Course Syllabus

Spring 2024 | MAT-0310-VO03S - Math & Algebra for College

Synchronous Class

Synchronous courses are delivered through a combination of online and regularly-scheduled Zoom sessions. In synchronous classes, students must attend Zoom sessions and actively engage with each other and faculty in course activities and discussions.

Faculty

Jesse Herbert
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Julie Dalley

Course Description

This course introduces students to math relevance in college and careers and is designed to strengthen a student's math literacy, problem solving, computational math, and fundamental algebra skills. During the semester, students engage in activities and assignments associated with a college-level math course, build foundational mathematical skills, utilize available online and other resources, and develop strategies and behaviors associated with successful college learning. Credits earned in this course do not apply to degree program completion.

Essential Objectives

1. Recognize and apply mathematical thinking in professional and personal contexts.
2. Utilize formulas, functions, graphs, and operations to effectively solve mathematical, algebraic, and geometric problems.
3. Meet college-level expectations through appropriate quality of work, time-management, decision-making, punctuality, attitude, and the balance of priorities.
4. Evaluate progress throughout the semester and make adjustments as needed with respect to educational and professional goals.
5. Explain, in both group and individual settings, the process for solving problems, including methods that were used and results that were achieved.
6. Utilize library and other open educational resources to access and explore topical information.
7. Explore the concept of critical thinking and demonstrate interpretation and analysis skills.
8. Develop and apply effective teamwork and communication skills in the college environment, including expressing ideas, asking questions, and seeking help.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Methods

Instructional methods will include online lecture, sample problems, and guided practice. Some group work may be utilized.

Evaluation Criteria

A final average of 60% or higher is needed to Pass. This is a Pass/Fail course, as credit is pre-college. Note that I simply keep a running average of your graded performance throughout the semester, as follows:

· Homework (Weekly Quiz) 40%

· Discussions 20%

· Tests 40%

Note: Late work earns 80% credit.

Homework: Starting at Week 2, evidence of homework comprehension/proficiency is checked with a short (3 question, multiple choice) quiz. For practice exercises, always check answers in the back of the textbook (in the Answer Key) of any suggested exercises before a test or weekly quiz, to know if you understood the material, and which questions you may wish to ask about at the start of class. The weekly quiz will start after we go over any questions on the assigned exercises from the previous week, prior to a 10 minute mid-class break, with 10 minutes of class time to take the quiz (answers due after the break). Students with accommodations are covered with this arrangement (students who typically need extra time but do not have accommodations may choose to use their break time to finish, if required). The lowest two quizzes are dropped.

Discussions: Weekly required discussion boards give you a chance to discuss questions you may have about the material covered, or help fellow students get clear about topics you have grasped. Typically, these require a paragraph or so, and at least two replies to other student posts.

Tests: Two tests (20 questions, multiple choice/online) are given per semester (a midterm and a final, during class time). Emergencies are handled on a case-by-case basis.

· *As emergencies arise, serious setbacks are discussed case-by-case.

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

(Excerpt from Jesse Herbert’s CCV online instruction community ground
rules--with permission from Michelle Pacansky-Brock)

1. Treat contributions made by other members of the class with respect.
2. Reach out and help when you see the need. And ask for help when you need it.
3. Have patience and a sense of humor with technology. There will be hiccups, expect them.
4. Keep an open mind. If you’re feeling reluctant, that’s ok. Take it one step at a time and look at this as an opportunity to learn something new.
5. Contribute regularly to collaborative activities to ensure other members of the community have ample opportunity to read/listen, reflect, and respond to your ideas.
6. Respect the diverse opinions and viewpoints of each member of our community. Differences allow us to learn and grow together.
7. Understand that communications shared through text have a higher likelihood of being misinterpreted than the spoken word. Therefore, when you type a thought or a comment, read it carefully before you submit it. If you question the way it is worded, read it out loud to yourself. If you still question the way it’s phrased, rewrite it.
8. Contribute regularly to group dialogue, including blog posts and replies. The
contributions of each individual play a role in the collective strength and diversity of our community.
9. Members of our community are restricted to enrolled members of our class, in an effort to maintain a safe, trustworthy discussion environment.
10. All image and video content shared within this community will reflect acceptable academic standards. You are expected to use discretion and, if asked, you will be expected to demonstrate how your content supports the subject matter.
11. Any community member has the ability to create a new discussion forum in our course. However, the individual who creates the forum immediately takes on the responsibility of moderating it. This means you have committed to regularly responding to new comments and greeting new members of the forum, within reason.
12. If, at any time, you feel that any of these ground rules have been violated by a member of our community, you are encouraged to bring your concern directly and immediately to Jesse Herbert, Ph.D., @ jjh05132@ccv.vsc.edu (course instructor). Clearly identify which ground rule has been violated and include specific evidence of the violation in your email. Your concerns will be addressed promptly with careful consideration in an individualized manner.

Also, please keep in mind CCV’s academic honesty policy’s reproduced below:

POLICY
The Community College of Vermont is committed to academic honesty and scholarly integrity. All members of the college community are expected to uphold these standards.

1. Any student found to be dishonest in academic work may be subject to disciplinary action, which could include suspension or dismissal.
2. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to): Plagiarism, which is defined as the presentation of the language, ideas, or thoughts of another person as one’s own work in the preparation of a paper, laboratory report, oral presentation, or any other presentation; dishonest conduct during quizzes, tests, or any other evaluative measures.
3. Any member of the academic community is encouraged to bring forward questions and suspicions of academic dishonesty to an academic coordinator or faculty member.
4. Any faculty member who believes that a student has been academically dishonest should discuss these concerns with the student, and if appropriate, with an academic coordinator.
5. The College acknowledges that the discussion a faculty member has with a student and/or coordinator may result in satisfactory resolution of the instructor’s concerns and therefore may not require further action.
6. The faculty member will notify the academic coordinator for the course in the event that s/he decides to submit an academic incident report.
7. Faculty members will submit an academic incident report for any incident in which the academic dishonesty affects a student’s final course grade and/or the scope of the academic dishonesty extends beyond the practicing of skills covered in the class.
8. The academic coordinator will assist the faculty member in completing the academic incident report, notify the student’s academic advisor of the situation, and send a copy of the report to the student and to the academic dean who will forward it to the registrar for inclusion in the student’s record.
9. The academic incident report documents the details of the incident of academic dishonesty and should include supplementary documentation as appropriate.
10. The faculty member has full authority to determine the effect that the academic dishonesty has on the student’s academic standing in the course. This may include assigning a grade of F (or NP) on a particular assignment or assigning a grade of F (NP) for the entire course.
11. If the incident of academic dishonesty has affected the student’s final grade, the faculty member will include this information in the final course evaluation.
12. The academic dean may dismiss any student who receives two academic incident reports. The academic dean has sole authority to set the terms for re-admission.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Late work is eligible for 80% of full credit. All work must be submitted by the last day of the semester (listed in the syllabus).

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity