Course Description:  Exponents, factoring, equations, inequalities, systems of equations, functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, polynomials and rational functions. Must have successfully completed Intermediate Algebra or have an acceptable placement score. Requires a C- or better in MATH 099 (if taken).

Outline of Major Content Areas:

Student Learning Outcomes:

Comment on time investment:  MSUM's standard is that one semester credit hour for undergraduates is meant to represent three hours of academic work per week for the average student who has the expected preparation for the courses that he or she is enrolled in.  For a three-credit course such as Math 127, this means that you should expect to work 9 hours a week on just this class.  We will meet for 150 minutes, or 2 hours and 30 minutes, during the week, which leaves 6 hours and 30 minutes for work at home.  So you should expect to work approximately an extra two hours at home for every class meeting, assuming that you are at the level that the Mathematics Department expects for students in this course.  If your background is a little weaker than that, you should expect to spend more time studying and doing homework outside of class than this. Note that the general expectation of 3 hours of work per week per credit applies to all classes - it is why 12 credits is considered full-time for a student, as it corresponds to 36 hours per week.

Attendance:  In order to succeed in mathematics classes, experience indicates that it is extremely important that students stay on schedule.  I do not take formal attendance, but it would be a poor idea to miss class unless you are ill.  You will be responsible for getting notes from a classmate if you do miss class.  If you miss an exam, I expect to be notified as soon as feasible about the reason for missing the exam.  Labs that are completed outside of class are due on the due date, regardless of whether or not you made it to class on either lab day or the due date.  It is considered on time if I receive it before I start grading.  I will generally start grading at 2:00 pm.  I will check the tutor room for stragglers just before I start grading, so if you're pushing the clock, work in the tutor room. 

For a known absence due to military duty, jury duty, or other legal requirement where you will miss an exam, you must give me notice as soon as feasible and prior to the absence.  Similarly for an absence due to an official university activity, if you provide me written notice at least two weeks prior to the absence, as per the Absence Policy and procedures (see the Policies webpage)  I feel it is necessary to point out that it is up to you to satisfy this requirement, not the coach or faculty advisor connected to the event, since insufficient notice will be your problem, not theirs.  For absences due to personal reasons such as illness or family emergencies that cause you to miss an in-class lab or an exam, you must notify me as soon as feasible, which among other things means before the exam in the vast majority of cases.  In order for a makeup exam to be graded, written documentation of the reason for the absence will be required.  Examples are:  a note from the doctor saying you were seen (it does not have to say what you were seen for), a copy of the police report for a minor car accident, funeral program or obituary, etc..  (In the case of a funeral, if your relationship is not clear, I may ask you to write a short sentence saying what the relationship is and to sign it.)  In addition, makeup exams are given only on Study Day.  This semester, Study Day is Wednesday, May 8.

For labs, I do not accept late lab assignments for any reason other than illness or military/jury duty lasting more than six business days.  For a lab that is finished outside of class, ask me for it and finish it as soon as you can, and turn it in early.  It is expected to be submitted in hardcopy format in class or to my office.  For labs that are done entirely in class, you will need to provide the same notice and documentation as for an exam, and you will need to finish the lab within two class days after your return or one week from the date of the lab, whichever is sooner.  In the case of extended absences due to illness or other excused reason, this may be adjusted based on the instructor's discretion.

Absences due to family vacations, reunions, weddings, etc., are not excused absences unless you inform me of them by Tuesday January 22, 2018.  I expect you to schedule such events around your class schedules if they come up during the semester, especially since the exam dates are already set.  Exams missed for this reason would be taken on Study Day, and any labs missed for this reason must be completed before you leave. See the instructor during office hours for a copy of the lab in order to complete it early.

Academic Honesty: You are expected to do your own work.  You may certainly work with others and get help on lab and homework assignments (in fact, it's encouraged and expected), but the work you submit should be your own work.  If you do get help on assignments, you also need to cite your sources, as any ethical adult gives credit where credit is due.  Note that during exams you will not be allowed to get help from others.  Make sure that you learn the material while you do the assignments - that is the purpose of the assignments.  Then during the exam you can demonstrate your knowledge - that is the purpose of the exams.  Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in any college course (or any course at any level).  See the Academic Honesty Policy (on the Policies webpage) for more information and possible consequences of cheating.

ACCESSIBILITY:

Minnesota State University Moorhead is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students and strives to make courses inclusive and accessible in accordance with sections 504 and 508 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The University will make reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities. Accessibility Resources (AR) is the campus office that collaborates with students in need of accommodations and assists in arranging reasonable accommodations. 

If you have, or think you may have, a disability (e.g. mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory or physical), please contact Accessibility Resources at (218) 477-4318 (V), (800) 627.3529 (MRS/TTY), kari.klettke@mnstate.edu or stop by to schedule an appointment with Kari Klettke, Director, in 154C Flora Frick Hall.  Please also contact Accessibility Resources if you are currently registered for accommodations and have any questions or concerns.  Additional information is available on the AR website: http://www.mnstate.edu/accessibility .

Course Requirements:  You are expected to complete daily homework and labs and take and pass all the exams on the scheduled dates.

Evaluations Standards: Your course grade will include lab and exam grades.  For more details, see the grade page.

Course Outline:  See the course schedule.

Calculators:  In this course, a non-graphing scientific calculator will be necessary once we get to Chapter 4 (which is expected to be on March 22).  Prior to that date, calculators will not be allowed on exams and not expected on labs or the electronic homework.  Graphing calculators may not be used on exams at any point in the course.  Note, however, that unless the problem explicitly asks for an approximate answer (and gives the level of approximation), that the answers are expected to be exact values.  For example, you would not approximate pi or square roots.

General Comments:  I do not curve college courses.  I grade you as individuals based on how well you have mastered the material, not by how you compare to other students.  I also very rarely give extra credit, and when I do it is to the entire class.  If you come to my office at the end of the term and ask if you can do extra credit to improve your grade, my answer will be no.  The grading scale and weights for the homework and exams are given here.

I will in general return any work the next class day.  If you are not there, I will not give it to friends, roommates, or siblings/spouses/children/parents, nor will I give out grade information on the phone or to a non-mnstate email address.  (These restrictions are not arbitrary - they are based on federal law regarding student privacy.)  Normally I include any old assignments with any current ones, but I do not generally try to pass them back a second time unless you have turned in the most recent assignment.  I will bring the old assignments with me every day, so if you ask at the end of class or during lab time you can get them then.

Cell Phones and other Respect Issues:  Turn off your cell phones when you go to class (this class or any other class).  Cellular phones and other distracting devices generally have no place in a formal or semi-formal setting, such as a classroom.  Having your phone on, even in vibrate mode, is disrespectful to both your instructor and your classmates.  If your cell phone rings, beeps, or has an audible vibrate during an exam I will reserve the right to require that you turn in what you have at that point, without finishing the exam, or to reduce your exam grade by 25%.  The point is that such an interruption can hurt your classmates' exam grades.  In mathematics in particular, regaining a train of thought that was interrupted by a classmate's phone can be very difficult for some students, and their exam grades correspondingly suffer.  I strongly suggest that you always remember to turn off your phone.  This policy applies to any other distracting device, such as a pager or alarm clock, as well.

Similarly, I expect you to respect the learning environment by being in class on time and ready, to do mathematics the entire period, and to remain in class until the end of the class.  On those rare occasions where you must be late, show respect to your classmates by taking off your coat and getting out your notebook in the hallway before entering the room, and sitting down in the first available seat by the door - even if it is not where you prefer to sit.  That way you minimize the interruption to your classmates.  And once we start lab time, you are free to move to where you prefer to sit, as that movement would no longer be distracting.

In addition, during exams, your cell phone (or any other electronic device) may not be visible at all - put it in your closed bookbag or something similar.  If you use it for your watch, you will have to bring a different clock to exams or use the classroom clock.

Sexual Violence Prevention Statement:  Acts of sexual violence are intolerable.  MSUM expects all members of the campus community to act in a manner that does not infringe on the rights of others.  We are committed to eliminating all acts of sexual violence. 

MSUM faculty and staff are concerned about the well-being and development of our students.  We are obligated to share information with the MSUM Title IX Coordinator in certain situations to help ensure that the students' safety and welfare is being addressed, consistent with the requirements of the law.  These disclosures include but are not limited to reports of sexual assault, relationship violence, and stalking.

If you have experienced or know someone who has experienced sexual violence, services and resources are available.  You may also choose to file a report.  For further information, contact Lynn Peterson, Coordinator of Sexual Assault Services and Hendrix Clinic and Counseling Center, 218-477-2211, or Ashley Atteberry, Title IX Coordinator in Owens Hall 208, 218-477-2174, ashley.atteberry@mnstate.edu.  Additional information is available at www.mnstate.edu/titleix.

Building Emergency Plans:  Building floor plans showing emergency exit routes, fire extinguisher locations and fire alarm pull stations are conspicuously located in classrooms, labs, conference rooms, departmental main offices and residence halls.  The Emergency Preparedness Guides (flip style booklets) are located with the maps.  Please review the floor plans as well as the guide so you know how to respond in an emergency situation to help protect yourself and others.    If you have questions, please contact Public Safety at dispatch@mnstate.edu or 218-477-2449 or see https://www.mnstate.edu/publicsafety/.

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