DeVry University
North Brunswick, NJ
PHONE: (732) 435-4880 x3916
FAX: (732) 435-4861
E-Mail: dchelst@nj.devry.edu
Course Materials On the Web: www.devryu.net,
www.chelst.com, and
www.nj.devry.edu/~dchelst/
Course Syllabus Math 180: Spring 2006
Course: College Algebra
Instructor: Dr. Dov Chelst
Course Number: Math 180
Contact Hrs: 5
Prerequisite: Math 104 (Intermediate Algebra) or placement
exam
Credit Hrs: 4
Office Hours in Room 916: T,F 12-1pm; T 8:20-9:20pm
COURSE SPECIFICS (Very Important!)
Qualifications for this course are as follows:
- Pass Intermediate Algebra (Math 104) and obtain a minimum grade of
"C".
- Score 76 or above on the Algebra portion of the CPT test.
It is extremely important that one of the above requirements be
met before attending this course. If not, add/drop must be completed
by the first week of the semester to place each student in the proper
level math course.
First term students may take a proficiency exam for this courses
without a fee by Thursday of Week 1.
Required Textbook: Algebra and Trigonometry, 7th ed.,
Larson and Hostetler, Houghton Mifflin.
Reference Books: Technical Mathematics, 4th ed.,
P. Calter, Wiley Text Books (1999)
Basic Technical Mathematics, 7th ed., A.J.Washington, Pearson
Addison Wesley (1999)
Algebra, I. Gelfand and A. Shen, Springer-Verlag (1995)
Trigonometry, I. Gelfand and M. Saul, Springer-Verlag (2001)r
Other Sources:
Free tutoring is available at Educational Services, Room 240.
Video tapes for Algebra review are available from the DeVry library.
Course Overview: This course is the second in the
four-course mathematics sequence for EET and ECT majors at DeVry. It
aims to provide each student with a set of college-level algebra,
trigonometry, and modeling skills. These are needed to lay a coherent
foundation for the understanding of calculus, discrete mathematics,
statistics along with their application to problems in physics and
electronics
(Terminal) Course Objectives:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Solve a linear, quadratic, or rational equation using an appropriate
algebraic method.
- Take a polynomial function and determine its domain, range, and
intercepts.
- Take a rational function and determine its domain, asymptotes, and
intercepts.
- Find the composition of two given functions--polynomial, rational, radical,
exponential, logarithmic or sinusoidal.
- Sketch the graph of a polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic or
sinusoidal function indicating any intercepts and asymptotes when
appropriate.
- Perform elementary transformations on a given function of the abovementioned
types.
- Find the inverse of a given one-to-one function.
- Formulate and solve an appropriate linear, polynomial or rational equation
after analyzing an applied (engineering or physics) problem such as solving a
circuit, analyzing projectile motion.
- Formulate and solve an appropriate exponential equation after analyzing an
applied involving determinine the time or rate for a population's growth or for
decay of voltage in a circuit.
- Use the methods of right triangle trigonometry to determine distances.
- Use the basic trigonometric identities. These include relationships between
different trigonometric quantities for a single angle and between quantities for
sums or differences of angles.
- Solve a linear or quadratic conditional trigonometric equation.
- Solve an oblique triangle by filling in the unknown quantities using the
Laws of Sines and Cosines.
- Understand, manipulate and graph complex numbers represented in rectangular
and polar form.
- Perform vector addition and scalar multiplication, while applying vector
analysis to physical situations.
f
- Use a matrix to solve a system of up to three linear equation. Also,
determine when a unique solution exists.
| Week |
Chapter |
Description |
| 1 |
P | Review of Basics as needed |
| 1 | Equations and Inequalities |
| 2 | 1 | Equations and Inequalities cont. |
| 3 | 2 | Functions and Their Graphs |
| 4 | 2 | Functions and Their Graphs cont. |
| 5 | Exam #1 | Chs. P, 1 & 2 |
| 6 | 3 | Polynomial Functions |
| 7 | 4 | Rational Functions |
| 8 | 5 | Exponential and Logarithmic
Functions |
| 9 | 5 | Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
cont. |
| 10 | Exam #2 | Chapters 3, 4 &
5 |
| 11 | 6 | Trigonometry |
| 12 | 6 | Trigonometry cont. |
| 13 | 7 | Analytic Trigonometry |
| 14 | 8 | Additional Topics in
Trigonometry |
| 10 | Matrices and Determinants |
| 15 | Final Exam | Cumulative |
Homework
All homework assignments will be posted at the Course Web Page
(http://www.devryu.net). Check the page at least once a week for the latest
information about quizzes, homework, and exams. Homework will be assigned
daily and will not be collected.
Quizzes
There will be short weekly quizzes (15-20 minutes) during the semester.
Quiz problems will closely resemble homework problems of moderate
difficulty. The lowest quiz grade(s) will be dropped. Up to two quizzes may
be taken late subject to the following two rules:
- A student must have a reasonable excuse and/or have informed the
instructor of an expected absence.
- A student may NOT make up a quiz after the next class period has
begun.
- A student must contact the instructor as early as possible and
arrange a time to make-up quiz deadline.
Exams
There will be 3 major exams during the semester (week 5, 10, and 15).
Make-up exams will not be allowed unless the instructor is notified in
advance and a valid written excuse is provided. Any indication that a
student did not act swiftly to explain a missed exam, will disqualify
him/her from receiving a make-up.
Technology
- Each student is expected to bring his/her own scientific
(non-graphing) calculator with exponential and trigonometric
functions to each class. Graphing calculators will not be allowed
on quizzes
- Each student will be required to access the internet to use
both the course's eCollege website and to read and send
e-mail.
Academic Integrity
Students are expected to behave in a manner that maintains the
honesty and integrity of the classroom. Consequently, students
should not attempt to gain an advantage by lying to the
instructor. Students must refrain from all attempts to benefit
unfairly from another student's work. While students are encouraged
to discuss homework problems and course material together, they must
share only ideas. The following examples illustrate what constitutes
academic dishonesty:
- Involvement in the fabricating an excuse to obtain a new or late
exam.
- Buying another student's assignment and handing it in as your own work.
(Both students are considered responsible)
- Using another student's computer file to hand in as your own work, EVEN
IF IT IS PERSONALIZED AFTER IT IS ORIGINALLY COPIED.
- Copying the answers to any problem from another student on an exam or
quiz.
- "Cooperating" in the solution of an assignment that results in two or
more students generating multiple copies of (essentially) a single document
attributed to the entire "team."
There will be NO FURTHER WARNINGS regarding this issue. Students
who do not follow these guidelines may incur a severe penalty that
may include: no credit on a particular assignment, failing the
course, and dismissal from DeVry (at the discretion of the
appropriate deans). While the reasons for this policy appear
obvious, I would be happy to discuss/clarify this issue with any
concerned student BEFORE an actual problem arises.
School Policies
All school policies will be followed in the class:
- School attendance policy will be followed.
- Students are responsible for all work missed due to absences and
tardiness.
- No food or beverages are allowed in the classroom.
- All cellular phones and beepers must have their ringers turned
off during all classes.
- Students are expected to be in class on time. Also, students
are expected to remain for the duration of the class unless they
have given the instructor notice at the beginning of
class. Students who wish to be disruptive will be asked to leave
and counted absent.
| Quizzes (10+) | 25 pts |
| Exam 1 | 25 pts |
| Exam 2 | 25 pts |
| Exam 3 | 25 pts |
| Total | 100 pts |
|
The final grade will be determined as
follows:
| 90 and above | A |
| 80-89 pts. | B |
| 70-79 pts. | C |
| 60-69 pts. | D |
| Below 60 pts. | F |
|
Keys To Success
- Attend class regularly
- Work diligently on each assignment. This will allow you to recognize
what topics you have already mastered, and which ones still require more
practice.
- Seek help from your instructor at the FIRST sign of trouble.
- If you have problems with homework assignments send an email message
to me (dchelst@nj.devry.edu) briefly describing the problem and I will
respond with hints about the assignments. I read my email several times a
day.
- Make Friends!!! - This cannot be
overstated
As an institution of higher education, DeVry integrates strong general
education with a basic emphasis on specialty studies. Students acquire essential
skills and concepts from each of the general education course areas –
communications, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences-mathematics.
Through exposure to representative content of these areas, students gain
knowledge that they use to create their own perspectives on the human
experience. A strong general education also helps students to achieve their own
integration of general and specialty learning to support continuing personal and
professional development, and to strengthen contributions to family, community,
society, and their future.
To ensure that students benefit from both a strong general education and
strong emphasis on specialty studies, DeVry’s general education is oriented
toward the challenges and issues of the contemporary world. General education
courses teach the fundamental principles and skills of their fields but freely
use applications drawn from students’ technical and career-related interests.
Specialty courses, in turn, reinforce general education competencies through
assignments requiring applied research, teamwork, written and oral
communication, and consideration of ethics. This well-rounded education prepares
DeVry graduates to live full and satisfying lives, at work and at home, and to
participate meaningfully as citizens in a diverse and dynamic society.
General education competencies expected from a DeVry education include the
following:
- Communicate clearly with particular audiences for particular purposes.
- Work collaboratively to help achieve individual and group goals.
- Apply critical thinking skills in learning, conducting applied research, and
defining and solving problems.
- Develop tolerance of ambiguity and mature judgment in exploring
intellectual issues.
- Build on intellectual curiosity with fundamental concepts and methods of
inquiry from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities to support life-long
learning.
- Apply mathematical principles and concepts to problem solving and logical
reasoning.
- Use study and direct experience of the humanities and social sciences to
develop a clear perspective on the breadth and diversity, as well as the
commonality, of human experience.
- Connect general education to the ethical dimensions of issues and to
responsible, thoughtful citizenship in a democratic society.
To help achieve general education goals, faculty and administrators
throughout DeVry use the following strategies and approaches.
- Incorporate meaningful writing and oral presentation assignments across
the curriculum, including applied research as part of the assignments and
leading to evaluative feedback by instructors in both general education and
program-specific courses.
- Implement a capstone general education course (Technology, Society, and
Culture [HUMN-432]) that integrates general education and specialty learning and
requires a high level of critical thinking applied to the broader aspects of
technology.
- Use collaborative approaches, such as project teams, to strengthen
learning, provide direct experience, and build on diversity of backgrounds and
viewpoints.
- Offer co-curricular activities – such as service learning, artistic and
cultural presentations, speakers, and student publications – to reinforce
general education competencies addressed in courses.
- Provide a coherent structure and organization of general education across
all programs consisting of well-designed combinations of courses that are
sequenced properly, adjusted to various levels of learning, coordinated with
each other, and that interact synergistically with the majors without being
directly related to specialty learning or career preparation. A common
configuration of general education courses is shown in the following chart of
course requirements across baccalaureate programs, with some programs including
additional requirements above the common levels.
General Education Semester Credits Required
| GenEd Area |
Common Core |
EET/CET |
CIS |
BTCM |
BSBA |
| Communications |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
15 |
| Humanities |
9 |
9 |
9 (or 12)* |
12 (9+3) |
12 (9+3) |
| Social Sciences |
9 |
9 |
12 (or 9)* |
12 (9+3) |
12 (9+3) |
| Science + Math |
12 |
26 (12+14) |
12 |
12 |
12 |
| Personal/Professional Development |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
48 |
62 |
51 |
54 |
54 |
*CIS requirements allow either 9 semester credits of humanities and 12
semester credits of social sciences or 12 credits of humanities and 9 credits of
social sciences.