MAC 1105 section U31
College Algebra
FALL 2009
Mr. Rosenthal
Office : DM 417-A
Phone : (305)348-2380, but email is the quickest way to contact me
Office Hours: MWF noon-12:50pm
WF 2:00-3:15pm
TR 12:25pm-1:45pm
email : rosentha@fiu.edu
Text: You have two choices:
Algebra & Trigonometry, by Michael Sullivan, 8th Edition. You will also have to purchase access to MathXL for $40 from their web site.
Algebra & Trigonometry, by Michael Sullivan, custom edition for FIU. This is a smaller, less expensive version of the 8th edition. If you buy a new text purchased from the FIU bookstore, make sure it comes with a free access code for the MathXL online homework site we will be using. If you buy your text elsewhere, or if you buy a used text, you will have to purchase access to MathXL for $40 from their web site.
Sections to be covered: R.2, R.4, R.5, R.7, R.8, 2.1-2.4, 3.1-3.3, More on Functions, 3.4-3.6, 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.2, 5.3, 6.1-6.8, 12.1, 12.6, 12.7

Grading:
Tests 1-3 will each be worth 20% of your grade, the MathXL homework will be 15% of your grade and the cumulative final exam will be 25% of your grade. Offline homework is not turned in and does not count towards your homework grade. You will still have to do the assigned offline homework from the text to be adequately prepared for my tests. For MathXL homework, please pay attention to the due dates listed on the MathXL web site. There are no extensions on due dates; don't even ask! Don't wait until the day the homework is due to do it, because if your Internet connection goes out, you are out of luck.

After rounding off your average to the nearest whole number, the following grading scale will be applied: My grading scale is as follows:

A

90+    

B- 

77-79

D

60-63

A-

87-89

C+

74-76

D-

57-59

B+

84-86

C

67-73

F

0-56

B

80-83

D+

64-66

 

 

I reserve the right to add points to the totals of students who display outstanding class participation (during both lectures and office hours). I will NEVER "curve" grades or drop your lowest grade.
Attendance:
I) NON-TEST DAYS: OPTIONAL.  Absence is preferred to tardiness.  Three points will be deducted from your final exam grade for each tardiness (even one second late constitutes a tardiness).  Students with even one tardy will be ineligible for the following benefits:
 a) overrides into any of my closed classes in future terms
 b) the privilege of attending my office hours in a future term if enrolled in another instructor's section
 c) recommendations (e.g. for graduate school, scholarships, employment, etc.)
 d) any class participation points mentioned above
No written or oral excuses will be accepted for tardiness.  If you can't make it on time, don't come!
II)  TEST DAYS:  REQUIRED.  You will have at least 2 classes notice of an upcoming test.  There are NO MAKEUP TESTS.  If you miss a test and, in the opinion of the instructor, the absence is excusable, your final exam will count as two grades.  If the absence is not excusable, you will receive a zero on the test missed.  Be prepared to document your excuse with a traffic ticket, hospital bill, arrest form, etc.  A doctor's note is not acceptable unless it says "(student's name) was unable to attend school on (date of test)."  Tardiness is permitted on test days without penalty although you will have less time on the test than everyone else.  If you are so late that someone has already turned in their test before you arrive, you will not be allowed to take the test.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: A cheap ($9-$20) scientific calculator is all you need. If you are not sure how to tell if a calculator is scientific, it must have a key labeled SIN to be scientific. The only scientific calculators that you may not use are the Casio FX-300ES and the TI-30XS MultiView calculator. Graphing calculators and programmable calculators are not permitted. All tests must be written using pencil. Graph paper will also be needed but may be printed from this site.
CELLULAR PHONES must be turned off!  The vibrate mode is not considered turned off. Cellular phones must not be visible to you or me. If they are on your belt, they are visible. If they are in your bookbag or pocket, they are not. Violations of this policy will result in you will having to put the cellphone in the hallway immediately outside the class.  If you are afraid it will be stolen, you may choose to leave with it, but you will not be readmitted to class that day.  If this occurs during a test, and you choose to leave rather than put the beeper or phone in the hallway, all unanswered test questions will be marked wrong.
DROPS are not initiated by Prof. Rosenthal.  If you stop attending, you must drop this class yourself to avoid a grade of F.  The deadline for dropping classes with a grade of DR is Oct. 16.
EXTRA TUITION CHARGES FOR REPEATED COURSES AND EXCESS HOURS: The Florida Legislature has mandated a tuition surcharge for the
third time a student either takes or attempts  a college credit course. This charge should serve as additional motivation for you not to have to retake this course.  In other words, DO THE HOMEWORK!!!!!
If you see a note posted saying that class is canceled, make sure it is on FIU stationary and wait until the starting time of class before leaving.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT includes (but is not limited to) giving or receiving assistance on a test, quiz, or homework assignment for which such assistance is not permitted, falsifying a document to obtain an excusal from a test, and using unauthorized notes on a test or quiz. A more complete definition of Academic Misconduct is given here. Penalties for Academic Misconduct range from an F in the course to expulsion from the university.
The following tentative calendar is here only because the university now requires it as a part of every syllabus. My suggestion to you is to ignore it. It will NOT be updated during the semester. For up-to-date assignments, check this page. Upcoming tests will be announced here.
Tuesday
Thursday
Aug. 25
Sections R.2 and R.4		Aug. 27
Sections R.4 (cont.) and R.5
Sept. 1
Sections R.5 (cont.) and R.7		Sept. 3
Sections R.7 (cont.) and R.8
Sept. 8
Section R.8 (cont.) 		Sept. 10
Sections 2.1 and 2.2
Sept. 15
Sections 2.3 and 2.4		Sept. 17
Test #1
Sept. 22
Section 3.1		Sept. 24
Sections 3.2 and 3.3
Sept. 29
More on Functions 		Oct. 1
Sections 3.4 and 3.5
Oct. 6
Sections 3.5 (cont.) and 3.6		Oct. 8
Sections 3.6 (cont.) and 4.1
Oct. 13
Test #2 		Oct. 15
Sections 4.3 and 4.4
Oct. 20
Sections 5.2 and 5.3		Oct. 22
Sections 5.3 (cont.) and 6.1
Oct. 27
Section 6.2		Oct. 29
Section 6.3
Nov. 3
Section 6.4		Nov. 5
Test #3
Nov.10
Section 6.5		Nov. 12
Section 6.6
Nov. 17
Sections 6.7 and 6.8		Nov. 19
Section 12.1
Nov. 24
Section 12.6		Nov. 26
Thanksgiving
No School
Dec. 1
Section 12.7		Dec. 3
Review/ Hurricane Day
Dec. 8
Exam week		Dec. 10
Exam week

Course Description: Operations on polynomials, rational expressions, radicals; lines, circles; inverse functions, exponential and logarithmic functions; systems of equations and inequalities. Students cannot receive credit for both this course and MAC 2147.