MATH 20 – Arithmetic
Please Note: All information in this syllabus is subject to change if the instructor finds it necessary. Any change will be announced during a class session and posted on my website. Absent students are responsible for any announced changes to the syllabus. It is the student’s responsibility to determine from their peers what they missed in class due to an absence.
Class Meetings: MTWF 8:00 am - 9:25 am FL1-206
Text: Basic College Mathematic, 7th Edition, by Lial, Salzman & Hestwood
Instructor: Joy Fuson Phone: 608-6504 Office: FL1-142
E-Mail: fusonj@flc.losrios.edu Web Page: www.flc.losrios.edu/~fuson
Office Hours: MF 9:30 – 10:25 am
Tues 9:00 – 10:00 am
Wed 9:30 – 10:00 am & 12:00 – 12:30 pm
Thurs 9 – 10 Virtual Office Hour (available via email) And by appointment – just ask!
Pre-Requisite Enforcement:
There is no pre-requisite for this course.
Classroom Expectations:
You should act like you are in an institution of higher learning. You are expected to behave in a courteous manner both toward your classmates and me at all times. Profanity is unacceptable. If you must enter or leave the classroom at any time during class, please do so without disrupting the rest of the class. I do not allow any electronic devices such as cellular phones, pagers, headsets, etc. in the classroom. If you are behaving in a manner that inhibits me from teaching or anyone around you from learning, you will be asked to leave. If your cell phone rings during class, you will be asked to bring donuts for the class at the next class meeting as an apology for disrupting the class. If your cell phone rings during a test (or a second time during a regular class), you will lose the ability to turn in any extra credit assignments as well as the opportunity to use the midterm to replace an exam grade.
Course Objectives/Requirements:
This is a five-unit course that meets for 5 hours of lecture each week. Credit for this course is not transferable (for questions about degree applicability, please see a counselor). The objective of this course is to present fundamental concepts and operations of algebra with problem-solving and critical thinking skills incorporated throughout.
Grading: Letter grades will be calculated based on the following percentages:
A: 90% - 100% B: 80% - 89% C: 70% - 79%
D: 60% - 69% F: below 60%
Scores will be weighted as follows:
Exams & Quizzes 50%
Midterm 15% Wednesday, Oct 25th 8:00 – 9:25 am
Homework 15%
Final Exam 20% Friday, Dec 15th 8:00 – 10:00am
You will find grades posted on my website by student ID. You should know where you stand in the course at all times.
Homework: A homework assignment sheet will be given at the beginning of the course. Homework will then be assigned each lecture and collected at 8:00 am the following day. I assign many odd problems so that you may check your work in the back of the book. I will not be able to answer homework questions during class. Late homework (after 8:00 am) will be accepted until 8:05 am. After that time, no homework will be accepted. See the “Homework Guidelines” handout for grading criteria. When grades are tabulated, three homework scores will be dropped. Calculators will not be allowed in class under any circumstances and should not be used on homework.
Exams & Quizzes: Quizzes will be given frequently during the semester to check your progress. Quizzes may be unannounced and take place at various times during the class meeting and may be open or closed book, notes and homework. Quizzes may not be made up for any reason. You will also be given class work assignments that may be individual or group assignments. These may be collected and graded.
Exams will be given approximately every one or two chapters and will be announced in advance. Calculators and notes will not be allowed on exams.
The final exam will be cumulative. Please note: Information from this syllabus will be fair game on any tests and quizzes. You should know and understand all class policies. Calculators will not be allowed on exams.
Midterm: A midterm covering Chapters 1 – 3 will be given on Wednesday, October 25th . This cannot be made up under any circumstances. If you so choose, your score on the midterm may be used to replace one of the chapter tests that you missed or did poorly on. If you would like to do this, you must submit a request to me in writing by Fri., Dec. 8.
Academic Integrity: Cheating will be punished swiftly and severely. If you are caught cheating on an exam, you will receive a zero on the exam and not be allowed to replace your score or take any kind of makeup. Further, you will not be allowed to submit any extra credit work. I will complete paperwork to ensure that there is a record of your dishonesty.
When you are taking a test it is your job to cover your work so that no one else can see what you are doing. Keep your eyes on your own paper and make it abundantly clear to me that you are working alone. I may assign seating during tests or ask you to change seats during exams. During an exam, you should not speak to anyone other than me. You may not have any materials other than a pencil and the scratch paper I give you out on your desk. All notes and electronic devices are prohibited.
Attendance: FLC policy states that you may be dropped after missing 10% of the class meeting time. If you have missed this much class time, you may be dropped from the course at my discretion.
Resources: The best resources for any student are classmates. Make a point of meeting a few people in class and exchanging phone numbers or e-mail. They can help you fill in a missing point in your notes, compare homework, study with you for tests and tell you what you missed if you were absent. There is also free tutoring. The schedule is posted around campus (including my office). Additionally, I am available for assistance, both during my office hours and by appointment if my office hours are not convenient for you.