Elementary Algebra I

The following syllabus outlines class expectations, policies, and a tentative schedule. Please
read it carefully, ask questions, and keep it available for your reference during the quarter.

RATIONALE :

This course is the first in a three-course algebra sequence (93, 94, and 98). These
courses are designed for students who have not had a high school algebra course or who
need to review the basics of algebra.

OVERVIEW:

Topics discussed will include but is not limited to modeling with quadratic functions ,
solving quadratic equations , problem solving, statistics, quadratic regression, and
powers and roots . If you have not met the prerequisites for this course you will be
dropped from the course. Please contact your instructor immediately if you have
questions concerning the prerequisites.

REQUIRED
MATERIALS:

Please bring the REQUIRED MATERIALS listed below with you to every class
meeting.

Text: - ESSENTIAL ALGEBRA:A PRELIMINARY EDITION FOR SPOKANE FALLS COMMUNITY
COLLEGE (2010) by Katherine Yoshiwara & Bruce Yoshiwara – ISBN-0558380034

Calculator: - A graphing calculator is required for this course. Instructional help will
only be available on Texas Instrument TI-83 or TI-84 graphing calculators . Texas
Instruments graphing calculators are available for rent in the MLC. Other graphing
calculators are acceptable, but assistance with their use will be limited. There might be
exams or parts of exams on which calculator use is not permitted. If this is the case you
will be alerted before the exam.

Additional Required Supplies:
Writing Paper (no spiral edges accepted on turned-in work)
Rectangular Coordinate Graph Paper
Ruler

EXPECTATIONS:

One of the purposes of this course is to assist you in becoming a better student. The first
step towards your achievement of this goal is to follow some basic premises:

Be in class every day – To be successful, you must be an active participant in class. It is
your responsibility to let me know if you are going to be gone, to get caught up on what
was missed, and to be prepared for the next class session.

Be respectful – Be a positive member of the class by helping to create a good learning
environment for everyone. Come to class on time and prepared and stay through its
entirety. Leave cell phones, pagers, PDAs, iPods, etc. turned off during class time. Use
common courtesies when others are asking questions, giving responses, or making
presentations.

For learning to take place, students must feel safe; this safety is due all students,
not only those who share your values and beliefs. For this reason, courtesy,
thoughtfulness, and acceptance are essential in our discussions in and out of the
classroom. Acceptance should not be confused with agreement; one need not agree with
a person to listen, and one must listen well in order to disagree respectfully. Every
student in this course has a voice and so deserves the courtesy of attentive listening and
the freedom to express diverse ideas.

Be proactive: - Come to class prepared. Have your required materials, pre-class
preparation complete, and assigned work and questions ready every day when you come
to class. Be sure to ask questions when you don’t understand. There are always others in
the room with the same question. Always get help at the earliest possible time. Putting it
off only magnifies the problem. Give your best effort and do high quality work. This
gives you the best opportunity to learn and to be successful and me an opportunity to see
what it is that I must clarify.

Be a positive group member : - Much of the work you do in class will be done in
groups. For these groups to be effective in helping you gain a better understanding of
mathematics you must be willing to participate in the group. Each person brings their
own unique perspective from which the others in the group can learn. Be willing to
share your insights and to help others within the group understand your perspective.
Through this sharing of ideas everyone can come away with at more clear understanding
of the mathematics presented.

COURSEWORK:

As a general rule thumb , for you to be successful in a college course you should plan on
spending a minimum of two hours outside of class for every hour spent in class. This
time is used for pre-class preparation, homework, projects, studying, reading, and
preparing for presentations and exams. Points in this course are earned though Pre-Class
Preparation, Homework, Projects, Quizzes, Exams, and a Final Exam.

PRE-CLASS PREPARATION: Students are most successful when they come to class
prepared to discuss and question material in a meaningful way. This means that you
must prepare prior to coming to class for upcoming topics. For this course you will be
assigned preparation work on the section to be covered the following day. This work
might include vocabulary lists, study guides for the assigned reading such as outlines or
concept maps, problems assigned as preparation work and discussions questions. Mini
quizzes will be given and you may use your notes.

HOMEWORK: Homework will be assigned and selected Model Problems will be
collected and graded. Only high quality work will earn full credit. This means all steps
must be included and presented in a neat and orderly manner with the final response
clearly indicated. Answers that require written support must be given in complete
sentences. Every assigned Model Problem must be completed correctly and turned in on
time for full credit. The non-Model Problems will be collected and graded based on
completion.

QUIZZES: Quizzes will be given periodically throughout the course. These are intended
to give you a better feel for your understanding of the content. Should you score below
an 80% on the quiz or have an unexcused absence, you have the option of retaking a
similar quiz. You may only have one retake for each quiz given. The maximum you can
earn on the retake is 80%.

PROJECTS: Group Projects may be assigned during the course. These projects will result
in a presentation, either oral or visual or simply submitted as a written report. Typically
these projects are done as a group.

EXAMS: If the test date will be missed the instructor must be notified beforehand.
Unexcused absences will result in a zero for that exam.

FINAL EXAM: The Final Exam will be recorded as two exams. The lowest exam score
will be dropped.

GRADES:

GRADE WEIGHTS:

Tests including the final exam	50%
Quizzes	25%
Projects, homework, pre-class preparation	25%.

You will be informed of your current grade after each exam. As a general rule, “Z” grades are not given. The following scale will be used to assign grades for the quarter

%	GRADE PTS	%	GRADE PTS	%	GRADE PTS

DEADLINES:

If you need to make schedule changes, you should refer to the deadlines listed below.
These changes can be made through the Registrar until 4:30 PM on the dates listed.

September 25 – Last day to receive a 100% refund if officially withdrawn from classes
October 2 – Last day to drop classes and prevent a “W” grade – Last day to add classes
November 9 – Last day to drop a class, withdraw, or make and schedule adjustments

DISABILITY INFO:

If you have a health condition or disability that might require accommodations in order
for you to fully participate in this class, please contact me after class or contact
Disability Support Services in Building 17 room 17-201 (phone 533-4166). Information
about any condition or disability will be treated as confidential.

MLC:

The Mathematics Learning Center (MLC) is an excellent resource for additional help. It
is located in room 18-213. It is a quiet place to study as well as offering tutors and
instructors to answer your questions when they are not working with students registered
in the MLC. There may also be computer programs and videos associated with this
course or a similar course that are available to you in the MLC. To use the MLC, you
must have your student ID with you at all times.

The MLC is available for use during the schedule below:

MONDAY-THURSDAY	8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
FRIDAY	8:30 AM – 1:30 PM
SATURDAY	10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
SUNDAY	1:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Free tutors are available in more than a dozen of SFCC’s most challenging subjects including Accounting,
Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Japanese, Logic, Math, Music Theory, Physics, Spanish, Statistics, and
Writing. Use this web page to view the times and locations tutors are available. Drop in any time, no appointment
needed. Tutors are trained to help you with labs, homework questions, understanding vocabulary and concepts,
study strategies, writing papers, and more.

Get help with Writing, Math, Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, MS Office 2007, Spanish, and Statistics. Click login ,
select Northwest eTutoring Consortium and then select Spokane Falls Community College/IEL from the list of
schools to get started.

CHEATING:

Any cheating will result in a 0.0 grade for that activity or possibly for the course. Any
subsequent cheating will definitely result in a 0.0 grade for the course and the
appropriate disciplinary action. If you feel desperate enough to cheat, please see me so
that we can work out a better plan for you to follow.

Math 93 Tentative Schedule