Contemporary Mathematics I Syllabus for 2011-2012
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Instructor Information

Course Information

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.

Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:

As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc

Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:

Administrative Drop Policy

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Student Withdrawal Procedures

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Privacy Statement

The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students.  If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .

Course

MATH-1332-003 Contemporary Mathematics I

Prerequisites

MATH 0303-minimum grade of C, an Accuplacer score of 75, a THEA score of 270, an equivalent score on a state-approved test or Department Chair consent

Course Description

Logic; sets and counting; metric system; probability; statistics; geometry; math of finance; and exponential and logarithmic functions.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Online Course

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ TEXTBOOK:  Thinking Mathematically, 5th ed.  AUTHORS:   Robert Blitzer, Pearson Prentice-Hall Publishing company.  You will also need the Student Study pack as well as an access code for MyMathLab.
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Supplies

\ HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS: 

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Student Performance

\ PERFORMANCE/LEARNING OBJECTIVES:  After completing this course, the student will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the following topics:
\ 1.         Correct application of deductive and inductive reasoning, symbolic logic, conditionals and truth tables.
\ 2.         Investigate and apply sets and set operations, Venn diagrams and combinatorics.
\ 3.         Demonstrate an understanding of basic terms and rules, independence and conditional probability.
\ 4.         Interpret population, sample and data, measures of central tendency, measures of dispersion and normal distribution.
\ 5.         Review exponential and logarithmic functions, properties of logarithms, and investigate their applications in exponential growth and decay.
\ 6.         Compute and evaluate perimeter, area, volume, surface area and ancient geometries.
\ 7.         Evaluate simple interest, compound interest, annuities, amortized loans and annual percentage rate

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Log in using the AC Connect Portal

In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .

If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".

Expected Student Behavior

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY will not be tolerated in this class and will result in a zero for the exam or assignment involved.  For more information, please see the college’s academic dishonesty policy in the student handbook.  Please also see the document in the orientation discussion scholastic dishonesty.

If ACOnline goes down:

 Last semester, we experienced a week of class where ACOnline was unavailable.  This brought to my attention that this is a possibility (although very unlikely) that we will need
to prepare for.  Please print out this information for your reference if ACOnline is unaccessible:

1.  You can contact me at wlpoing@actx.edu .  Please DO NOT use this address to contact me unless ACOnline is down.  

2.  I will contact the class using your myAC e-mail address.  If ACOnline is unavailable, please be sure to check your e-mail at this site.

3.  If ACOnline is unavailable and it is at least one week into the semester, all due dates on coursecompass.com and for your written exams will be as stated in the syllabus.  
AConline will not prevent you from completing those assignments.

 4.  If you have questions about assignments, I'll be glad to answer those over e-mail.  I  have backups of the files, and I can access information for you and send it to you.   

Expectations and Requirements for this course
Every online class is different; it makes sense to outline my policies and expectations so that each student is well informed as they begin the class as to what will be required of them.

1.    This is a difficult course. Online classes are not necessarily more difficult than in-class courses, but they require additional skills of the student. You will be expected to learn the material by utilizing the online resources at coursecompass.com and by reading your textbook.  Help is available to you when you need it in a variety of forms. You will also be required to use two different sites to complete your work.You will need some familiarity with downloading software, e-mail programs, and bulletin board programs. You will need to be a strong reader and have a very high reading comprehension level.

2.    You will need internet access. You will need internet access for several hours each week. To use coursecompass.com, you will need specific software that may not be available on all public computers, so I do not suggest using the computer at a public library for this course. You should plan to use either your personal computer or a computer at  Amarillo   College . If you plan to use a computer at  Amarillo College , please keep in mind that the library may have limited hours on weekends or holidays and keeping up with the libraryÂ’s hours is your responsibility. By signing up for an online course, you are communicating that you have access to a computer with a reliable internet connection with the appropriate software.

3.    This class demands a great deal of time. Online courses often take more time than in-class delivery courses. Please expect to spend at least 10-15 hours each week on this course (this is for fall and spring semester courses; double this time commitment for summer courses). If your other life commitments do not allow you this amount of time to spend on the course, you may want to choose another course or delivery method.

4.    Deadlines are your responsibility. Due dates are given to you in the syllabus. Online classes give you the freedom to complete your assignments at your own pace and in your own time. With this freedom comes responsibility--you are responsible for completing your assignments by the posted due dates regardless of other commitments you may have in your life beyond this class. Completing assignments a few days ahead of the due date is the best way to ensure that all your assignments are turned in on time.

5.    Technical difficulties happen. Yes, technical difficulties happen, and usually at the worst possible times. Plan on it. If ever your internet connection is going to go out, it will happen the night you left the online test until the last minute. If you have technical difficulties while completing a test, I can help you; however, I will not be online at 11:30 p.m. on the due date. If technical difficulties prevent you from completing an online test on time, you will receive a 0 or the grade you had when technical difficulties prevented you finishing the test. Completing assignments a few days ahead of time ensures that if you have any technical difficulties, we can take care of them before the due date and your assignments will be completed on time.

6.    You are responsible for asking for help when you need it. There are many ways to get help in this class, but you are the only one that will know when you need help. I canÂ’t see you, and I donÂ’t really know if a low test score means you need help or you just had a bad week. There are lots of resources available to help you succeed in this course, just ask and we can work together to find help for you.

7.    This course requires organization and a good study plan. Online courses take a lot of self-motivation and discipline. This will usually be easier if you develop a system for keeping up with your assignments in the course.

8.    DonÂ’t ask for extra credit. If extra credit is offered, I will notify you by e-mail or by placing an announcement on the homepage for the course on ACOnline.  DonÂ’t expect extra credit to be offered, and please donÂ’'t e-mail me asking for extra credit.

9.    The same rules for a traditional classroom apply. You are expected to conduct yourself in this course according to the standards outlined in Student Rights and Responsibilities. Pay specific attention to the sections on plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Please also note that disrespect in any form toward your classmates or instructor will not be tolerated and may result in you being denied access to the course.

Course Policies continue in the Orientation section of the course assignments.  Please refer to this material as part of the syllabus, policies and general information about the course.

Grading Criteria

INSTRUCTIONAL METHOD / EXAMINATIONS / ASSIGNMENTS and GRADING:
Online homework (20% of your total grade):  Online homework will be completed at www.coursecompass.com by the due date indicated above.  Online homework may be completed as many times as you need to, up until the due date.  The last grade (as of the due date) will be recorded.  There will be 15 homework assignments, and I will use your 12 best scores to compute your homework average.  Late homework will not be accepted for any reason (see policy entitled “Late Work” below).  Online homework must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST on the due date. 

Online Exams (20% of your total grade):  Online exams will be completed at  www.coursecompass.com by the due date(s) indicated below.  Online tests may only be accessed once and have a time limit of 90 minutes.  If you begin an online test but do not submit it by the due date, I will record your grade as it stands.  There will be 15 online exams -- I will drop the 3 lowest test grades and use your 12 best scores to compute your online exam average.  There will be no makeup exams (see policy entitled “Late Work” below). Online exams must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CST on the due date. 

Paper Exams (EACH worth 20% of your final grade for a total of 60%):  The midterm exam and the final exam will be completed by hand.  These tests must be taken at the  Washington Street   Campus Testing   Center (SSC-104, (806) 371-5456) or at an approved testing site. If you will be taking a test at a site other than the Washington Street campus testing center, you must make arrangements with the instructor by September 12 and notify your instructor when you want the exam sent to the alternate testing site.  You may use a TI-83 calculator to complete these exams.  Each exam must be completed by 7:30 p.m. on the due date.  The testing center requires that you provide a photo ID to take a test and will not hand out a test within an hour of closing.  Paper exams may not be taken late for any reason. 
 

LATE WORK:  I will drop 3 (of 15) online homework grades and 3 (of 15) online exam grades at the end of the semester.  I do this because I do not allow any makeup work or late submitted work.  These dropped grades are to be used in all situations involving missed assignments including ( but not limited to ): illness, family emergency, hospitalization, family illness, death of family member, technical difficulties, forgetting assignment, etc.  Therefore, please do not e-mail asking for an extension on any assignment. 

LATE WORK:  I will drop 3 (of 15) online homework grades and 3 (of 15) online exam grades at the end of the semester.  I do this because I do not allow any makeup work or late submitted work.  These dropped grades are to be used in all situations involving missed assignments including ( but not limited to ): illness, family emergency, hospitalization, family illness, death of family member, technical difficulties, forgetting assignment, etc.  Therefore, please do not e-mail asking for an extension on any assignment. 

Paper exams may not be taken late for any reason.

Attendance

ATTENDANCE POLICY:  Please remember the deadline for dropping a class at AC is published in the official Amarillo College Schedule of Classes. If you stop attending class and your average drops below a 60 due to missed assignments and you do not officially drop the course by this deadline, you will receive an F for the course.
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You are responsible for logging into the online course to get your assignments and check messages on a daily basis.   You can reach the online course by going to www.actx.edu and clicking on ACOnline.  If you need technical assistance, please call 371-5000.

Calendar

Additional Information

\ Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.