The lowest grade assignment will be dropped.

Course Work Component #2     Chapter Quizzes  -  20% of the student overall grade.  You have 3 attempts for each quiz. 

Course Work Component #3    Assessments  -  25% of the student overall grade.  There will be 3 tests administered during the semester, see calendar for dates.

Course Work Component #4    Final exam -  30% of the student overall grade. Tests and the Final Exam are closed-book and closed to notes.  You need an explicit exception from Dean Jacobson to take any test/exam on another date than the scheduled date.   You also need an explicit permission from Dean Jacobson to allow more time to take tests, the how to be arranged with the professor. Exam will be two hours long.

Self- Reflective Survey:

 

The Self Reflective Survey may add up to 3% points to the student’s overall grade.  This assignment is two-fold: (a) it helps you reflect on what you have learned, its usefulness in future courses and/or connects to courses you may have already taken, and (b) helps us to continuously improve, and/or maintain the course to provide quality learning for others who take the course.  Please be open and honest in your reflections and limit your writing to no more than two pages.

 

Course Policies:

 

For detailed information on any of the policies below, see the TCLA Bulletin

 

1. Attendance:
   Students are expected to attend lecture and laboratory sessions on a regular and punctual basis and to complete assignments in a timely fashion in order to obtain the educational benefits that each meeting affords. Excessive absences or failure to complete assignments may lead to a reduction of grade or failure of the course and loss of financial aid.  Repeated absences may lead to dismissal from the College.
   
   In the event of a student’s absence from an examination, the instructor shall be the judge of the validity of the student’s excuse and he/she may grant or deny an opportunity to make up the work that was missed. All missed work from a given semester must be completed by the end of the sixth week of the following semester.  Students may petition the Office of the Dean of Faculties for an extension of time for the completion of the missing course work.

 

 

2. Make-up and Absence Policies

The make-up of any exam or course work is to be arranged at the professor’s discretion prior to the date of the exam or course work.  So the professor needs to be informed of

prospective absences as soon as possible.   In the event of inadvertence, arrangements should be made for make-ups as soon as possible.

 

3. Grading
   GRADE TYPES

Credit Courses

Passing grades for credit bearing course are A, B, C and D with plus and minus.  For the numeric equivalents of these grades, see Grade Values below.  Failing grades are F and WU.

 

Grade Definitions

F:         Student attended class up to end of eighth week, but did not achieve passing grades on examinations and assignments, or stopped attending after eighth week.

W:       (No penalty.)  This grade is assigned when a student withdraws from a course and files an Add/Drop form (see p. 63) with the Office of the Registrar, signed by an academic advisor.  A student who does not file this form will receive a failing grade of F or WU depending on the number of class sessions attended and the amount of work completed.

WU:    Student stopped attending before the end of the eighth week of class; calculated as a failing grade

WNA:  Student never attended class.  This grade is not included in calculating the student’s grade point average (GPA).

N:        No grade assigned.

 

Grade Values

The following grade values are assigned for each credit-bearing hour:

Excellent...... A+ = 4.000................. A = 4.000................... A- = 3.667

Good............. B+ = 3.333................. B = 3.000................... B- = 2.667

Average........ C+ = 2.333................. C = 2.000................... C- = 1.667

Poor but Passing............................ D+ = 1.333................ D = 1.000        D- = 0.667

Failing.............................................. F and WU = 0

 

(Note: the grade of “P” is not included in the GPA.)

 

Grade Point Average (GPA)

The GPA is obtained by dividing the total number of grade points earned at Touro College by the total number of course credits completed, except for those with the grade of “P”.  Example:  A student receives the following credits and grades:

 

Grade	Credit Hours	Grade Value	Grade Points
A	4 x	4.000 =	16.000
A-	3 x	3.667 =	11.001
B+	4 x	3.333 =	13.332
B-	3 x	2.667 =	8.001
C	4 x	2.000 =	8.000
Totals	18		56.334
Calculated GPA:  56.334 ¸18 = 3.130

 

 

TENTATIVE GRADES

Tentative grades of “TC-”-minus) to “TF” are given at the discretion of the instructor when a student has not completed a required assignment or examination.  Students cannot receive academic credit for work that has not been completed.  Therefore, when determining a tentative grade, the incomplete work is graded as “F.”

 

Example:  A student who has done work all semester, but does not submit a required paper, might receive a tentative grade of “TD.”  If the work is not completed, the tentative grade of “TD” becomes a final grade of “D.”

 

Tentative Fall grades become final on the last day of the sixth week of the following Spring semester.  Tentative Spring and Summer grades become final on the last day of the sixth week of the following Fall semester. Students unable to complete work by the specified deadline may appeal for more time by filing a “Request For An Extension” form with the Office of the Dean.  Grade changes based on work submitted later than one year after the end of the semester in which the course was taken must be appealed to the Committee on Academic Standing.

 

INCOMPLETE GRADES

 

A grade of Incomplete (INC) may be given to students who have acceptable levels of performance for a given course, but have not completed all course requirements, such as an examination, a paper, or a field work project.  Grades of Incomplete should not be used for students who are doing substandard work in order to give them the opportunity to redo their projects/exams so that they can achieve an acceptable grade. 

 

The procedure for granting an Incomplete generally begins with the student requesting this grade from the faculty member (which the faculty member may deny).  Students who wish to appeal an instructor’s denial should follow procedures concerning Grade appeals outlined in the Catalog and Student Handbook.  A student who otherwise satisfies course requirements but misses a final examination for last-minute emergency reasons may be given an INC grade by the faculty member, at his or her discretion.

 

The time allowed for the completion of any single matter may vary at the instructor’s discretion.  However, a grade of Incomplete should be converted to a letter grade not later than six (6) weeks after the scheduled final examination of the course.  Individual units of the Undergraduate Division may schedule a make-up day on which students who had an excused absence for the final would be expected to take the final examination, or units may adopt other policies concerning make-up finals.  If the course is a prerequisite for other courses, students will not be allowed to use the course as a prerequisite or continue in a further course unless the incomplete grade is resolved.  The INC grade for such a course

 must be converted to a letter grade no later than the end of the add/drop period or three (3) weeks after the final exam.

 

If the student has not met the requirements or a Change of Grade form has not been submitted by the instructor, the incomplete grade will automatically be converted to a grade of “F” six (6) weeks after final exam of the semester.  If a student subsequently seeks to complete the missing work, he/she will need to complete an Extension Agreement, which must be approved by the Dean of the School and the faculty member.  A copy of this agreement is included in the appendix.  The approved Extension Agreement must be filed with the Registrar’s office.

 

Courses that receive an “Incomplete” grade will be counted toward the total number of credits attempted, but not earned.  The course will not be calculated in the student’s term or cumulative GPA until the Incomplete grade is resolved.  If the INC grade is subsequently changed to an F, the F grade will be calculated into the student’s GPA and will appear on the transcript.  Incomplete grades can, therefore, affect a student’s financial aid status at the college, but will not initially affect the student’s GPA.

 

4. Academic Integrity:
   Touro College and University System is a community of scholars and learners committed to maintaining the highest standards of personal integrity in all aspects of our professional and academic lives. Students and faculty are expected to share a mutual respect for teaching, learning and the development of knowledge.  Because intellectual integrity is a hallmark of scholarly and scientific inquiry as well as a core value of the Jewish tradition on which our university system was founded, students and faculty are expected to adhere to the highest standards of honesty, fairness, professional conduct of academic work and respect for all community members.

 

Academic honesty supports our shared intellectual culture and our ability to trust one another.  Students must avoid all acts of dishonesty, including, but not limited to:

• cheating
• plagiarizing (presenting the work or ideas of others as your own)
• fabricating (making up information, data, or research results)
• tampering (unauthorized removal or alteration of College documents, software, equipment, or other academic-related materials, including other students’ work)
• lying
• working with others when assignments or exams require individual work
• making unauthorized copies of copyrighted material
• facilitating or tolerating the dishonesty of others

 

Academic dishonesty lowers scholastic quality and adversely affects those who will eventually depend on the knowledge and integrity of our graduates.  Failure to uphold the principles of academic integrity negatively impacts the reputation of Touro, the value of each and every degree awarded by the institution, and the future success of our graduates.

 

The Touro College and University System views violation of academic integrity with the utmost gravity.  Such violations will lead to appropriate sanctions, from failure in coursework up to and including expulsion from the Touro College and University System.  We commit ourselves to the shared vision of academic excellence that can only flourish in a climate of integrity.

 

5. Academic Accommodation of Students with Special Needs:
   Students with a disability who require assistance must provide appropriate documentation and request accommodations (based on disability) upon registration. Students must provide documentation from an appropriate professional verifying the presence and impact of the disability. The Executive Director of Student Success reviews the documentation and determines eligibility for reasonable accommodations as permitted by applicable laws. 

 

6. Student Grievances:
   When a student has a personal concern involving a faculty or an academic matter relating to a faculty member, he/she should communicate to the faculty directly, without involving outside parties. If the matter cannot be resolved between the student and the faculty, the student may take it to the appropriate Director, without involving outside parties. If the matter cannot be handled properly by the appropriate Director, or if the student feels it was not properly resolved, it should be taken to the Director of Academics. The last step is to bring the Grievance to the Provost’ decision is final on any student grievance matter.

 

Faculty Policies:

 

1. Prompt response:
   Faculty are expected to respond to any student email within 24 hours in the workweek, except on the weekend or a holiday.
2. Keeping up with course work:
   Students are expected to keep up with course work and readings at all times. If for any reason the student expects to be late finishing an assignment he or she should immediately notify the instructor in advance. Being late and then submitting an excuse is frowned upon and considered unprofessional. It may result in a grade deduction.
3. Discussion board etiquette:
   Students are expected to post items on time for all discussion posts, especially those to which other students are expected to make a reply or response. Please be respectful. If you are expected to critique another student’s work, do so in a respectful and courteous manner. Insults and crude language will not be tolerated.
4. Addressing the professor:
   Please address me as Ms. Diaz.
5. Email subject lines: Always put the course number and name in the subject line of your email and include your full name surname. Then add a word or two about the actual subject.
   For example: MFT 6000 Jim Smith Threaded Discussion.

Course Grading Criteria

 

Grades will be based on:

Knewton Assignments                         15%

Book HW                                                  10%

Chapter Quizzes                                      20%

Exams                                                        25%

Final Exam                                               27%

Self Reflective Survey                          3%

Total                                                       100%

 

Course Grading Scale (expressed as percentages):

 

		B+	87-89	C+	77-79	D+	67-69
A	94-100	B	84-86	C	74-76	D	64-66	F	59-0
A-	90-93	B-	80-83	C-	70-73	D-	60-63

 

Grading Guidelines: The following guidelines delineate the academic expectations expected of students by grade.

 

Grade	Standard	Guidelines
A	Outstanding Achievement	Student prepares exceptional assignments, handouts, visuals, etc.  Student completes all assigned workbook pages, essays, and journal entries at an exceptional level. Student’s participation in class discussions reflects a thorough reading of the text.  Group discussions reflect student’s current research. The student’s work goes beyond the minimum requirements. Assignments are handed in on time and are at college level with respect to presentation, vocabulary and grammar. Outstanding achievement will also be reflected by the student’s ability to apply class content to real world settings through either concrete or abstract methods.
B	Praiseworthy Performance	Student prepares assignments, handouts, visuals, etc. at more than minimum level.   Student completes all assigned workbook pages, essays, and journal entries at a noteworthy level.  Student’s participation in class discussions reflects a thorough reading of the text.  Group discussions reflect student’s current research. The students work goes beyond the minimum requirements. Assignments are handed in on time and are at college level with respect to presentation, vocabulary and grammar.
C	Satisfactory Performance	Student prepares assignments, handouts, visuals, etc. at a minimum college level.   Student completes all assigned workbook pages, essays, and journal entries at a minimum college level.  Student only participates in class readings and group discussions when asked.  Student’s work demonstrates only minimum requirements and is at a minimal college level with respect to presentation, vocabulary and grammar.
D	Marginal Performance	Student demonstrates a marginal understanding for the areas covered in the course work. Some assignments were not adequately completed as evidenced by nothing being turned-in or by assignments being turned-in late. Participation in class may have been reluctant with respect to class readings and discussion, which is exhibited in a lack of preparation. Assignments sometimes demonstrate substandard collegiate work as they do not follow the given guidelines. Language use in presentations and written assignments shows limited ability.
F	Unacceptable Performance	Student failed to demonstrate even a marginal understanding for many areas covered in the course work. This failure was exhibited in missing or excessively late assignments. Assignments that were turned in did not employ the directions given and may have also been weakened by limited language ability. Participation was lacking as student was late or absent repeatedly.
Credit/No Credit		To be Arranged with Instructor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COURSE LECTURE /ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE AT INSTRUCTOR’S DISCRETION)  – HW Due Dates on Canvas!

 

WEEK #	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
1	Orientation, 1.1, 1.2		1.3,1.4
2	1.5, 1.6 Quiz 1		2.1, 2.2
3	2.3, 2.4		2.5, 2.6
4	2.7 Quiz 2		3.1, 3.2
5	3.3, 3.4		3.5, 3.6
6	3.7 Quiz 3 Exam 1 review		Exam 1, 4.1
7	4.2, 4.3, Quiz 4		5.1, 5.2
8	5.3, 5.4		5.5, 5.6
9	5.7, 5.8		Exam 2
10	PESACH		PESACH
11	PESACH		6.1, 6.2
12	6.3, 6.4		6.5, 6.6
13	6.7, 6.8 Quiz 6		7.1, 7.2
14	7.3, 7.4		7.5, 7.6
15	7.7, 7.8 Quiz 7		8.1, 8.2
16	8.3, 8.4		8.5, Quiz 8
17	SHAVOUT	SHAVOUT	EXAM 3
18	FINAL REVIEW		FINAL  tba