Syllabus
Instructor: Dubravko Ivansic [pronunciation: DOO-brahv-ko EE-vahn-shich] Ivansic is the last name.
Phone & e-mail: 762-3552, Dubravko.Ivansic@murraystate.edu
Office: Faculty hall 6A1 (in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics annex)

Course webpage:
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/dubravko.ivansic/06spring/140home.html

Office Hours: Ask me or check the webpage.
Prerequisites: ACT math standard score of at least 20 or MAT 105.
Textbook: Sullivan and Sullivan, Algebra and Trigonometry, fourth edition (old editions will not work!). We plan to cover chapters (or portions of chapters) R and 1-5.
Graphing calculator: A graphing calculator is required to take this course. The TI-83 is recommended, and is the one that I will use in class. Any other graphing calculator is OK, however, in this case, be aware that you are responsible to learn how to operate it as I can give only very limited help here.
Homework and worksheets: To promote a continuous effort in the course, homework problems will be assigned during the week. The list of homework problems may be found on the webpage. You are not required to turn in homework. Instead, to promote a continuous effort in the course you will be given worksheets (usually to do at home) and will be tested over the material frequently. The worksheets will contain some representative problems, but to succeed on tests, it will not be enough to just do the problems from the worksheet - you will need to work on all of the homework problems. Late worksheets will lose points.
Don't fall behind: Math 140 develops some basic math skills. While in this course you will see and do a number of things that you may have seen before, don't think that you can do them independently until you have made sure by working out the homework problems.
Mathematics is best learned by doing and to acquire proficiency it is essential that you do many homework problems. You should expect to spend at least one to two hours of study time for every hour of class time. If some things aren't clear to you, come to me for help as soon as possible, and not the day before the exam...
Attendance: is strongly encouraged every day, and roll will be taken. If you missed eight or fewer classes during the semester, you get 3% bonus points. Note that you are not penalized for missing a class (the points are in excess to your total grade), so an absence is counted as such regardless of the reason ("excused" or not).
Participation in class: is strongly encouraged, as your questions indicate what points need to be addressed in more detail. We will go over some homework in class for which you are expected to have worked the homework problems at home, so you can both ask and answer questions on the homework. To encourage participation, a small portion of your final course grade will be based on how active you are in class. In order to earn points, you need to be able to at least attempt to answer a homework question when called on.
Exams: There will be four exams whose dates will be announced well in advance. On some exams calculators may not be allowed.
Final exam: is comprehensive and will be held in our usual classroom according to the following schedule:
class at 10:30AM: Thursday, May 11th at 10:30AM
class at 2:30PM: Monday, May 8th at 1:30PM
Grade: For your final grade, each of the four exams is worth 20%, all other graded work (for example, worksheets) is worth 15%, and participation in class is worth 5% of the total. Your final exam grade replaces your poorest exam grade if it is better. (Note, however, that getting a good grade on the final is more difficult than on a regular exam, since it covers the whole semester.) Thus, if you are happy with your exam scores during the semester, you don't have to take the final exam. No extra credit work will be given to repair your grade. The final grade scale is
90%-100%=A, 80%-89%=B, 70%-79%=C, 60%-59%=D, 0%-59%=E.

Make-ups: Make-ups for exams will be given only in cases of illness, field trips or other unavoidable circumstances. You will need to provide written verification of the reason for your absence in advance and as soon as possible. If you are unexpectedly absent from an exam, contact me by phone or e-mail that same day and arrange to take a make-up. The make-up should occur soon, which typically means "before I return the exam". Make-ups for other graded work will be given at my discretion. Asking for a make-up more than once makes it less likely that I will grant it.

Academic honesty policy: In compliance with the Board of Regents policy on academic integrity, instances of academic dishonesty, as determined by the instructor, will result in zero points for the assignment and possibly a grade of "E" for the course.