MATH 112 Section 008: Precalculus Algebra

This is a course in Precalculus mathematics.  The course is computer-assisted, which means students will use the computer (along with the instructor) to complete the course.  Topics include linear, quadratic, and rational equations and inequalities, the algebra of functions (including polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions), the graphs of these functions, and systems of equations.

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR 100-200 LEVEL COURSES:

·         Students will be able to discriminate between reliable and less reliable information in their decision-making.

·         Students will be able to recognize and explain the scientific method, and evaluate scientific information.

LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THIS COURSE:

·         Students will be able to perform operations on polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions.

·         Students will be able to graph polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions using techniques and information gathered about the functions.

·         Students will be able to solve linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic, absolute value, and inequality equations.

·         Students will be able to recognize and manipulate complex numbers.

·         Students will be able to solve systems of equations in two or more variables.

	Test 1 Material:   Test 1 is Wednesday 9/16
Meeting	Section	Title	Completion Deadline
8/19 Wed.		Orientation/Initial Skills Assessment/ Prep Work	Wednesday 8/26
8/21  Fri.		Syllabus Quiz – Must be taken in the MTLC	Wednesday 8/26
	1.5	More on Functions	Sunday 8/30
	1.6	The Algebra of Functions	Sunday 8/30
8/24 Mon.	1.7	Symmetry and Transformations	Wednesday 9/2
	2.1	Linear Equations, Functions and Models	Wednesday 9/2
8/31 Mon.	2.2	The Complex Numbers	Sunday 9/6
	2.3	Quadratic Equations, Functions, and Models	Wednesday 9/9
	2.4	Analyzing Graphs of Quadratic Functions (extra class)	Sunday 9/13
9/7 Mon.		Labor Day – No Class
9/14 Mon.		Review for Test 1 & cover 2.5

       

Test 2 Material: Test 2 is Monday10/5, Tuesday 10/6, or Wednesday 10/7
Meeting	Section	Title	Completion Deadline
9/14 Mon.	2.5	More Equation Solving	Wednesday 9/23
9/21 Mon.	2.6	Solving Linear Inequalities	Wednesday 9/23
	4.1	Inverse Functions	Sunday 9/27
9/28 Mon.	4.2	Exponential Functions and Graphs	Wednesday 9/30
	4.3	Logarithmic Functions and Graphs	Sunday 10/4
10/5 Mon.		Review for Test 2 & cover 4.4

       

Test 3 Material: Test 3 is Wednesday 10/28
Meeting	Section		Completion Deadline
10/5 Mon.	4.4	Properties of Logarithmic Functions	Wednesday 10/14
10/12 Mon.	4.5	Solving Exponential and Logarithmic Equations	Wednesday  10/14
	4.6	Applications and Models:  Growth and Decay	Sunday 10/18
10/19 Mon.	3.1	Polynomial Functions and Models	Wednesday  10/21
	3.2	Graphing Polynomial Functions	Sunday 10/25
10/26 Mon.		Review for Test 3 & cover 3.3

       

Test 4 Material: Test 4 is Wednesday 11/18
Meeting	Section	Title	Completion Deadline
10/26 Mon.	3.3	Polynomial Division, The Remainder and Factor Theorem	Wednesday 11/4
11/2 Mon.	3.4	Theorems about Zeroes of Polynomial Functions	Wednesday 11/4
	3.5	Rational Functions	Sunday 11/8
11/9 Mon.	3.6	Polynomial and Rational Inequalities	Wednesday 11/11
	8.2	System of Equations in Three Variables	Sunday 11/15
11/16 Mon.		Review for Test 4 & cover 9.4

       

Extra Material
11/16 Mon	9.4	Nonlinear Systems of Equations	Sunday 11/22
11/23 Mon	8.8	Partial Fractions	Wednesday 12/2
11/30 Mon		Review for the Final Exam

Comprehensive Final Exam is Monday 12/7, Tuesday 12/8, Wednesday 12/9, Thursday 12/10, or Friday 12/11.

TEST DEADLINES:                                                                   REGISTRATION WEEK:

Test 1: Wednesday                                                    September 16               8am Friday 9/4-5pm Friday 9/11

Test 2: Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday                  October 5, 6, or 7         8am Friday 9/25-5pm Friday 10/2

Test 3: Wednesday                                                     October 28                   8am Friday 10/16-5pm Friday 10/23

Test 4: Wednesday                                                     November 18               8am Friday 11/6-5pm Friday 11/13

Final Exam:  Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., or Fri.           December 7-11           8am Friday 11/27-5pm Friday 12/4

Test times available: TBA (to be announced)

Final Exam times available:  8 am, 11:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 7 pm. (All times may not be available each day.)

Please read Test Rules in this syllabus for detailed information on test reservation and test taking procedures.

TEST RULES:  Tests must be taken in the MTLC.

1.        There are four 75-minute tests and a 150-minute comprehensive final exam. Test dates are listed on the front page of the syllabus.

 

2.        You may take your tests early:  “Early” means before the close of online registration for that exam.  No registration is needed and no penalties will apply for early tests.  However, no tests will be given at all on Sundays. You may not begin a test if the MTLC is scheduled to close before the end of your full allotted time: usually you must begin by 8pm (7pm for a final exam), or on Fridays by 3pm (2pm for a final exam).

3.        You must reserve a time in order to take an exam on a test deadline day.  Test weeks are a logistical challenge; you must tell MTLC when you will come, and you must do what you say. The front page of the syllabus lists beginning and ending dates/times for online registration for each exam.  To register online, go to the MTLC website (www.mtlc.ua.edu), select link Test Registration, log in as instructed, select link Register, then choose an available date and time.  You may freely cancel or change your test time while online registration is active.  Be sure to verify your registration: log back in to the test registration site or check your confirmation email message.

4.        After online registration closes (at 5pm on Friday before the deadline week), you must come in person to the MTLC to register or to change your test time.  You must sign up manually with the instructor on duty; no phone calls or email arrangements can be accepted.  In this case, points will be deducted from your test grade as follows:

10 points if you did not register online

5 points if you change your test time after online registration closes but before your scheduled test time

10 points if you miss your test time and reschedule, or if no open seats remain when you come to register

These penalties are CUMULATIVE.  You may fill out a petition request form to have the penalty waived if you have a valid excuse.

 

5.        If you miss a test and your course’s testing period has NOT ended, come to the MTLC to reschedule.  If the testing period is over, see REPLACEMENT POLICY above.

 

6.        Arrive on time for your test.  Tardiness will cost you working time on the test.  Bring your ID and pencils with you.  Swipe your ACT card at the MTLC entrance and then follow signs to the back hallway.  Staff will check your ID and give you a personalized test paper (which is your initial scratch paper), then direct you to your seat.

7.        Absolutely NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES may be active in the testing area.  All cell phones, texting devices, iPods, MP3 players, etc must be turned off and put away before you pick up your test paper.  Use of any electronic device during a test will be treated as academic misconduct.

8.        Place all belongings on the floor.  Once you enter the testing area, all review material must be put away. As soon as you are seated, you may begin your exam.  The MTLC will give you additional scratch paper as needed; no other paper is allowed. When you are finished, staff will collect all papers. Warning: do NOT touch the browser’s BACK button, your test will close and you will have to start over.

9.        ONLY THE CALCULATOR ON THE COMPUTER MAY BE USED ON TESTS.  The only webpage that may be opened during a test is the testing page.  Opening any other website during testing will be treated as academic misconduct.

10.     An MTLC staff member must be present when your test is submitted for a grade: if it does not store correctly it is at risk for getting LOST.

11.     You will be allowed to review your test before you leave the lab.  You may not write down any information pertaining to test questions to take with you when you leave the MTLC after an exam.  You may not share any test information with anyone who hasn’t taken the test.  Violators will be charged with academic misconduct.

COURSE GRADES:  This course is under the “A, B, C, and NC” policy, +/- grades will be given.  Points earned as follows determine the course grade:               

  4 Tests                  400 points (100 points each)                                 COURSE GRADE SCALE

  Final Exam             300 points                                                            

  Quizzes                  156 points (39 points each test period)         A+   980 – 1000,  A  920 – 979,  A–  900 – 919

  Homework                68 points (17 points each test period)         B+   880 – 899,    B   820 – 879, B–  800 – 819

  Class Meetings         30 points (2 points for each week)             C+   780 – 799,   C    720 – 779,  C–  700 – 719

  Lab Attendance        45 points (3 points for each week)             NC    Below 700

  Lab Survey                 2 points

  Total                     1001 points                                                           

You must have a minimum of 700 pts. to pass this course.

MAKE-UP POLICY:  If homework or quizzes are missed due to a serious, verifiable circumstance, then make-up work may be allowed. Any student requesting to make up work must fill out a petition request form in 345 Gordon Palmer with an excuse and supporting documents attached.  If a test is missed due to a serious, verifiable circumstance, the zero test grade will be replaced with the final exam grade.  Students who must miss work or tests due to official University business must make arrangements for makeup work beforehand.  Students must take excuses to the math department (345 Gordon Palmer) and fill out a petition request form within 2 days of the missed work.

REPLACEMENT POLICY:  Everyone will be allowed to replace his/her lowest test grade with the grade made on the final exam.  However, zeros due to an unexcused absence or academic misconduct will not be replaced.  Students who miss a test and have an excuse can have the missed test replaced if a petition request form is filed within two days, and if the petition request panel approves the excuse. Petitions may be filed in Gordon Palmer, room 345; please attach supporting documents.

If you miss a test and your course’s testing period has NOT ended, come to the MTLC to reschedule.  If the testing period is over, see REPLACEMENT POLICY above.

Attendance Policies:  

·         Every student is required to come to the classroom at the scheduled class time for Wednesday, August 19 and Friday, August 21.

·         Class Meetings: Each student is required to attend and actively participate in a class meeting every week in the classroom listed on the schedule. Class attendance is worth 2 points each week. The class meetings will be on Monday during your scheduled class time after August 24^th.  The time for the class meeting is not counted toward your 3 hours lab work requirement.

·         Lab work: Every student is required to work in the MTLC for a minimum of 3 hours every week including test weeks. The attendance requirement will begin the week of August 23^rd. Attendance is counted from Sunday to Friday each week.  Lab attendance each week earns you up to 3 points, determined as follows: 3 hours = 3 points, 2 hours = 2 points, 1 hour = 1 point, less than 1 hour = 0 points. The MTLC staff will do its best to keep your attendance hours up to date but it is your responsibility to keep a record of your attendance. You may check your attendance on the MTLC web page.

·         Completion of work:  If you complete each assignment due in a particular week with a score of 70 or above, you shall earn your lab attendance points for the week automatically without having to spend the required hours in the lab.  You must get a score of 70% or better on each homework and each quiz for each section due for the week to earn the lab points automatically. Otherwise, your lab points will be awarded based on actual time you spent in the MTLC according to your ACT card swipes.

An access code is required to complete all assignments and tests for this course.  The access code allows the student to access the publisher’s website for the course, where all assignments and tests must be completed and where the entire textbook may be viewed online.  Access codes can be purchased with or without a hard copy of the textbook at a bookstore or online from the publisher.

CALCULATOR: Only the calculator on the computer may be used in this course.

EMAIL REQUIREMENT:  All correspondence will be made through your crimson email account.  If you do not have a crimson email account, then you can get one activated at Seebeck located in 125 Gordon Palmer.  You may reach your instructor by emailing ma112mtl@bama.ua.edu.  Please put your instructor’s name in the subject box.  Replies to automated emails cannot be answered.

MTLC INFORMATION

Location:  B1 Tutwiler

Phone number: 348 – 2592

Website: www.mtlc.ua.edu

MTLC HOURS

Sunday                                    4:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Mon. – Thurs.                         8:00 am – 10:00 pm

Friday                                      8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Lab hours are counted Sunday – Friday

You must swipe your ACT card to receive credit for your attendance. No exceptions.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM:  Every student must submit an acknowledgement form, found on the math software, acknowledging that he or she has read the syllabus and understands all the policies for this course.  No one will be allowed to do any work until this form has been completed.

WITHDRAW:   Wednesday, October 28 is the last day to withdraw from this class with a W.  No drops will be allowed after this date.  After this

date you will be assigned a grade according to your total points based on the scale above.

HOMEWORK:  Homework will be assigned for each section.  For each test period you will be allowed to drop one homework grade.  The homework grade will be calculated by taking the average of each of the remaining grades on the homework sections assigned and converting this to the 16 points you earn for each test period.  Homework can be completed more than once with the highest score kept as the grade for that section.

QUIZZES:  There will be a quiz given on each section covered.  You will be given one attempt on each quiz.  For each test period you will be allowed to drop one section quiz grade.  The remaining quizzes’ grades will be averaged and converted to the 39 points you earn for each test period. NOTE: You will not be given help on your quizzes or tests.

WORKING FROM HOME: The Math 112 software can be installed on the student’s personal computer.  Internet access and the appropriate plug-ins are required in order to use the website where the notes, homework, and exercises are found. The website for the software is http://mylabsplus.com.  If this page fails to load, try typing the address again rather than selecting it from a drop-down menu. There are plug-ins to be downloaded in order for a successful operation from home.  To get these, you will login to the website with your own personal login and password as given by the MTLC.  Next, click on your course section.  Select the INSTALLATION WIZARD from the link that appears on the screen on the right. Then follow the instructions on the screen. Students doing graded work from home risk grades not being properly saved.  If scores are not successfully sent from home and the deadline passes, you will NOT be able to make up the work.  Tests must be taken in the MTLC.

EARLY COURSE COMPLETION:  You are encouraged to work ahead of the syllabus deadlines, and to take tests and the final exam early.  Once you have taken the final, you do not need to continue coming to the MTLC to work.  All the remaining attendance requirements are automatically counted for full credit.

WEEKLY HELP SESSIONS:  The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) will hold weekly help sessions.  Check the CTL website (www.ctl.ua.edu) for the days, times, and location of these help sessions.  The CTL also has FREE tutors available in Osband Hall.  Call 348-8854 to schedule an appointment.  Additional videos are also available for viewing in Osband Hall.

MTLC RULES

1.        The MTLC is a math classroom. Please be quiet during your visit to the MTLC.

2.        The monitor will swipe your ACT card when you enter the MTLC and swipe it when you leave, even for a short break. Do not present an ACT card other than your own. Violators will be charged with academic misconduct and reported to the dean’s office.

3.        Cell phones, food, drinks (including water), tobacco products, and companions are NOT allowed in the Center. A cell phone violation will cause your cell phone to be detained until you leave the MTLC.   Your cell phone needs to be out of sight and turned off.

4.        Other than mathematics, no activities such as talking, surfing the Internet, playing computer games, typing a paper, sleeping, etc. is allowed in the MTLC. Any violation will cause your attendance credit to be 0 for that day and you will be asked to leave the MTLC.

5.        The use of a computer in the MTLC is on a first-come first-serve basis; no reservation can be made for normal course work. (Reservations are required for tests.  See Test Rules below.)

6.        No attendance credit will be given to students who do not have their ACT cards.

7.        Take notes.  Record each homework score and quiz score once you finish it on the record sheet that is provided for you.

8.        Please do not hesitate to ask questions in the MTLC.  Staff members in the MTLC are there to help you.

 

Math Course Login Information:  (The MTLC sets up the login information for each student.  If you cannot login with this following information, then please come to the MTLC for assistance.) website:  mylabsplus.com

Your username:  UofA email address            example:  jksmith@crimson.ua.edu

Your password:  CWID                                             example:  12345678

NOTE:  You will find your current course under the Alabama Fall 2009 Term

All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student.

The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.

If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. If you have a disability, but have not contacted the Office of Disability Services, please call 348-4285 or visit 133-B Martha Parham Hall East to register for services. Students who may need course adaptations because of a disability are welcome to make an appointment to see me during office hours. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services, 133-B Martha Parham Hall East, before receiving academic adjustments.

In the case of a tornado warning (tornado has been sighted or detected by radar, sirens activated), all university activities are automatically suspended, including all classes and laboratories. If you are in a building, please move immediately to the lowest level and toward the center of the building away from windows (interior classrooms, offices, or corridors) and remain there until the tornado warning has expired. Classes in session when the tornado warning is issued can resume immediately after the warning has expired at the discretion of the instructor. Classes that have not yet begun will resume 30 minutes after the tornado warning has expired provided at least half of the class period remains.

UA is a residential campus with many students living on or near campus. In general classes will remain in session until the National Weather Service issues safety warnings for the city of Tuscaloosa. Clearly, some students and faculty commute from adjacent counties. These counties may experience weather related problems not encountered in Tuscaloosa. Individuals should follow the advice of the National Weather Service for that area taking the necessary precautions to ensure personal safety. Whenever the National Weather Service and the Emergency Management Agency issue a warning, people in the path of the storm (tornado or severe thunderstorm) should take immediate life saving actions.

When West Alabama is under a severe weather advisory, conditions can change rapidly. It is imperative to get to where you can receive information from the National Weather Service and to follow the instructions provided. Personal safety should dictate the actions that faculty, staff and students take. The Office of Public Relations will disseminate the latest information regarding conditions on campus in the following ways:

• Weather advisory posted on the UA homepage
• Weather advisory sent out through Connect-ED--faculty, staff and students (sign up at myBama)
• Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA at 90.7 FM
• Weather advisory broadcast over Alabama Public Radio (WUAL) at 91.5 FM
• Weather advisories are broadcast via WUOA/WVUA-TV, which can be viewed across Central Alabama. Also, visit wvuatv.com for up-to-the-minute weather information. A mobile Web site is also available for your convenience.