April K. Andreas, McLennan Community College

In case the school has to close due to inclement weather, please visit the school website for up to date official information at http://www.mclennan.edu/.

Catalog Description : This course applies mathematical concepts to the solution of various real-world situations including business and economics. Topics include: linear equations, systems of linear equations, matrices, linear programming, mathematics of finance, probability and counting principles, nonlinear functions.

Prerequisite s: Pass math portion of an approved college-ready test and have one of the following: two years of high school algebra, credit for MATH 0311, or consent of division director.

Required Textbook: Finite Mathematics and Calculus with Applications, Lial, Greenwell, Ritchey, 8^th edition

Optional MyMathLab Interactive tutoring: Use the access card that was packaged with your new text for Math 1324 and follow steps 1 - 7 below.

Note that we will not use MyMathLab for any official coursework; however, you may find the site useful for practice exams and homework, as well as other study materials.

Math Lab. Any student enrolled in Math 1324 has access to the Math Lab, located in HPE 218. The Lab is staffed with faculty and tutors; in addition, it offers free tutorial help, videotapes, graphing calculators, and computer assistance. Hours of operation are usually Monday – Thursday 8:00 am – 7:30 pm and Friday 8:00 am – 3:00 pm. Call (254) 299-8809 to confirm for particular days.

Office Hours. Unless announced otherwise, my office hours are Mondays and Wednesdays 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm in the Adjunct Faculty Office, Room HPE 221. If you are having difficulty with an assignment, however, please do not wait until my office hours right before class – get help in advance at the math lab.

Attendance : The class roll will be checked every day. MCC policy states that any student absent (excused or unexcused) from more than 25% of the class meetings (8 classes) will be automatically dropped from the course by the instructor. If the student is dropped before the official drop date (March 27), the student will receive a grade of W. If the student is dropped after the official drop date, the student will only receive a grade of W if the student is passing. Otherwise, the student will receive a grade of F.

ADA Statement : “In accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the regulations published by the United States Department of Justice 28 C.F.R. 35.107(a), MCC's designated ADA co-coordinators, Dr. Johnette McKown, Executive Vice President and Dr. Lynn Abernathy, Vice President, Student Services shall be responsible for coordinating the College's efforts to comply with and carry out its responsibilities under ADA. Students with disabilities requiring physical, classroom, or testing accommodations should contact Marc Sweatt, Disability Specialist, at 299-8122 or msweatt@mclennan.edu.”

Six Drop Rule: Students who enroll at MCC as entering freshman or first-time college students during the fall 2007 semester or any subsequent semester may not drop more than six courses. The six-course limit does not apply to students who were enrolled in college courses prior to the fall 2007 semester. Students who have completed a baccalaureate degree at any accredited public or private institution are not subject to the six-course limit. The sixcourse limit includes courses taken at MCC or any other Texas public institution of higher education. If a seventh drop is attempted, the student and instructor will be informed that the student must remain in the course and the student will receive a grade of A, B, C, D, F or 1. He/she will not be able to receive a W or withdrawal grade and will not be due a refund of tuition and fees. All courses dropped after the semester census date are included in the six-course limit unless (1) the student withdraws from all courses or (2) the drop is an approved drop exemption.

Academic Dishonesty : Any Student that is found guilty of academic dishonesty such as cheating, plagiarism, or collusion, will receive the zero grade on every test or assignment involved. For repeated violations, a guilty student can be assigned a failing grade in this course and can be recommended for suspension from the McLennan Community College District.

Makeup Policy and Late Assignments: No makeup tests will be given. If you miss a test due to illness / sleeping in / WoW raid, that will be the test grade which is dropped to make up your test average. Late assignments will not be accepted. Ever.

Miscellaneous: Normally, please do not bring your children, friends, or guests to the class. (Please discuss this with me because I do not want you missing class if you cannot make child care arrangements.)

Privacy: Because of Privacy Laws, I can only discuss your grade with you, in person and in private. I can only discuss grades by e-mail if you e-mail me with your university address.

My Favorite Math Books: You may find these books to be excellent resources for your lab assignments, or you may just enjoy reading them.

Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott, New York: Dover Publications, 1992.

The Language of Mathematics by Keith Devlin, New York: W.H. Freeman & Company, 2000.

The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas, San Carlos, California: Wide World Publishing / Tetra, 2003.

A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper by John Allen Paulos, New York: Anchor Books, 1995.

I reserve the right to change any term on this syllabus at any time during the semester.

10%	23 of 26 Daily Quizzes (lowest three dropped)
20%	Two Lab Assignments
50%	Three of Four Tests (drop the lowest grade)
20%	Comprehensive Final Exam

Homework: Homework problems will be assigned after each lesson. Although no grade will be taken from these assignments, completing and understanding each problem is essential to your success in class. It is your responsibility to keep up with the assignments and to come to office hours if you need help. DO NOT wait until right before an exam to get help with the homework.

Daily Quizzes: A quiz will be given at some point during each class (worth 100 points each). Class attendance and completion of the associated homework will be essential to passing the quiz on the next class day. There will be 26 quizzes, each with a maximum score of 100. The highest 23 scores of these 26 quizzes will be averaged (your lowest 3 quiz scores will be dropped). All quizzes must be taken with closed books and with no notes, although you will be expected to have all homework assignments and previous tests at your fingertips. Good organization is a critical college skill, and it’s also a good time to get into the habit of correcting missed problems on homework and exams.

Lab Assignments: There will be two lab assignments, each with a written portion (worth 100 points each) and an in-class portion (worth 50 points each), with a total of 150 points. Equal weight will be given to each lab assignment.

Written portion: The written portion of each lab assignment must be turned in by 2:35 pm the day it is due. The lab assignment will detail how its points are distributed, and will include specific format requirements.
In-class portion: The in-class portion of each lab assignment must be completed the day the lab is scheduled in this syllabus. The lab assignments will detail how these points are distributed.

Tests: All tests will be taken in the classroom. During this time, cell phones must be put away and turned off (not on vibrate… off). The highest 3 scores of the 4 tests will be averaged (your lowest test grade will be dropped). Note that the “tests” are taken during the semester, and are not averaged in with the “final exam.” No tests may be retaken. All tests must be taken with closed books and without any notes or formulas. You must complete each test during the time given. If you are late for class, you forfeit that amount of time to work.

Comprehensive Final Exam: The comprehensive final will be Monday, May 4, 2:35 pm – 3:55 pm. It will be taken in class. The final exam grade cannot be dropped or retaken. The exam must be taken with closed books and without any notes or formulas.

Extra Credit: It’s surprising how often even very professional companies can make very dumb math mistakes. Menus, advertisements, and pamphlets are printed that have very obvious mathematical errors. Keep an eye out for “math mistakes” made by otherwise-professional companies. I will award one extra point to your final grade for every mistake you bring to my attention, up to five total points. This is on a first-come, first-serve basis – I will not give credit for the same mistake to two different students. Please, no examples from non-professional websites (nothing from www.mylowqualitywebsite.com). I reserve the right to make this judgment, and this judgment is final, but most submissions made in good faith will be accepted. All submissions must be made by Monday, April 27.