MATH 097: Intermediate Algebra Spring 2022

Item # 15287 5 Credits Classroom: Online Days & Time: Arranged

Office Hours: Wednesdays, 11am-12pm via Zoom
Instructor: Alex Kohls
and by appointment. Zoom details will be posted on our Canvas site
Email: [email protected]

Course Software: Hawkes Learning Systems software for Developmental Math 2nd Edition. The cost is
approximately $105. We will be going through how to purchase this on day one of the class.
If you have already purchased the software code for Developmental Math 2nd Edition, you will not have to
purchase a new code for this quarter you just transfer yourself into my class for this quarter.

Course Description, Prerequisites, Course Outcomes, Program Outcomes, College-wide

Outcomes: These can all be found online on the Green River College academic catalog page listed and
searching for our class: https://catalog.greenriver.edu/preview_course.php?catoid=4&coid=8936&print

Additional Required Materials:

A graphing calculator is required for this course, and future math courses. The TI-84 is recommended and is
the one I use and reference in class. A TI-83 Plus will work just as well. Symbolic calculators, such as the
TI-89/92/Inspire, will not be allowed during tests and exams.

Class Policies and Information

Instructional Method: Math concepts and rules will be learned through independent work with the Hawkes
online program. I will also provide my personal lecture notes as optional to view, download, or print out for
the quarter as you see fit. I will also be hosting daily Zoom meetings for all my classes to answer questions
throughout the quarter. You are welcome, and encouraged, to work ahead!

Attendance: Attendance to the Zoom meetings is not mandatory but highly recommended. You are
responsible for all material missed.

Respect: I always expect you to give respect to everyone in this classroom, including yourself as a student
learning new material! We are all in the classroom together and a breakdown of mutual respect serves to help
no one.

Talking while I am talking: I expect everyone to be quiet while I am speaking so all students can hear and
understand what I am saying. Talking in class hinders others from hearing what I am speaking about and can
be detrimental to their understanding, learning, and grade. The same is true when another student is
answering a question or speaking.

Class Participation: Although some people do not feel comfortable speaking in class, asking questions is
essential to learning the material through additional clarification, and is therefore highly encouraged. If one
person has a question, statistically approximately one-fourth of the class has the exact same question.
Answering questions in class will allow everyone to hear explanations in a different way than I might have
used. If you have a question, speak up and make your voice heard. One way to increase your understanding
is to ask and answer questions presented in class. I want everyone to ask and answer questions in class. The
classroom lectures and activities are a safe place for errors to be made, as it will not hurt your grade in the
slightest!

This document is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by contacting Disability Support Services at 253-
833-9111, ext. 2631; TTY 253-288-3359; or by email. Green River College is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Learn
more about accessibility on our website (http://www.greenriver.edu/accessibility).
Teamwork/Collaboration: I highly encourage you to work with other students in the class. Studying and
working with others in a group has been shown to be an impactful factor in student success. However, you
will still need to submit your own homework, not work as a group.

Late Arrival/Early Departure: Do not get into the habit of arriving late or leaving early! If you miss
information at the beginning of class (announcements, etc.), it is the student's responsibility to get that
information at the end of class or from another student. When you are late or need to leave early, please do so
in a quiet manner. Be respectful or your fellow students and the class environment.

Cell Phones/Pagers, etc.: Please silence all electronic devices prior to entering the classroom and put them
out of sight. You will not be able to use cell phones as a calculator on a test. If you receive a call during
class, either ignore it or quietly step out of the classroom to take it. If your cell phone is out during class,
disciplinary action can be taken.

Academic Dishonesty: If I perceive you to be plagiarizing or cheating in any way on a quiz or a test, I will
give you a zero for that quiz or test. There may also be additional disciplinary action. Do not give my any
inclination of cheating or plagiarizing taking place.
Plagiarism occurs you knowingly submit someone else’s idea or words as your own. Plagiarism is an act of
intentional deception that not only is dishonest; but robs you of the most important product of education--
learning. If I suspect that you have plagiarized, I will talk with you one-on-one and ask you to show me that
the work in question is your own. If you are found guilty of academic dishonesty, you will receive a zero for
that assignment. If you are caught plagiarizing again in the same quarter, you will fail this class.
Cheating occurs when you copy answers from another student’s homework, quiz, or exam, give or receive
help during a quiz or exam, or even when you glance at another student’s exam or quiz to help you choose
your answer. If you are caught cheating on an exam or quiz, you will receive a zero for that exam or quiz. If
you are caught cheating again in the same quarter, you will fail this class.

Support: Everyone, including myself, needs help and support. The college provides many types of support
depending on what you personally need. Academic resources are listed below.
The college also provides support for personal, emotional, health, and financial problems. If/when you need
help with any of these problems, then speak with me or contact the counseling center located in the Student
Center sooner rather than later if we can assist you.

Academic Resources. The following is a sample list of resources available to you to assist you throughout the
quarter if you need it:
• My office hours. If you come to my office hours, come prepared with your notes, specific problems in
question, and all work you have done on the problem(s). If you wish to schedule a 1-on-1 meeting outside of
Office Hours, then please email me and provide me with specific days and times in which you are available.
• Math Learning Center tutors
• The textbook. It contains examples of problems in each section as well as a “Review Section” at the end of
each chapter summarizing what was learned throughout that chapter
• Websites: MathZone.com, KhanAcademy.com, various YouTube videos

Student Rights and Responsibilities: A summary of your rights and responsibilities is contained in the
college catalog.

Accessibility, Accommodations, Mandatory Reporter: Information pertaining to these can be

found on the Green River College website at the following link: https://www.greenriver.edu/syllabus-info/
GRADING INFORMATION
Group Percent of Grade
• You must complete each section’s homework ‘Certify’ before the due date for full
credit, which will be listed in Hawkes.
Homework 25% • Review the ‘Learn’ and ‘Practice’ sections if you struggle with the ‘Certify’
• Homework Certifies have unlimited attempts and your highest score will be kept.
• All late homework certifies will be worth 80% of the total earned score.
• You must complete all the Homework Certifies with a 70% or better to take a test.
• All tests will have a time limit of 60 minutes 48-hour window to complete.
• Test passwords will be sent out 48 hours before the due date via Canvas.
• All tests are due by 11:59pm on the due date. Late tests will not be accepted unless
arrangements are made at least 2 days prior to the due date. No exceptions.
Tests* 45% • If you wish to take a test early, make sure you have all the Homework Certifies
completed and then email me requesting you want to take a test early. I will
provide you with the information you need to take a test early.
• Scratch work must be submitted for every test attempt taken (details provided
later). If no scratch is submitted, that attempt’s grade will automatically be
overridden to a 0 regardless of the originally earned grade. No exceptions.
• The Final Exam is cumulative and has a time limit of 120 minutes.
30% • Scratch work must be submitted for the Final Exam. All scratch work must be
Final
Exam* submitted by the end of the test day. If no scratch work is submitted, I will
override your previously earned grade to a 0. No exceptions.
*All tests will have an optional Pre-Test that will become available when you complete all the corresponding
Homework Certifies. You may think of and use these Pre-Tests as “practice tests” while you study and
prepare for taking each test and the Final Exam. All Pre-Tests in this course will be optional and are not
required to complete them as part of your grade.

Your GPA will be determined using the following conversion chart.

% GPA % GPA % GPA % GPA % GPA % GPA % GPA
97–100 4.0 90 3.5 85 3.0 80 2.5 75 2.0 70 1.5 65 1.0
95–96 3.9 89 3.4 84 2.9 79 2.4 74 1.9 69 1.4 < 65 0.0
93–94 3.8 88 3.3 83 2.8 78 2.3 73 1.8 68 1.3
92 3.7 87 3.2 82 2.7 77 2.2 72 1.7 67 1.2
91 3.6 86 3.1 81 2.6 76 2.1 71 1.6 66 1.1

Final Grade Discussion. At the end of the quarter, some people email or meet with me to discuss getting
their grade increased to a passing grade (80%, which is a 2.5). Understand that this is requesting a subjective
decision by me on whether to increase the grade you earned from the quarter to move on to the next
mathematics class. To remain as objective as possible, these are some of the criteria I consider when making
that decision, but I will never guarantee automatically bumping you.
• Are you within 5% of the passing grade? • Are you an active participant in class (asking
• Have you communicated any outside of class questions, participating in group work with
struggles or hardships to me early in the quarter others, coming to Office Hours for assistance,
or as soon as they happen? going to the Math Learning Center, etc.)?
• Have you turned in all the homework?
 Test Procedures (continue onto next page)
Below are the testing procedures for this course:
• You may take the test at any time of the day that works best for you before the deadline. Make sure
you plan your schedule accordingly the day you take the test!
• Tests will have a time limit of 60 minutes and the Final Exam will have a time limit of 120 minutes.
Time extensions will only be provided if you have DSS or ADA accommodations and have informed
me of these prior to taking the test. If I am not made aware of you needing any accommodation at
least 3 days prior to a test, then you will not have any accommodation in place for that test.
• You are allowed, and I expect you, to be using your notes and graphing calculator on all tests and the
Final Exam. As a warning, DO NOT be dependent on your notes to allow you to pass the test.
The test will be much more difficult if you depend on notes compared to if you use notes as quick
references.
• If your test is not done by 11:59pm on the due date, it will be entered in the gradebook as a 0. No
exceptions. No late tests or due date extensions are allowed unless you plan arrangements with me at
least 2 days prior to the due date.
• You are required to submit your scratch work after completing ALL your test attempts. All
scratch work is due by 11:59pm of the due date but you are welcome to submit it sooner. If no scratch
work is submitted, then that corresponding test attempt’s score will be overridden to a 0. No
exceptions.
You may use your smartphone, a scanner at home, or webcam to take pictures of your scratch
work and submit it on Canvas. The following free smartphone apps are ones I recommend using:
CamScanner, Genius Scan, or Microsoft Lens. Make sure that your scratch work is labeled,
organized, legible, and the lighting in the picture makes everything visible. If your scratch work is
missing one or more of these or I must decipher your scratch work, then I will not grade it and
that test attempt’s score will be overridden to 0. DO NOT leave this to chance!
You will be submitting your scratch work through Canvas following these steps:
1) Log into Canvas and go to our class.
2) Click on “Assignments” in the top left of the screen.
3) Click on the corresponding test/assignment you are submitting scratch work for. Double-check you
are submitting scratch work to the correct attempt number.
4) The next page will display the only file types that Canvas will accept for submission. These are pdf,
jpg, jpeg, and Png. Click on the “Submit Assignment” option in the top right corner.
5) Select the file, or files, you are submitting for a grade. Double-check that everything is accurate
before you submit your work. Click the “Submit Assignment” button at the bottom. You are done!
Test Attempt Options
Option #1 Option #2
You take the test one time After taking the test once and submitting your first attempt’s scratch work,
and submit its scratch you choose to take a second attempt at the test. This second attempt will have
work. This one attempt similar problems to the first but with different numbers to most, if not all, of
will be graded for partial the problems. You will need to submit separate scratch work for this second
credit based on scratch attempt as well. If there is any cross over scratch work from one attempt that
work submitted and you is visible on the other attempt or no scratch work is submitted, the
will have your grade. corresponding test attempt’s score will be marked as a 0. No exceptions.

Test Grading Policy

After reviewing your test scratch work and giving partial credit accordingly for each test attempt, I will then
determine your final test based on which of the following has a higher score:
a) your first attempt’s score
OR
b) the average score of both of your test attempts.

Below are the three scenarios of how your test grade would be calculated based on your attempts.
Example 1: Result:
You only take the test once, submit your scratch work, and earn a Your grade for that test is 85%.
score of 85%.
Example 2: Result:
You take the test once, submit its scratch work, and earn a 50%. Your grade for the test is 70% because your
You take the test a second time, submit its scratch work, and earn average score of the two attempts is higher than
90%. Your average score from both is 70%. Which score is kept? your first attempt’s score.
Example 3: Result:
You take the test once, submit its scratch work, and earn a 90%. Your grade for the test is 90% because your
You take the test a second time, submit its scratch work, and earn first attempt’s score is higher than the average
50%. Your average score from both is 70%. Which score is kept? of your two attempts’ scores.

Assignment Information
HW & Test # Sections Covered Due Date (by 11:59pm PST)

HW 1 + Test 1 11.1, 11.2, 11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 13.5, 13.6 Tuesday April 19, 2022

HW 2 + Test 2 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.5, 14.6 Wednesday May 4, 2022

HW 3 + Test 3 15.1, 15.2, 15.3, 15.4, 15.6, 15.7, 15.8, 10.5 Thursday May 19, 2022

HW 4 + Test 4 16.1, 16.2, 16.3, 16.4, 16.6, 16.7 Friday June 3, 2022

Final Exam Cumulative, everything covered in class Friday June 17, 2022
 MATH 97 – Spring 2022 Recommended Pacing Calendar
This schedule is tentative and subject to change as needed. You are highly encouraged to work ahead of this schedule!
WK Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
A 1 4 5 6 7 8
P Intro! 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4
R
I 2 11 12 13 14 15
L 11.5 11.5 13.5 13.6 Extra

3 18 19 20 21 22
Extra HW 1 + Test 1 14.1 14.2 14.3
Due Date

4 25 26 27 28 29
14.4 14.4 14.5 Advising Day 14.6
No class

M 5 May 2 3 4 5 6
A Extra Extra HW 2 + Test 2 15.1 15.2
Y Due Date

6 9 10 11 12 13
15.3 15.4 15.6 15.7 15.8

7 16 17 18 19 20
10.5 Extra Extra HW 3 + Test 3 16.1
Due Date

8 23 24 25 26 27
16.2 16.3 16.4 16.4 16.6

J 9 May 30 May 31 June 1 2 3

U NO CLASS 16.7 16.7 Extra HW 4 + Test 4
N Memorial Due Date
E Day
10 6 7 8 9 10
Review for Review for Review for Review for Review for
Final Exam Final Exam Final Exam Final Exam Final Exam

11 13 14 15 16 17
Review for Study Day FINAL EXAM
Final Exam DUE DATE