Course Syllabus

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION:


Name: Jim Matovina

E-Mail: jim.matovina@csn.edu
IMPORTANT: Any e-mail you send me should include your name, and Course/Section in which you are enrolled. Any email received without your name and Course/Section runs a significant risk of being treated as SPAM and may be automatically deleted.

Cell Phone: 702.523.2100

Office Phone: 702.651.5801

Office Location: Charleston Campus, Building H, Suite 101, Office Q

Office Hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2-4:30 PM, Online – Immediate E-Mail Response. Additional Online and In-Person Office Hours by Appointment.

 

CLASS INFORMATION:


Title: MATH 104B, Applied Mathematics

Description: Emphasizing applications, topics include arithmetic, prealgebra, graphing, geometry, finance, probability & statistics. Course is only applicable for AAS and AGS degrees, and is not transferable for credit.

Days/Time/Location: Section 5101 meets MW 2-4:50 PM in the CSN Western Center at Western High School, 4601 W. Bonanza Blvd (at Decatur), Room 111. Assessments will be completed within CSN’s Canvas Learning Management System.

Semester Duration: Monday, 8/26/19 through Friday, 10/18/19. NOTE: This is an accelerated 8-week class.

Goals: Upon completion of this class, students should:

  • Be able to participate in a mathematically relevant conversation.
  • Be able to accurately perform elementary arithmetic computations.
  • Be able to correctly simplify simple algebraic expressions in one variable.
  • Recognize and understand various problem-solving techniques.
  • Recognize and understand various topics of basic geometry.
  • Solve problems involved with the topics of consumer math.
  • Recognize and solve elementary probability problems.
  • Recognize and compute elementary statistical calculations.
  • Have an ability to apply and extend these concepts.

Textbook: Applied Mathematics, Third Edition, by Matovina & Yates. A coil-bound, black & white, printed version of the text can be purchased for about $10 in any of the CSN Bookstores. Or, a full-color, online version can be found for free at http://sites.csn.edu/jmatovina/104book_3e.pdf. NOTE: Due to significant changes, older editions of the textbook are insufficient.

Computer Labs: Most of you will probably complete the requisite work for this class at home. If you are having problems with your computer or do not have the required software, feel free to use any of the on-campus Computer Labs. Visit https://at.csn.edu/computerlabs for more information.

 

CLASS/COURSE POLICIES:


ADA Notice: If you qualify for "reasonable accommodations" in accordance with the American with Disabilities Act (https://www.ada.gov/), you must notify me in writing of such by the end of the first week of class. Visit https://www.csn.edu/drc for more information additional about the CSN Disability Resource Center (DRC).

Withdrawal: CSN Policy prohibits an instructor from issuing a W grade. If you stop attending class or quit completing the required work, you CANNOT be assigned an automatic "W" or "Withdrawal" grade; you will receive a grade based on the total points you have earned in the class, which, more than likely, will be an "F" to connote you have failed. If you wish to be withdrawn from this class, it is your responsibility to officially drop the class by the drop date listed in the college catalog/schedule of classes.

Date of Last Attendance: Due to financial aid guidelines, CSN instructors are required to record a “Date of Last Attendance” (DOLA) for any student issued a failing grade. Any student who receives an F grade in this class shall have the corresponding DOLA recorded as the date on which the last coursework was submitted. If an F is to be issued and all the coursework is completed, the DOLA will be recorded as FULLY. If no coursework is submitted, the DOLA will be recorded as NEVER.

Online Assessments: Assessments for this class will be completed online. When entering answers, you must provide a single answer, without any attempt to show work. It is also unacceptable to provide multiple answers in a single response and expect the extraneous or incorrect information to be ignored. Any attempt to show work or enter multiple answers (even if they are equivalent versions) into the same answer box shall be deemed incorrect.

Technical Problems: Technical problems on your behalf will not serve as an acceptable excuse for missing deadlines or neglecting to complete the online assessments. The assessments in this class are available for extended periods of time, and it is your responsibility to make sure they are completed by the dates and times listed in the schedule at the end of this syllabus.

Computer Grading: Assessments are auto-graded, and it is your responsibility to review your graded work. If you have an answer that you believe has been graded incorrectly, you should send me an email and let me know the specific assessment and problem number(s) you would like me to examine. I will either correct the grading or explain why a deduction was made. Do realize, however, no credit shall be awarded for deductions made because of ignoring or neglecting to follow any listed instructions.

Free Tutoring: Centers for Academic Success (CAS) provides quality DROP-IN academic assistance to all students enrolled in for-credit courses at CSN. Academic learning support includes assistance with learning strategies, Canvas, Smarthinking online tutoring, Microsoft Office, reading, writing, oral presentations, math, and science. CAS is open Monday through Sunday to be more accessible to all students. Hours for all locations are: Monday – Thursday 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Friday – Sunday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. You may visit http://www.csn.edu/centers-academic-success for more details on locations and hours.

Calculators: Calculators are allowed in this class. In fact, you will probably need one. A good scientific calculator can be purchased for $15-20.

Honesty: Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated. Any incident of academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for the class, be reported to the College, and the most serious course of action will be recommended.

Disclaimer: As the instructor, I reserve the right to change the class syllabus, schedule, and policies as necessary. You will be given appropriate justification and notification in the event of any corresponding changes.

 

INSTRUCTION/COURSEWORK:


Syllabus Quiz: You will begin the class by taking a quiz over the information and policies laid out in this syllabus. You MUST get a perfect score on the Syllabus Quiz before you are allowed to access any of the Chapter Exams. If you do not get a perfect score, review your answers and this syllabus, and then retake the Syllabus Quiz. Any work missed due to a failure to take or get a perfect score on the Syllabus Quiz will be scored as a zero, and no make-up work will be allowed or offered for any reason, and no deadline will be extended. At the end of the term, the 10 points earned on the Syllabus Quiz will constitute 2% of your overall class grade.

Textbook Exercises: Unless directed otherwise, you are to assume every exercise in the textbook should be completed. Or, at the very least, you should do enough of them so that you understand the corresponding concepts. For the best results, you are strongly advised to attempt those exercises prior to attending the class in which that material is discussed. These exercises are there for your benefit; no textbook exercise will be submitted for grading.

In-Class Worksheets: For each section from the textbook, there will be a 5-point, in-class worksheet, which will be due at the end of the corresponding class period. Only students who attend class will have the opportunity to earn full credit on each of these worksheets. Unless an alternative agreement has been made with me, students who miss class will be allowed to download the corresponding worksheet from Canvas and submit it at the beginning of the following class for up to half credit. Of the 20 worksheets, the two lowest scores will be discarded. That cumulative total of up to 90 points will constitute 18% of your overall class grade.

Chapter Exams: During the term, there will be two, 100-point exams for each of the four chapters from the textbook. Both of the exams for each chapter will cover all of the material in that chapter, and only the higher of the two exam scores be counted. Each counted exam will constitute 20% of your overall class grade.

Due dates and times for the specific exams are indicated in the schedule found at the end of this syllabus. Any exam not taken or rescheduled before the specified deadline will be scored as a zero. Absolutely no make-up exam will be offered for any reason.

Questions appearing on the exams will come from the material covered in the textbook and/or in supplemental materials provided in class. DO NOT seek out alternative answers from resources not specified in the class. Answers from such resources that conflict with those presented in the textbook or through the class content shall be deemed incorrect.

 

GRADING:


Class Grades: Point totals will consist of the points scored on the Syllabus Quiz (10 points), In-Class Worksheets (90 points), and the Chapter Exams (400 points), as described above, resulting in a maximum of point total of 500 points. Point totals will be rounded to the nearest whole point, and +/- grades will not be assigned.

Class grades will be assigned according to the following point scale:

  • 450-500: A
  • 400-449: B
  • 350-399: C
  • 300-349: D
  • Below 300: F

 

IMPORTANT DATES:


  • Saturday, 8/28: Last Day for a 50% Refund for 16-Week Session
  • Saturday, 8/28: Last Day to Drop a Class WITHOUT a Grade of W
  • Monday, 9/2: Labor Day Holiday – College Closed
  • Wednesday, 9/1: Last Day to Change from Credit to Audit
  • Wednesday, 9/1: Last Day to Drop a Class WITH a Grade of W
  • Friday, 10/25: Nevada Day Holiday - College Closed

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due