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Course Information
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What Can This Course Do for Students?
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This course will give students a firm basis in college algebra, which can be used directly in future courses like pre-calculus and calculus or indirectly to aid in problem-solving and critical thinking that is considered essential to a college education.
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Course Description:
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This course covers a study of functions and their representations with an emphasis on the use of functions in problem-solving and modeling contexts. Topics include polynomial functions, rational functions, power and root functions, inverse functions, and systems of equations.
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Student Learning Outcomes:
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Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
- understand complex mathematical and logical material,
- interpret and employ conventional mathematical language and symbology,
- perform fundamental algebraic procedures and calculations,
- use technology to construct and analyze graphs of equations and functions, and
- apply algebraic techniques as problem-solving tools with relevance to other disciplines.
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Prerequisites:
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Math 1000 or 1010 or 1530 with a C or higher or
ACT-Math score of 19 or higher or
COMPASS Math Score of 4
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Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements
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Required Textbook & Courseware:
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The required textbook, College Algebra: Real Mathematics, Real People (7th edition) by Larson, and corresponding course software (courseware) containing all of the online homework assignments and exams are located in Cengage WebAssign, linked under Content in D2L, and will be paid for as part of your Austin Peay fees at a discounted rate to you as part of our First Day program.
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Other Required Supplementary Materials:
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The TI-83 or TI-84 calculator is required. (We have limited loans for the TI-84 on a first-come basis.)
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Hardware and Software Requirements:
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For this course, students are required to have frequent access to the following:
- A personal computer with either Microsoft or the Apple Mac operating systems,
- A web browser compatible with Cengage WebAssign; for help contact the Cengage Tech Support or the Austin Peay help desk (931-221-HELP),
- Highspeed internet connection, and
- The ability to install additional software or plug-ins, all of which our APSU at FC Building lab already has.
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E-Section Lab Materials:
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Students with uncompleted mathematical deficiencies as noted on the OneStop advising page should be in the algebra lab portion of the course. SLA leaders will provide additional materials and arrangements during the first meeting for the algebra lab, which immediately follows the statistics course. The e-section of algebra is a separate course as a bonus for a tiny additional fee. Students should treat the SLA lab as a separate course in terms of the hours required and studying.
Students registered for an e-section are required to attend the SLA Lab as it appears in your APSU One-Stop schedule, usually immediately after class and in AP102. These labs are part of the Tennessee Board of Regents approved learning support program. You will be given a list of lab requirements on the first day that you meet your lab. Failure to attend the lab or to meet the lab requirements may result in a grade of FA for the course.
Students enrolled in an e-section of a mathematics course have the opportunity to accomplish two goals: (1) complete the general education core requirement in mathematics; and (2) satisfy the TBR requirement to address mathematics deficiencies. The requirements for the removal of the mathematics deficiency will be stated in the SLA syllabus given to you on the first day that you meet your lab.
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Instructor Information
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Ellen Smyth
Instructor
Mathematics Department
Austin Peay State University at Ft Campbell
P.O. Box 4626
Clarksville, TN 37044
APSU at FC Building 203, Room 217
Phone: (931) 221-1443
Email: smythe@apsu.edu
Website: ellensmyth.com
Office Hours:
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8:30-11 AM in AP217 |
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| Always |
Please message me in Remind or via text message with any homework questions. |
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Assessment and Grading
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Each student's overall percentage grade will be based only on the activities and percentages outlined below so that all course expectations for a final grade are utterly transparent. All opportunities for extra credit come through reviewing and studying for the exams to improve exam scores, which comprise most of the grade for the course. The final exam is final, the final grade for the course, as the name implies.
Exam reviews can be found in D2L, where thoroughly understanding how to correctly work each problem in the review could improve a student's course grade by a letter or two.
Please consult the schedule at the top of this syllabus for specific deadline dates.
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Activity
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Percentage
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Class Activities
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10+
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WebAssign Homework
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10+
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Midterm Exam
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30+
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Final Exam
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50+
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Total
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100+
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+To successfully complete this course, students should complete 90-100% honest homework by the due dates. Please let me know if you have any questions over the homework problems.
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Weighted Overall Percentages
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Letter Grade
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At least 90.0%
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A
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At least 80.0%
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B
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At least 70.0%
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C
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At least 60.0%
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D
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Anything less than 60.0%
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F
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A midterm grade shall be awarded for all students in this course. The grade awarded may not be based on half of the course requirements and may not be the same as the final grade. Your midterm grade will be posted on AP Self Service.
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Assignments
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- Content Videos - Before each hybrid class, students will print lecture notes, watch content videos in D2L Content, take notes on the video content atop the printed notes, and bring any questions over these videos to discuss at the beginning of class before we start working problems together.
- Class Activities - During class, students will be graded equally on 1) the accuracy of select answers, 2) the percentage of questions answered before time expires, and 3) an all-or-nothing daily credit for being 100% present and engaged for the entirety of class time including being ready to go with calculator, pencils, & paper out and ready to start from the moment class begins to the moment class ends, with the exception of a 10-minute break.
- WebAssign Homework - Homework assignments covering each section should be completed to 90-100% through WebAssign by the due date listed in the schedule at the top of this syllabus in order to successfully complete the course. Students should use their notes, textbook, calculator, class activities, and videos. If these tools are not enough, please do not hesitate to message me.
- Midterm and Final Exams - Midterm exams will be covering P.1-5, 1.1-7, and 2.1-2. The comprehensive final exam will be covering everything the class and homework cover for the entire course. Scratch paper will be provided, and students will be allowed their TI-83 or -84 calculators. Exams are expected to be the sole work of the student taking the exam.
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Course Ground Rules
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Students are responsible for learning the technical aspects of this course, including how to navigate Desire2Learn, WebAssign, the calculator, and other technical aspects of online courses. Please ask questions and seek help as needed 1) by contacting Cengage Tech Support, 2) by contacting the Austin Peay help desk (931-221-HELP), and 3) by contacting me, the instructor. Students are expected to address technical problems immediately, before due dates.
Due dates for all assignments can be found in this syllabus above. Students will complete and submit all graded items by the due date to earn credit.
College algebra often challenges students significantly. Students can best improve their grades by dedicating time and attention to the course. If a student earns an A in this course, he or she is all sorts of awesome!
WebAssign homework and D2L exams must be completed only by the student submitting the work for credit. If any work is submitted by a student that is not the work of that student, that student risks failing the course and being removed from the university, according to university policies.
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Expected Course Conduct
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Students are expected to:
- Be honest,
- Be respectful,
- Work hard,
- Allow their ringing phones (not on silent) to be answered by the entire class,
- Read Remind messages daily, and
- Follow the "Code of Student Conduct" in the Student Handbook.
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Students with Disabilities
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Austin Peay State University abides by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which stipulates that no student shall be denied the benefits of an education "solely by reason of a handicap." Disabilities covered by law include, but are not limited to, learning disabilities and hearing, sight, or mobility impairments. If I have a documented disability that may have some impact on my work in this class and for which I may require reasonable accommodations, I should immediately communicate with the instructor and with Disabilities Services in Morgan University Center Room 114, 221-6230 or 221-6278 (V/TTY), so that such reasonable accommodations may be arranged.
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Syllabus Changes
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The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes in class, in D2L, or by email.
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ADA Syllabus
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This Microsoft Word ADA compliant syllabus can be found in D2L under Getting Started immediately after this syllabus.
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