Math 120 Syllabus

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manner. If you have a personal email for me it should contain Math 120 in the subject line of the email. I cannot guarantee that I will respond
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Text: Intermediate Algebra by Sullivan and Struve; 3rd edition. You must also register into Course Compass, the publisher's website where all the work is done by the second day of class. A 17-day free trial is available. All students who fail to accomplish this by Monday of the first week of school will be dropped from the course and their position given to a student on the wait list. You can register into Course Compass from the online orientation for math 120 from my website.

Course Code: The course id that you will need to register at course compass is quirarte54404.

Course Objectives: This course covers operations on real and comples numbers, polynomials, rational and radical expressions, logarithms and exponentials; solving formulas and linear equations, linear equations and linear inequalities; rational, radical, and quadratic equations; functions and function notation; factoring; graphing linear, quadratic, radical, logarithmic and exponential functions; conics; rate, slope, and equations of lines; arithmetic and geometric functions; application problems and critical thinking applications.

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

SLO 1: Identify and analyze linear behavior, models, and graphs of linear equations and linear inequalities. Utilize the properties of linear equations to solve linear inequalities, and solve absolute value equations and inequalities interpret the slope of a linear equation as a rate of change.
generate an algebraic model for data that follows linear behavior and interpret the results of this model. sketch the graph of a linear inequality using its algebraic representation.

SLO 2: Solve systems of linear equations and systems of linear inequalities as well as their applications graphically and algebraically
calculate the solution to 2x2 and 3x3 systems of linear equations by using substitution, elimination, and graphs (for 2x2 systems), as well as determine whether a system is inconsistent, consistent and independent, or dependent. construct systems of linear equations for applications and find their solution. compute the solution to a system of linear inequalities using a graph and describe the meaning of this solution.

SLO 3: Recognize the behavior of exponential and logarithmic functions and their graphs. Apply the properties of exponentials and logarithms to simplify and solve equations involving exponential and logarithmic expressions evaluate algebraic expressions involving exponents and logarithms and convert between these two types of expressions. produce the algebraic model of an exponential function using data points and use properties of exponential functions to derive conclusions. employ the properties of exponents and logarithms to solve equations involving exponential and logarithmic expressions. draw the graph of exponential and logarithmic functions using both point plotting and the properties of transformations. consolidate and expand logarithmic expressions using the properties of logarithms.

SLO 4: Identify, simplify, evaluate, and graph quadratic functions using the properties of quadratic functions and transformations
demonstrate the properties of transformations by graphing a quadratic function, identifying the vertex and the intercepts with the axes.
choose from among factoring (and using the Zero Factor Property), extraction of roots, completing the square, or the quadratic formula to solve a quadratic equation. apply properties of quadratic functions to create and solve quadratic models and to derive conclusions about the solutions.

SLO 5: Simplify polynomial expressions, evaluate polynomial functions, and solve equations involving polynomial expressions and their applications
investigate polynomial division by performing long division on polynomial expressions. extend factoring techniques to include the sum and difference of cubes. adapt factoring to include expressions that are quadratic in form. graph a circle given its equation in standard form as well as use the distance and midpoint formulas to find the equation of a circle given conditions.

SLO 6: Simplify and solve rational and radical expressions and equations perform arithmetic on rational and radical expressions and write results in simplified form. simplify complex fractions. manipulate equations involving rational or radical expressions to arrive at a non-extraneous solution.
recognize and solve applications that involve rational or radical expressions.

SLO 7: Use, interpret, and simplify combination functions by using the definitions of function, combination functions and function notation
describe the domain and range of functions. compose the graph of a function from tabular data, a word problem, or algebraic form.
perform composition of functions as well as arithmetic on combinations of functions.

Prerequisite: Math 100 with a C or better or as determined by the assessment process. You must provide proof of prerequisite by Monday of thefirst week of school or you will be dropped from the class. You can get this to me via email, faxing the information to 916-691-7142, or dropping it off at the Math Area office on campus.

Chapters: We cover chapters 1-9.2. There is homework, quizzes, reviews for the exams, and exams over these chapters.

Student Requirements:
1. Students are required to spend the amount of time required to be successfull in the class. Students are required to have a TI-83 Graphing calculator.
2. Students are expected to contact Tech Support immediately if there are any technical problems. The phone number for Tech Support is 1-800-677-6337.
3. Post general questions to the discussion board.
4. Seek help from the instructor, the math center, or the online tutoring available through the program if they are having difficulty understanding
any of the concepts.
5. Check the announcement page for updates on the class.
6. Students are required to have an email address.
7. Students who fail to login to Course Compass and complete any assignments for 6 days or more will be dropped from the class. It is not my responsibility to notify you in the event that you are dropped from the class.


Academic Integrity:
1. Respectful and appropriate use of campus facilities, resources, and services - the cafeteria, library, and any other gathering space on campus are shared spaces and require students to manage their language, volume, tone, and the content of their personal conversations.
2. Students are expected to clean up after themselves, follow rules, and be respectful of others.
Respectful interactions with faculty, staff, and students - While students may feel frustrated or angry, it is not appropriate to yell at, curse, insult, threaten or accuse others. Resolving conflict includes dialogue and requires understanding as well as patience. Students who are unsure of the appropriate steps to take in order to resolve an issue are encouraged to consult a CRC Counselor, the Dean of Counseling, Dean of Student Services, or Campus Police.
3. Being a responsible student - Showing up to class on time, being prepared, completing assignments, communicating with the professor, and participating appropriately in class are all essential to being a responsible student on a college campus. Students must make every effort to be on time and to communicate to faculty when they will be late or unable to attend.

Definition of Cheating
Cheating is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means. The following are only some of the many forms cheating may take:

1. Copying another’s work on a test, paper, or project.
2. Using unauthorized materials in an exam or collaborating on work to be turned in for credit where the instructor disallows such collaboration
3. Taking an exam for another student, purposely allowing another student to copy during a test, or providing coursework for another student to turn in as his or her own effort.
4. Fabricating, falsifying or misrepresenting data or results from experiments, interviews or surveys.
5. Submitting the same work in more than one class for credit without permission from the instructor.

Students who violate any of the above will receive a score of 0 for the assignment and be reported to the Dean of Academic Discipline.

Exams: There will be 4 exams plus a final given during the semester. You must come to campus for all exams. No exams are taken at home. Please see the schedule for the dates and time.

Homework:To access the homework, login to Course Compass, and from the navigation bar on the left, choose "Homework", then choose the appropriate section. If you are having trouble with any particular problem, click on the "guided solution" button to the right of the screen. It will help you understand how to do the problem. You do not need to complete all the problems in the exercise set when you start the homework. The computer will keep track of the problems that you have completed and you many return to the exercise set at a different time. Be sure to "submit the homework" if you want to receive credit for the problem. Also, to receive credit for the problem you must either click on "check answer" or hit the enter key on the keyboard. Otherwise, the computer will not register that you have completed the problem. If you click on "next problem, the computer will not give you credit for your answer. Homework is due every Sunday at midnight. No Late homework will be accepted. It is important that you manage your time and stay current with the schedule.

Quizzes: All the quizzes for the course can be found in the Course Compass website, under "take a test or quiz". Login to course compass and choose "take a test or quiz" from the navigation bar, then select the appropriate section. You will have 2 attempts at each quiz and the computer should take your best score. You may use notes, book, and calculators when taking these quizzes. I will not reset a quiz for you simply because you were not prepared. Ideally what you should do is first complete the homework over the sections that the quiz covers, then attempt the quiz. If you would like me to review your answers, please send me an email. Again, quizzes are due every Sunday by midnight and no late quizzes will be accepted.

Final Exam: The final exam will cover chapters 1-9.2 and a review can be found online at Course compass.

Grading: Your grade in the class will be determined by:

Grade in the Course: