CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY

College of Graduate and Extended Studies

 

MA103

COLLEGE ALGEBRA

(3 credit hours)

 

Instructor: Mrs. Turner

Location: Hallsville High School room 407

Required Text: College Algebra, 3rd edition, by Robert Blitzer

 

Mission

 

Central Methodist University prepares students to make a difference in the world by emphasizing academic and professional excellence, ethical leadership, and social responsibility.

 

Creed

 

The Central Methodist University community believes in:

·        Seeking knowledge, truth, and wisdom:

·        Valuing freedom, honesty, civility, and diversity;

·        Living lives of service and leadership; and

·        Taking responsibility for ourselves and the communities in which we live.

 

Course Description

        College Algebra is a study of equations and inequalities, functions and graphs, polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, systems of equations and inequalities, matrices and determinants, and the conic sections.

        In College Algebra students will become familiar with solving first and higher-order algebraic equations both mathematically and graphically.  Included in these algebraic equations will be exponential and logarithmic functions.  It is assumed that the student has passed at least one year of high school algebra.

        Class attendance is mandatory.  A list of assigned problems will be given at the beginning of each week.  The problems assigned may be changed at the discretion of the instructor.

 

 

 

 

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

 

        Methods may include any of the following: Classroom lecture, teacher demonstration, audiovisual aids, discussion, return demonstration by students, role playing, and practice in simulated and actual situations, written assignments.

 

 

 

Grading

        Homework will be given for each section covered; however, homework will not be collected for points.  Instead, quizzes will be given after every 2 sections, (covering both sections). The quizzes will consist of two problems from each section covered, each problem being worth 5 points.  There will be 17 quizzes at 20 points each, totaling 340 points.

        There will be 7 chapter tests, each worth 100 points.  There will be a comprehensive final worth 200 points.

        Grades will be determined on a point-for-point basis.  The following is the grading scale used:

 

COURSE GRADING SCALE

 

90-100%   =      A

80-89%     =      B

70-79%     =      C

60-69%     =      D

Below 60% =      F

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

 

        Central Methodist University’s Policy on academic honesty is attached and will be strictly enforced.

 

 

ACADEMIC PROPERTY

 

                All work (original or copy) submitted by the student to satisfy the requirements of the course may be retained at the discretion of the instructor for non-profit and educational purposes. Such work is generally used for assessing the course and providing evidence of student accomplishment for review by accrediting agencies. Any student wishing to prohibit such use of their work may do so by notifying the instructor in writing.

 

NONDISCRIMINATORY POLICY

 

        Central Methodist University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or federally defined disability in its recruitment, admission, and retention of students.

 

INSTRUCTOR’S POLICIES

 

        Students will be expected to abide by all academic policies set forth by Hallsville High School (as written in the student handbook), and by Central Methodist University (as written below).

 

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

 

        Central Methodist University believes that honesty throughout life is a significant foundation of character and personal integrity. The University’s Policy on Academic Honesty applies to all forms of academic work, including but not limited to quizzes and examination, essays and papers, lab reports, oral presentations, surveys, take-home tests, etc. Every student is responsible for understanding this policy. By registering at the university, every student accepts the obligation to abide by this policy. Students are also responsible for understanding the particular policy applications required by each of their instructors and to ask the instructor for clarification of any areas of uncertainty.

        Academic honesty requires that each person accept the obligation to be truthful in all academic endeavors. To help members of the community understand the implications of academic honesty; the University provides the following explanation of academic dishonesty.

        Academic dishonesty is any conduct that has either as its intent or its effect (independent of intent) the false representation of a student’s academic performance.

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following:

1.  Cheating in any form (e.g., ghost-written papers, cheat sheets or notes, copying during exams, quizzes or other graded class work, etc.)

2.  Collaborating with others on work to be presented contrary to the stated rules of the course

3.  Stealing or having unauthorized assess to examination or course materials.

4.  Falsifying records, or laboratory or other data.

5.  Submitting work previously presented in another course without the advance consent of the instructor.

6.  Knowingly and intentionally assisting any other student in any act of academic dishonesty (this includes intentionally allowing any other student to use or submit your academic work or performance, or other academic work supplied by you, under a name different from the author of the work), and

7.  Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a form of cheating and stealing. It is morally unacceptable as well as against academic policy. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to (1) representing as one’s own work a paper, speech, or report written in whole or in part by someone else (from the unaccredited use of significant phrases to the unaccredited use of larger portions of materials),       (2) failing to provide appropriate recognition of the sources of borrowed material through the proper use of quotation marks, proper attribution of paraphrases, and proper citations. Paraphrase is the direct use of others’ ides, data, or structures of thought stated in language substantially different from the source upon which they depend, and therefore not requiring quotation marks even though the substance of the material is borrowed. In borrowed material, appropriated recognition of the source must be given.

 

The University will discipline students for infractions of the Academic Honesty Policy with various sanctions which it deems appropriate, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the University. Penalties internal to a course, including grades and expulsion from the course, are at the discretion of the instructor. Students can appeal instructors’ internal course penalties to the Committee on Academic Standards and Admissions, whose decision is final. Instructors must report all penalties they impose for academic dishonesty, with a brief account of the offense, to the Dean of the University, so that all violations are recorded. For serious or repeated offenses, the Dean may impose further penalties beyond the course penalty. These penalties include but are not limited to notations in the student’s file, notations on the student’s transcript, probation, suspension, and expulsion. A decision by the Dean of the University can be appealed to the Faculty Committee on Academic Standards and Admission, whose decision is final.