The single most effective thing you can do to insure your success in this class is to keep up with the course.

ABOUT YOUR COURSE

Instructional Methodology:  Classroom Section:  This course is taught in the classroom primarily through the ALEKS software and Instructor led group instruction.

Prerequisites: MATD 0370 with a C or higher. Or appropriate score on math TSI Assessment test. Corequisite(s): MATH 1314.

Paired Course Policy: This is a paired course. Students who withdraw from NCBM 0214 will automatically be withdrawn from MATH 1314 and vice-versa.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Textbook: There is no additional cost for a textbook for this course. The instructional materials are incorporated through the ALEKS software which was paid for through a course fee already added to the course.

Calculator: Students need either a scientific or business calculator. (Has log or ln key.) If a student cannot purchase one, calculators are available from the library.  Graphing calculators are not required, but you will use graphing technology in many sections of the book.  Graphing calculators are also available in the library.  Most ACC faculty are familiar with the TI family of graphing calculators. Hence, TI calculators are highly recommended for student use.  Other calculator brands can also be used.  Your instructor will determine the extent of calculator use in your class section. 

Making Time to Learn

We learn math by thinking about and working on mathematical problems, which takes time. Practice is crucial in a math course. To ensure that you have adequate time, set aside 8-12 hours per week outside of class time to practice and study for this course. Try to break up your study time into shorter, more frequent chunks throughout the week, rather than long study sessions on one or two days. Ask for help immediately when something isn’t clear. 

Remember this is a 5-hour course and you should expect to do the work and schedule yourself time for a 5-hour course. 

GETTING HELP

ACC provides several free resources for students who need help; descriptions and links are below: 

Office hours: Another name for office hours is “student hours.” This is the time your instructor has set aside to answer student questions, so feel free to drop by if you have questions. Office hours may be virtual or on campus; see information above.

Instructional Associates: Instructional Associates specific to the course you are taking are available for tutoring. To make an appointment, go to https://sites.google.com/a/austincc.edu/math-students/meet/list and then click on your course.

Learning Labs: The ACC Learning Labs provide tutoring in math and other subjects. Simply drop in to the Learning Lab on any campus, or to schedule an appointment, go to https://www.austincc.edu/students/learning-lab. This site also includes information about in person and virtual tutoring options.

Academic Coaching: Academic coaches offer extra support to students with study strategies; they want to help you learn to be an active participant in your own learning process. For more information or to make an appointment with an academic coach, go to https://www.austincc.edu/students/academic-coaching.

ACC Student Services: Services are offered in many areas, including Academic, Financial, Personal, and Technology Support.  For more information, go to https://www.austincc.edu/student-support.

GRADES

Grade Components

Points will be assigned as follows for your grade in MATH 1314:

3 Regular Tests: 54% (18% each)

Final Exam:  20%

Quizzes: 6%

ALEKS Objectives: 10%

Written Homework: 10%

Points will be assigned as follows for your grade in NCBM 0214:

Exit Exam: 80%

ALEKS Objectives 1-8: 15%

Attendance/Participation: 5%

Grading Scale

A: 90 - 100, B: 80 – 89, C: 70 – 79, D: 60 – 69, F: < 60

What will we do in this class?

ALEKS: The majority of the course takes place in the ALEKS software. Each Monday you are assigned an objective with a maximum number of 27 NEW topics. The objective is due at 11:59pm on Friday of each week. On the weekends, you may access current topics as well as topics from previous objectives. It is critical to your success in the course to stay on top of the work as we move through the semester. Once a new week starts, you are assigned a new objective and the previous topics cannot be accessed until you complete 100% of the objective for the current week or until the weekend. This is very similar to missing a class in a lecture course. If you miss a class day, we must move on and continue the course. The average pace for work in ALEKS is 3 topics per hour. At this pace, it is expected that you should be able to complete all topics in ALEKS in 8 hours. This requires you to access ALEKS outside of class time in order to complete your work. The recommended amount of time out of class to work in ALEKS is 5 hours. Combined with the in-class time of working in ALEKS, this is more than enough time to complete all ALEKS work for the course.  Your grade for the ALEKS Objectives in the gradebook is an average of the percentage of the topics completed at the end of each week.

Tests: There will be 3 exams, each of which will count equally towards your grade (18% each). The final exam (worth 20%) will be comprehensive over Objectives 1-15.  Tests will be administered through the ALEKS program. A time limit is imposed on each test. Tests may not be retaken under any circumstances, so make sure you are prepared to sit for the full test once you start. See below for Missed Test Policies.

Exit Exam for NCBM 0214: You will be taking an Exit Exam for NCBM 0214. This exam will be taken in the ALEKS program and will be over selected topics. You will be given two attempts in order to pass the Exit Exam. The score you earn on the exit exam will be used in the overall grading scheme to compute your grade in NCBM 0214.

Final Exam for MATH 1314: The final exam is a comprehensive exam over Objectives 1-15 and will be given in class on the last day of class. Your final exam grade, if higher, will replace your lowest test score. Only one test score may be replaced by the final exam score. Missed exams must have instructor approval in order to be eligible for grade replacement. The final exam is NOT OPTIONAL.

Written Homework:  Each week, in addition to the work in the ALEKS program, you will be given written homework. This written homework will constitute 10% of your total grade.

The written homework assignments are to be printed from Blackboard and completed on the printed paper in the space provided. If you do not have access to a printer, there is free printing on each campus, or you may complete the assignment on your own paper. Please use only one column and write only one problem per line. It is generally best to have completed the ALEKS objective for a given week before attempting the written questions for that week. Note that the written assignments cover only some of the material and are not an adequate representation of the course as a whole.

Each week’s written homework assignments will be due in person at the beginning of class time on Monday of the following week. In the event you must miss class, assignments may be submitted electronically to Blackboard. (Please see instructions in Blackboard.) No late written homework will be accepted, no exceptions.

Written homework is graded for completion and correctness. To get a perfect score, you must show all your work, following an appropriate process, and get a correct answer for each of the problems. No credit will be given for writing only the answers whether they are correct or not. Think “no work = no credit”. If you are uncertain about your answers, it is worth seeking help before turning in the assignment.

Please make sure I can read all your work. I cannot grade it if I cannot read it.

Quizzes: Quizzes are taken in class on Mondays. These quizzes will be over the topics and lecture from the previous week. These grades count toward 6% of your total grade in the course.

What happens if I miss something?

Dropped Grade Policy: Up to one missed test, or the lowest test score, may be replaced by the final exam score at the end of the semester. Missed exams must have instructor approval to be eligible for grade replacement. In the event that the final is used to replace a low or missing test score, it carries the weight of two tests in your grade calculation. The final exam is NOT OPTIONAL, and the grade may not be dropped or replaced. You must take the final in order to pass the class regardless of your overall grade before the final. A minimum of 2 written homework grades will be dropped at the end of the semester. The dropped grades are intended to cover all cases of illness and emergency. No additional exceptions are allowed for special circumstances.

Late Work Policy: Written homework worksheets will be due at the beginning of class on the announced due date. No late written homework will be accepted, no exceptions.

Missed Exam Policy:  Contact me immediately if you think you may have a conflict with a test window. A make-up exam may be arranged in advance at my discretion.  Otherwise, make-up exams will be arranged only for illness or an emergency, with appropriate documentation, provided that I am notified as soon as the conflict is known, and no later than 24 hours from the start time of the missed exam.  Once an exam has been returned, no make-ups for that exam will be given.

The final exam is a mandatory comprehensive exam. The final exam is NOT OPTIONAL, and the grade may not be dropped or replaced. You must take the final in order to pass the class regardless of your overall grade before the final.

Attendance Policy:  ATTENDANCE will count for 5% of your NCBM 0214 total grade. Three (3) points will be deducted from your attendance score for each absence.

Attendance is critical to the success in any of your classes. Regular and punctual class and laboratory attendance is expected of all students. If attendance or compliance with other course policies is unsatisfactory, the instructor may withdraw students from the class.

Students who miss four (4) or more classes or two (2) or more tests may be withdrawn. It is the student's responsibility to initiate all withdrawals in this course. The instructor may withdraw students for excessive absences or missed tests but makes no commitment to do this. After the withdrawal date, neither the student nor the instructor may initiate a withdrawal.

THE DETAILS

First Day Access: To enhance your learning experience and provide affordable access to the right course material, this course is part of an inclusive access model called First Day™. You can easily access the required materials for this course through Blackboard, at a discounted price, and benefit from single sign-on access.  Austin Community College includes the discounted price as a course fee in your registration fees for this course.

It is NOT recommended that you Opt Out, as these materials are required to complete the course. You can choose to Opt Out on the first day of class, but you will be responsible for purchasing your course materials at the full retail price and access to your materials may be suspended. See your course in Blackboard for details.

Importance of Completing Developmental Course Requirements:  The first steps to achieving any college academic goal are completing developmental course requirements and TSI requirements. The first priority for students who are required to take developmental courses must be the developmental courses. TSI rules state that students are allowed to take college credit courses if they are fulfilling their developmental requirements. Because successful completion of developmental courses is so important, ACC will intervene with any student who is not successfully completing developmental requirements. This intervention can mean a hold on records, requiring developmental lab classes, working with the Instructional Associate, and monitoring during the semester.

Withdrawal Policy: It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that his or her name is removed from the roll should he or she decide to withdraw from the class. The instructor does, however, reserve the right to drop a student should he or she feel it is necessary. If a student decides to withdraw, he or she should also verify that the withdrawal is submitted before the Final Withdrawal Date. The student is also strongly encouraged to retain their copy of the withdrawal form for their records.

Students who enroll for the third or subsequent time in a course taken since Fall 2002 may be charged a higher tuition rate for that course.  State law permits students to withdraw from no more than six courses during their entire undergraduate career at Texas public colleges or universities. With certain exceptions, all course withdrawals automatically count towards this limit. Details regarding this policy can be found in the ACC college catalog. 

Reinstatement Policy: Students who withdrew or were withdrawn will not be reinstated unless they have completed all coursework, projects, and exams necessary to place them at the same level of course completion as the rest of the class. Reinstatement is up to the instructor’s approval.

Incomplete Grade Policy: Incomplete grades (I) will be given only in very rare circumstances. Generally, to receive a grade of "I", a student must be up to date on coursework and have a passing grade, and after the last date to withdraw, have a legitimate reason that prevents course completion. An incomplete grade cannot be carried beyond the established date in the following semester. The completion date is determined by the instructor but may not be later than the final deadline for withdrawal in the subsequent semester.

Communication with Your Instructor: All e-mail communication to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail account or math software if applicable, with the expectation that such communications will be read in a timely fashion.  Likewise, students should use their ACCmail account or math software when communicating with instructors.  Instructors will respond to student emails within 3 business days, if no response has been received by the student at the end of that time, then the student should send a reminder to the instructor.

Name Change Information: If you want to change how your name appears online at ACC, go to https://www.austincc.edu/admissions/update-student-information/chosen-name.

General College Policies: Policies that apply to all courses at ACC can be found here: https://www.austincc.edu/offices/academic-outcomes-assessment/master-syllabi/college-policies.

Textbook:  THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST FOR A TEXTBOOK FOR THIS COURSE. THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ARE INCORPORATED THROUGH THE ALEKS SOFTWARE WHICH WAS PAID FOR THROUGH A COURSE FEE ALREADY ADDED TO THE COURSE.

MATH 1314 College Algebra (3-3-0). A course designed for students who need College Algebra but do not need to take Precalculus (MATH 2412) or Calculus (MATH 2413). In-depth study and applications of polynomial, rational, radical, exponential and logarithmic functions, and systems of equations using matrices. This course does not meet the prerequisite for Precalculus (MATH 2412).

NCBM 0214 – Support for College Algebra (2-2-0). This course is designed to support students concurrently enrolled in MATH 1314 by providing additional focus on MATH 1314 topics and just-in-time review of prerequisite topics, as needed. Topics include review of properties of real numbers, functions, algebra of functions, inequalities, polynomials and factoring, rational expressions and equations, radical expressions and equations, quadratic functions and their graphs, solving quadratic equations, and exponential functions. This course is not for college-level credit.

Schedule changes may occur during the semester without prior notice at the discretion of the instructor.  All changes will be announced in class or on Blackboard.

Common Course Objectives

Functions:

• Use and interpret function notation.
• Find the domain of polynomial, rational, radical, exponential, and logarithmic functions.
• Find a symbolic representation of the sum, difference, product, quotient, and composition of two functions.
• Evaluate the sum, difference, product, quotient, and composition of two functions at a given value of the respective domain for functions represented symbolically, graphically, and numerically.
• Find the inverse of a function represented symbolically, graphically, or numerically.
• Interpret the graphs of functions.

Graphing functions:

• Sketch the graphs of the following functions: Lines, x2, ax, and logax
• Identify and sketch transformations of the graphs of the following functions: x2, x3, x1/2, 1/x, 1/x2, |x|.
• Describe the end behavior of polynomial functions.
• Approximate the zeros of a function from its graph.
• Solve an inequality involving a function from its graph.
• Graph a piece-wise defined function.

Symbolic Adeptness:

• Solve polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic equations symbolically.
• Use the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
• Find the vertex of a parabola written in standard form by using the formula  h = -b/2a.
• Convert an exponential equation to logarithmic form, and a logarithmic equation to exponential form.
• Evaluate exponential and logarithmic functions using the change of base formula and a calculator.
• Use the properties of logarithms to expand a logarithmic expression, and to write an expanded logarithmic expression as a single logarithm.
• Solve a system of linear equations using Gaussian elimination.
• Evaluate the sum, difference and scalar multiplication of matrices.

Applications

• Recognize and use applications of linear functions.
• Recognize and use applications of quadratic functions, including falling object problems and extrema problems.
• Recognize and use applications of rational functions. 
• Recognize and use applications of exponential and logarithmic functions, including exponential growth and decay, doubling time, and half-life problems.
• Recognize and use applications of systems of linear equations.

MATH 1314 Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, a student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of properties of functions, which include domain and range, operations, compositions, and inverses.
2. Recognize and apply polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions and solve related equations.
3. Apply graphical, symbolic and numeric techniques.
4. Evaluate all roots of higher degree polynomial and rational functions.
5. Recognize, solve, and apply systems of linear equations using matrices.

NCBM 0214 Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, a student should be able to:

1. Demonstrate understanding and knowledge of properties of functions, which include evaluation, domain and range, related equations, and basic operations.
2. Simplify, factor, and perform basic operations on algebraic expressions, including polynomials, rational and radical expressions, complex fractions, and complex numbers.
3. Solve linear, absolute value, rational, and radical equations, quadratic equations by symbolic methods including completing the square, and linear inequalities.
4. Appropriately use forms and formulas, including quadratic formula, midpoint, distance, and equations of circles and lines.
5. Graph linear equations and inequalities, including systems of each, as well as quadratic functions, and circles.

General Education Competencies

1. Critical Thinking: gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying information is covered in every SLO.
2. Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning: applying mathematical, logical, and scientific principles and methods is covered in every SLO.
3. Technology Skills: using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze, and present information is covered in SLOs # 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
4. Written, Oral and Visual Communication: communicating effectively adapting to purpose, structure, audience and medium is covered in every SLO.