Math 017 Elementary Algebra Fall 2006

Community College of Philadelphia
Department of Mathematics

Instructor : Margaret Wojcicka-Hitczenko
Office: B1-9E
Phone 215-751-8943
E-mail: mwojcicka@ccp.edu
Web Page: http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/mwojcicka/

Text: Basic Mathematics, A. Brown,
Courtland Press

Tests: There will be five in-class tests. No test score will be dropped. There is almost no partial credit given on the exams. Calculators are not allowed during tests.

Missed tests:
Missed tests can be made up only if you have a justifiable excuse (so, if you are sick, please get doctor’s note). If you know before hand that you will have to miss an exam, please contact me, so you can take the exam in advance of the rest of the class. In case of emergencies impossible to foresee, to be ‘eligible’ for a make-up exam, please contact me as soon as possible (e-mail or voice-mail). Once I determine that you indeed have a legitimate excuse, you will be given a make-up exam during the Final Exams Week.

Homework:
Part of the class work is to learn how to correctly use mathematic language. To help you learn how to write your mathematical work (using the correct syntax), I will collect some sample homework problems during the semester (Homework 1-5, see Syllabus). I will check the way you write your work and if you need it, I will help you to learn how to properly display your solutions. You will not get a grade for this homework – but turning in your homework will give you an opportunity to better prepare for exams: Please remember, that I will deduct a significant amount of points on all exams, if you do not use a correct language (for example, one common mistake students make, is to use the ‘=’ sign incorrectly or not to use it at all).
You should solve many more problems than those that I am going to collect. A significant amount of our class time will be devoted to the discussion of the homework problems that I am going to assign but not collect. Please, remember that mathematics is a cumulative subject. Do not expect to understand subsequent material if you have not mastered current material. Solving homework problems is essential for understanding the material.

Final Exam:
Final Exam will be comprehensive.

Attendance:
Each student is required to attend every class meeting on time. Any student absent for the equivalent of two weeks may be dropped. Students are responsible for all work missed due to absence

Tutoring:
The math lab in B2-36 organizes a lot of workshops for students of Math 017. Tutoring (free of charge) is also available.

Grading:
Tests will account for 80% (each test worth 32 points), the final exam will account for 20%
(worth 40 points). No extra credit will be given.
The grade scale is as follows:
P (passing) above 65% (at least 130 points)
MP (making progress) 30-64% (60-129 points) or a person who did not miss more than two classes

Appropriate Classroom Behavior:

1. Please be on time for class. It is distracting to me as to your other classmates to have people come in late
2. Please switch off pagers and cell phones before entering the classroom.
3. Please be courteous and considerate to your other classmates and to me.
4. Please do not eat in the classroom (please, also do not display any kind of food)
5. Please do not talk (even about math issues) during class time. If you have a question, please raise your hand and wait for me to recognize you.
6. Please do not walk in and out of the classroom. In case of an emergency, please leave quietly.
7. Please remain seated during the entire class period
8. Please remember that I have the right to ask you to change your seat.
9. If you have any personal questions (like, for example: ‘I was absent last time, can I get my test back’), please come and discuss it with me during a break, after a class, or during my office hours, NOT during the instruction time.
10. If you break one of these rules I will remind you not to do it. But if you do it again, unfortunately, I will have
to ask you to leave the classroom. If I ask you to leave, please do leave. You should be able to return the next day.