Instructor: Zizhong Chen
Home page: http://mcis.jsu.edu/faculty/zchen/
Office: 238 Ayers Hall
Telephone: (256) 782-8457
E-mail: zchen@jsu.edu
Class Room: 253 Ayers Hall
Meeting Time: MWF 8:45 ~ 9:45
Course Homepage: http://mcis.jsu.edu/faculty/zchen/courses/ms112
Office Hours: MW 9:45 ~ 12:15; TT 14:15~16:45 or by
appointment
Catalog
Description
First and second degree equations and inequalities; linear and quadratic functions and graphs; polynomial and rational functions; exponential and logarithmic functions; and systems of equations.
Course
Objective
The purpose of this algebra course is to prepare you for studying calculus, although you will also gain technical proficiency and problem-solving experience that will serve you in a variety of fields. We will discuss topics such as rational, radical, and quadratic equations; general functions; polynomials (including rational and complex zeros); rational functions; exponential and logarithmic functions; circles; and others as time permits. These topics come from selected sections from Chapters 4–6, 8–10, and 13 in our text.
Prerequisite
MS 100 with a C or better or satisfactory score on ACT/SAT or the
departmental placement test.
Text Books
Algebra for College Students, 8th edition, Kaufmann & Schwitters. Brooks/Cole, 2007. ISBN 0-495-10510-4.
A scientific calculator (one with trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions) is also required for the course.
Policies
Attendance: Attending every class is essential for
complete understanding of the course material, so I take attendance seriously. Class time is your best opportunity to get an
introduction to new concepts, ask questions about problems, and find out what I
expect you to be able to do on exams. In
my experience, students who often miss class usually make very poor grades. There
is no attendance component to your grade; however, MCIS Department policy is
that students must attend at least 80%
of the classes to receive credit for the course. This means you automatically receive an F for the course after more than
seven (7) absences (whether excused or unexcused).
Homework/Quizzes:
In addition to attending class, how much
homework you do is a good indication of how successful you will be in a math course. The only way
to learn mathematical techniques is to PRACTICE. I will announce homework assignments for each
section we cover. Keep in mind that the
assignments will be “minimum” suggested problems—you may need to do more
problems for practice. A good strategy
may be to start by working every other problem, or at least a few of each type,
and then go back and complete the assignment.
Once an assignment is made, we may have a short homework quiz (using
your homework notebook) on the following class day. (It is essential to keep your homework
notebook well-organized!) Once we have
discussed problems from a given section, that section is fair game for a
(closed-notebook) quiz. These quizzes
may have several problems similar to homework problems, and will give you some
idea on what kind of problems I will give on exams.
Exams: There will be three
announced exams and a comprehensive final exam. All exams are closed-book
(unless otherwise specified). The time and location of the exams are to be
announced.
Make-up Exams: You MUST contact me (by
email) before an exam in order to schedule a make-up-exam. You
will need a doctor’s excuse or a valid excuse (as determined by me) in order to
make up the test. You have one week to make up an exam. If you are
in grade trouble please come to see me before it is too late to salvage
your grade. If you decide to stop attending class please see me about
dropping the class. My office location is noted above.
Collaboration and Plagiarism: All
homework and lab assignments are to be done individually unless otherwise
specified. You are allowed and even encouraged to verbally discuss the
assignment material with your classmates or consult others for debugging
assistance, but you must prepare the solution on your own. Plagiarism and other
anti-intellectual behavior are not tolerated and are subject to severe
penalties. Plagiarism will result in a grade of zero for ALL
students involved. To quote from your student hand book: "Violations
of ACADEMIC HONESTY include: C. Rendering unauthorized assistance to
another student by knowingly permitting him or her to copy an...assignment...to be submitted for academic credit."
Other Course Policies: Class will begin
promptly and will normally last the entire scheduled time. Please be on
time; I’ll try to do the same. If you are tardy, please enter
quietly. Also, please remain in the classroom until the class time is
complete. If you know you will be late or will need to leave class early,
please notify me beforehand. Otherwise, if you are tardy or leave early,
you may be counted absent. You are encouraged to ask questions at any
time during class—I like a relaxed and open classroom environment.
However, to keep the class orderly and conducive to learning, I do ask that you
refrain from talking (unless, of course, you are asking me a question) and have
all noise-producing devices silenced or turned off (e.g., cell phones,
pagers, radios, CD players, games, etc.). Any student behavior deemed
disruptive by the professor will result in expulsion of the student from the
classroom, with an absence for the day and possible disciplinary action.
In all else, please use common sense and courtesy. All current
Grading
Course
Work
Grade
Weight Tentative
dates
Exam
#1
100 points
Exam #2 100 points
Exam #3 100 points
Final Exam 200 points
Homework/Quizzes 100 points
Total Points 600 points
Letter Grade Total points earned
A 540 or
above
B 480 to 539
C 420 to 479
D 360 to 419
F
359
or below
Instructor reserves the right to curve grades if this scale does not reflect performance of the class.