MATH
30 – Pre-Algebra
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: MTWTH 8:00 am - 9:05 am FL4-219
Text: Prealgebra, 3rd edition, by
Jamie Blair, John Tobey, and Jeffrey Slater
Instructor: Joy Fuson Phone: 608-6504 Office: FL1-142
E-Mail: fusonj@flc.losrios.edu Web
Page: www.flc.losrios.edu/~fuson
Office Hours: M & W 10:20 am – 11:35
am
Tues 1:00 – 2:15 pm** Virtual Office Hour - expect a
response to email in 10 minutes
Thurs 10:20 – 10:50 am
Fri by
appointment
I am also available for help Monday &
Tuesday from 6:15 – 7:45 am in FL2-239.
Pre-Requisite Enforcement:
You
must have completed Math 20 with a C or better or placed into Math 30 via the
assessment process. Please note: self-assessment from ARC (or
anywhere else) does not constitute placement via the assessment process. You
must provide proof of pre-requisite no later than
Classroom Expectations:
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 laptops, cellular phones, pagers, headsets, etc. in the
classroom. If you believe you have a
compelling educational reason for having a laptop in class, see me during
office hours so that we may discuss the issue.
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 or I see you texting during class, you will be asked to bring
donuts (or bagels or cookies, etc.) 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 final to replace an exam
grade.
I will be communicating with
the class via email at numerous times during the semester. Please make sure that the school has a
current email address for you and that you check it at least a few times each
week. If I ever need to cancel class, I
will notify the class via email.
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). Math 30 is
a course in Pre Algebra and emphasizes fundamental operations on integers and
decimals as well as fractions. Topics include: fractions; decimals; signed
numbers; properties of exponents; formula evaluation; solving equations and
inequalities; algebraic manipulations and mental mathematics. Calculators
will not be allowed in this course.
Student
Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course,
the student will be able to:
·
simplify
expressions with rational coefficients.
·
solve
linear equations and inequalities in one variable involving rational numbers.
·
solve applied problems using
rational numbers, variable expressions, scientific notation, equations,
geometric formulas, measurement conversions, proportions, and percent.
·
graph
linear inequalities in one variable and linear equations in two variables
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 65%
Homework 15%
Final
Exam 20% Monday, December 14th 8:00 – 9:50am
You will find grades
posted on my website. You should know
where you stand in the course at all times.
Homework: Homework will be assigned each lecture and, generally, will be due the
following Monday. Homework is due at the beginning of class: 8:00 am.
I assign many odd problems so that you may check your work in the back
of the book. After that, you will be
asked to complete a number of even problems to ensure that you are able to
complete the problems without assistance. I will not be able to answer homework
questions during class. Late homework (after 8:00 am) will be
accepted until 8:10 am. After that time, no homework will be accepted. See the “Homework Guidelines”
handout for grading criteria. When
grades are tabulated, the total points possible will be decreased by one
homework score. 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. Makeup exams will not be given. However, if it helps you, I will replace
your lowest exam score with your score from the final exam.
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. I will
do everything in my power to ensure that your dishonesty becomes part of your
permanent record at FLC and is punished by the college. Further, you will not
be allowed to submit any extra credit work.
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 6% 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.
Important Dates:
Dec
14th Final
Exam 8 – 9:50 am
Sept
4th Last day to drop and
receive a refund
Sept
19th Last day to drop without a notation on
your record
Sept
18th Last
day to petition for credit/no credit grading
Nov
17th Last day to drop with a W (without getting
a grade on your transcript)