Math 343 – Modern Business Mathematics
Fall 2011 (McFaul)
Disclaimer: All information in this syllabus is subject to change if the instructor finds
it necessary. Any change will be announced during a class session.
Absent students are still responsible for any announced changes.
Course Meetings: TTH 8:15 am – 10:20 am, FLC FL5-109
Text: Purchase eBook ($75) via publisher interactive website at www.webassign.net
Class Key: flc.losrios 6674 1376
Applied Mathematics for the Managerial, Life, and Social Sciences,
5th Edition, by Tan ISBN-10: 0-495-55967-9
Calculators: Highly Recommended: TI-83 or 84, TI-83 or 84 Plus, or TI-83 or 84
Silver Edition graphing calculator.
Instructor: Steve McFaul Phone: 608-6675
Aspen Hall 144 Email: mcfauls@flc.losrios.edu
Web Site: www.flc.losrios.edu/~mcfauls
Office Hours:
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
3:15 – 4:15 p 1:00 p – 2:30 p 3:15 – 4:15 p 3:15 – 4:15 p
or by appointment
Prerequisite: Minimum “C” or better in Math 120 (Intermediate Algebra) or successful
completion of the placement test. Proof of the necessary prerequisite is
required for continued enrollment beyond the first week. The
instructor will check for proof that you meet the prerequisite during the
first week of class.
You can meet the prerequisite in two ways: providing a copy of a college
transcript with grade of C or better or by taking an assessment test that
places you Math 343. Nothing else constitutes having met the
prerequisite. In the case of providing a college transcript if the transcript
is outside of Los Rios, a list of equivalent courses is listed at the math
homepage www.flc.losrios.edu/~flcmath.
The Course: Math 343 is a four-unit course. Credit for this course is AA degree
applicable and transferable. This course is designed around applications
of mathematics in an economic and business context. This course is not
recommended for mathematics or physical science majors.
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Course Content: Course content includes a brief review of algebra including factoring; base
e and natural logarithms, quadratic, power, exponential, logarithmic and
rational equations. The major topics included are functions (graphs and
tables), finance (interest and exponential models), rates of change,
optimization, and linear programming. The content of the course is
structured to incorporate tables, graphs and data sets collected from real-
world situations. A scientific or graphing calculator will be required for
this course. A more specific breakdown of topics can be found in the
college handbook. It is highly recommended that you see a counselor
as part of your college planning.
Student Learning Outcomes:
The Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) for this course are available
online at www.flc.losrios.edu/~flcmath. Simply click on the Student
Learning Outcomes link, and then the link to this course.
Grading: Letter grading will be calculated based on the following percentages:
90% - 100% A 80% - 89% B 70% - 79% C
60% - 69% D less that 60% F
Points are weighed as follows:
Homework: 20%
Exams / Quizzes 60%
Final Exam: 20%
Exams graded on a 100 points basis, quizzes on a 10 point basis, written
homework on a 10 point basis, online homework based on and class
assignments on a variable point basis. “In progress” grades will be made
available throughout the semester.
Homework: Homework will be assigned for each section. There will be both a written
and online portion for homework. Instruction for completing the online
homework will be given at the beginning of the course. Homework will
mainly be comprised of exercises from the textbook and will be
supplemented with worksheets. Written application problems from the
textbook will be assigned for you to turn. A list of HW application
problems will be posted on my website. Late written homework may be
turned in for half credit at the beginning of the next class session but
will not be graded until the end of the semester and only if necessary.
See the Homework Guidelines for complete directions and grading criteria.
Class Assignments: Class assignments will be assigned as needed. This will mainly be
comprised of exercises from the textbook and handouts. These
assignments will be assigned and due during one class session. You will
be encouraged to work in groups.
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Exams: Four exams will be given during the semester. They will be announced in
advance about 1 week before the exam. All exams will be closed book,
closed notes unless otherwise instructed. Pencils must by used on
exams. Illegible work and/or answers are incorrect. Missed exams cannot
be made up. However, if you miss an exam the final may be used to
replace the missed exam. The final may be used to replace ONE missed
exam. If more that one exam is missed then a zero will be assigned to
each missed exam beyond the first. If the makeup privilege is used, there
will be a 10% penalty. A comprehensive final exam will be given
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 from 8:00 to 9:50 am.
Quizzes: Several quizzes may be given during and semester and may or may not be
announced. Quizzes are open note (including homework) but closed book.
Quiz problems will be very similar to problems from the homework due
during that particular class session or problems done in class. Missed
quizzes cannot be made up.
Class Participation: Students will benefit from class participation in borderline cases (see
definition below). Class participation will be noted by the instructor
during most class sessions for those students that answer questions posed
and those students that present problems on the board when asked. Class
participation may be an individual or group activity.
Borderline Cases: A borderline case is defined as any student within 2% of the next higher
grade. At the end of the semester the grade of a borderline student MAY
be raised to the next highest grade if the student is within 2% of the next
higher grade and one of the following cases are true.
1. The score on the final exam is greater than the overall average.
2. ALL work has been completed and class participation has been noted.
Note: A Student will be excused for missing one quiz and one
homework assignment during the semester.
Exceptions:
No grade with be raised if the Final Exam score is less than 60.
No grade with be raised if the Final Exam score is more than 10
points below the raised grade being considered. Example: For a grade
to be raised to a “B” the score on the final must be at least 70.
No grade will be raised if the overall Homework average is less than
70% .
No grade will be raised if you’ve missed more than 3 class sessions.
No grade will be raised if you’ve been late to class more than 3 times.
Attendance: Attendance will be taken for each class session. FLC policy states that
you may be dropped from a course after missing 6% of the class meeting
time. If you have four absences for any reason, you may be dropped
from the class at my discretion without notification It is the student’s
responsibility to know the material covered in the class. Examples may
often be used in class not included in the text. In addition unannounced
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quizzes and class assignments may be given during class time. These
quizzes cannot be made up. If you miss a class, you miss the quiz.
Tardiness: Please get to class on time. Students late to class on a day homework is
collected or tests and quizzes are given may have points deducted.
Tardiness will also affect disposition in borderline cases. If you have a
special issue please discuss it with me.
Class Policies: I expect courteous behavior at all times. I will not tolerate profanity or
rudeness. Do not leave the classroom at any time during class unless you
check with me first. If you have been given permission to leave, please do
so quietly and with minimum disruption. If you are disrupting the class by
talking, I will ask you to leave. Not paying attention, including sleeping,
will be considered a disruption. Before you leave each day, please pick up
any refuse and dispose of it. Leave the classroom as neat as when you
came in. Campus policy prohibits eating and drinking in classrooms.
Cheating will be punished swiftly and severely. Anyone caught cheating
will receive a zero on the exam and lose all makeup privileges. It is your
responsibility to protect yourself from cheating accusations by protecting
your work on an exam as well as keeping your eyes focused on your own
paper at all times.
Cell phones: Cell phones are not allowed in my class (or must be
turned off before you enter the room). If your cell phone rings during
class you may be asked to leave. If you answer the phone or you text
message during class your highest test during the semester will be
recorded as a zero.
Student Conduct: By enrolling in classes at FLC a students must comply with a student code
of conduct set forth by federal and state laws, college rules and
regulations, and District policies. Students violating such rules and
regulations are subject to disciplinary actions. Student’s rights and
responsibilities with regard to the Disciplinary Process and Grievance
Policy are outlined in the college catalog.
Resources: Your classmates are your best source for assistance. Make a point of
meeting with some of them on a regular basis to help fill in missing gaps
in your knowledge. Please make use my office hours and the free tutoring
available (the schedule is posted around campus). I am available by email
should you have questions. I rarely check voice mail. Don’t wait until it’s
too late. GET HELP!
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How to Succeed: This class is extremely fast-paced and many students find themselves
quickly overwhelmed. What do you need to do to be a “Math 343
survivor”?
You should plan to spend at least 2 hours out of class studying for
every hour in class in order to pass this class. It is extremely difficult
to overcome a bad start so I encourage you to set good study habits the
first few weeks of the semester.
Take the time to read the section(s) we’re covering in class that day
before you come to lecture. It will seem confusing at first but it will
make class time much more productive for you.
Do the homework right away. You should always have the homework
done before the next class period. As I said, we move fast and
skipping even one day’s homework will make it hard to catch up. Put
aside time to study for this class every day. If you have a
question/problem on homework, take care of it right away…call a
classmate, find a tutor, or come see me, but don’t let your questions go
unanswered!
Start studying for exams about a week ahead of time, setting a
schedule for yourself so that you don’t cram. If you come to class
prepared every session, take the time to do your homework well, and
are proactive about getting help, you’ll be well on your way to success
in Math 343.
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Homework Guidelines
Homework and “Written Homework” will be graded on a COMPETITIVE ten-point scale. The
best paper that follows the homework guidelines will set the standard. Only perfection will
receive all points.
What do I look for in your homework assignments?
Each problem should have complete, clearly written solutions (not just an answer). Most
problems assigned will have answers in the back of the book however I want to see the process
of solving the problem reflected in a step-by-step solution. Generally you should include all
information in your answer necessary to explain the problem to someone if you didn’t have the
original problem available.
Unacceptable homework will be returned with a “NG” (not graded) notation. You will
have until the next class session to resubmit the homework in an acceptable fashion for grading.
Failure to resubmit the homework will result in a zero score.
The following are some specific criteria. Points will be deducted if these criteria aren’t followed
completely.
1. Points will be deducted for not using a pencil. Exceptions may be allowed in cases where
color is being used to enhance the presentation of the problem.
2. The section number and assignment must be clearly written at the beginning of the
assignment or page for EACH section.
3. The assignment must be complete and neatly written. Points will be deducted for
sloppy work. If your work is not legible, I will not grade it.
4. The assignment must be logically organized. Points will be deducted for out of order
pages or problems and general lack of organization.
5. Your homework must be stapled in the upper left hand corner. Papers must be stapled in
such a way that when flipping through, all problems can be read.
6. Do not turn in pages torn from a spiral notebook with ragged edges
7. You must write out the problem and then proceed to show all steps involved in solving
the problem. The only exception to this will be word problems or problems involving
graphs. You need not write out word problems or problems involving graphs.
8. If a formula is used the then the setup of the formula should be shown even if a calculator
or software is used for the actual calculation.
9. Your answer must be clearly circled or boxed unless instructed otherwise. If applicable a
conclusion or interpretation may be required.
10. The answer to a problem must be complete including any follow-up or associated
questions.
11. If a problem includes context then your answer or conclusion must include that context.
12. If you do not show any work I will make an “NWNC” (no work, no credit) notation, and
you will get a zero.
13. If we do a problem in class feel free to copy the solution off the board for your
homework, just make sure you copy the entire problem, work and solution. It is your
responsibility to understand how to do the problem on your own
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======================== Sign and Return ======================
I, _____________________________________, have read the syllabus for Math 343
(instructor: McFaul) and accept responsibility for understanding its content.
Signature: __________________________________ Date: ___________________
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