Math 140: College algebra and Trigonometry Fall 2013
Instructor: Dr. K. M. Shannon Phone: 410-543-6476 any time
Office: DH 104

Tests: There will be three to five tests on dates to be determined and announced in class. The material covered by the exams will be announced in class. It is the student's responsibility to find out what announcements he/she missed by coming late, leaving early, or missing class. There will also be a final exam during the exam period.

Class Participation and Attendance: Attendance IS MANDATORY. Students are responsible for all material covered in class and for any announcements made in class (even if said announcement is not reflected on the web site). At the beginning of each class after the first where we do not have a test I will collect entry slips. This is how I record attendance. Any student who has missed three or fewer classes (according to my records) will have an attendance score of 2 which is added to his/her test average as described below. In addition, there may be a 1 point bonus to the attendance score for students who, in the judgement of the professor, participate actively and ask "good" questions on a regular basis.

Homework: There will be two types of homework assigned in this class:

  • WebAssign: The bulk of the homework will be assigned, completed and corrected through WebAssign. Your WebAssign Grade will be determined solely by the number of problems you correctly complete (adjusted for multiple attempts) and will be a score from 0 - 100. Please see the attached description.
  • Weekly Summaries: See Description on the homework page Summaries will graded on a check system. Acceptable summeries will receive a check. Summaries that are less than what I expect a check minus and any exceptionally good summary might receive a check +. Any student who averages a check on the summaries with the lowest one dropped will have a summary score of 2. The summary score will be added to the test average.
  • Homework Grades: At approximately midterm I will give all students a midterm progress report which will include a Summary score and a WebAssign grade.

    Supplemental Instruction (SI) is offered for this course and provides you with the opportunity to attend up to 3 hours of structured study sessions per week. SI sessions are facilitated by an undergraduate student who has taken this course and excelled in the course material. Your SI leader will facilitate discussions and activities that encourage you to practice, discuss, and ask questions about the most recent lecture material. Your SI leader will give you the days and times of each SI session. You can also find out more information about your SI leader and session information at http://www.salisbury.edu/achievement/SI/sihome.html, or by stopping by the Center for Student Achievement (GUC 213).

    Tests and the Exam: All tests will be graded on a 100 point scale. The final test average will consist of a weighted average of the test grades and the final exam grade. I do not give make up tests. If you miss a test all bets are off and I assign a grade on the basis of the information I have, in whatever manner I feel is fair and consistent. If a test is missed for insufficient cause the grade is zero and will be used in your average!

    Grading Policy: Your final grade will be determined based on a score computed by adding 90% of your test average, 10% of your WebAssign grade, your SP score and your attendance score. Then your final grade will be determined using the following scale:

    92 - 100A
    80 - 91B
    70 - 79C
    60 - 69D
    below 60F

    I truncate averages and reserve the right to raise any grade on the basis of class participation or extenuating circumstances.

    Class Format: Primarily informal lectures with questions encouraged at appropriate times. Please try to come to class on time! If for some reason you must be late, enter quietly and try to avoid disturbing the lecture.

    Cell Phones are an unnecessary distraction and should be turned OFF (not silent mode but completely off!) before entering any class or professor's office. Students failing to observe this common courtesy may be asked to leave the class or my office. Naturally, if you are anticipating an emergency call, exceptions can be made. You should mention the emergency situation to me so that I do not react badly if your phone rings....

    This course is subject to the Henson Course Repeat Policy

    Office Hours:See my Schedule; I am in my office much more than just during scheduled office hours. Feel free to stop by anytime and see if you can catch me if you would like help or just to chat. I also check e-mail frequently and do my best to respond quickly to questions asked in e-mail. I can also schedule an appointment if you need to see me and have trouble catching me.