Texas Southmost College

MATH 2412 – Dual Pre-Calculus Syllabus

MATH 2412: Pre-Calculus Mathematics Fall 2019– Spring 2020

Professor: Roberto De La Garza Phone: (956) 698-1060

Email: redelagarza@bisd.us / Office Hours: MWF 2:35 – 3:20

Roberto.delagarza@tsc.edu
I check emails every otherday. You can expect a response from me at
all times.
Location: D-218
Semester: Fall 2019 – Spring 2020

Course Description
In-depth combined study of algebra, trigonometry, and other topics for calculus readiness. (ACGM)
Lec 4, Cr 4

Course Prerequisites
MATH 1314 or pass the College Algebra Exemption Test administered by the STEM Division.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate and apply knowledge of properties of functions.
2. Recognize and apply algebraic and transcendental functions and solve related equations.
3. Apply graphing techniques to algebraic and transcendental functions.
4. Compute the values of trigonometric functions for key angles in all quadrants of the unit circle
measured in both degrees and radians.
5. Prove trigonometric identities.
6. Solve right and oblique triangles.

Texas Core Curriculum

Through the core curriculum, students will gain a foundation of knowledge of human cultures and the physical
and natural world; develop principles of personal and social responsibility for living in a diverse world; and
advance intellectual and practical skills that are essential for all learning.

Core Objectives:
Required:
 Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and the analysis,
Evaluation and synthesis of information.
 Communication Skills - to include effective written, oral, and visual communication.
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  Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include applications of scientific and mathematical concepts.
Optional:
 Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with
others to support a shared purpose or goal.
 Social Responsibility - to include intercultural competency, civic knowledge, and the ability to engage
effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
 Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical
decision-making.

All required Core Objectives will be assessed for all courses offered as part of the Core Curriculum; optional
Core Objectives may be assessed at faculty discretion and will be considered in program-level reviews of
institutional effectiveness relating to the delivery of instruction.

Course Outcome
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Apply principles of PreCalculus to study of algebra, trigonometry, and other topics for calculus readiness.

Course Materials
Blitzer, R. F. (2010). PreCalculus (5th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Calculator
Required calculator is a Texas Instruments TI- 84 which you will be allowed to use on the majority of
assignments. Exams are divided into two parts: Calculator and Non-Calculator. If unsure if another calculator
is allowed, please clear with your instructor prior to use on an exam.

Course Components
 Reading and Resource (not graded)
 Practice Exercises (not graded)
 Homework Assignments (total of 37)
 Unit/Chapter Quizzes (total of 12)
 Writing Project (one which counts as an exam grade)
 Unit/Chapter Exams (total of 6)
 Final Exam (comprehensive)

Course Content
 1.7 Combinations of Functions; Composite Functions
 1.8 Inverse Functions
 2.1 Complex Numbers
 2.2 Quadratic Functions
 Quiz #1 (1.7,1.8,2.1,2.2)
 2.3 Polynomial Functions and Their Graphs
 2.5 Zeros of Polynomial Functions
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 2.6 Rational Functions and Their Graphs
 Quiz #2 (2.3,2.5,2.6)
 Exam #1 (1.7,1.8,2.1,2.2,2.3,2.5,2.6)
 3.1 Exponential Functions
 3.2 Logarithmic Functions
 3.3 Properties of Logarithms
 Quiz #3 (3.1,3.2,3.3)
 3.4 Exponential and Logarithmic Equations
 3.5 Exponential Growth and Decay; Modeling Data
 Quiz #4 (3.4,3.5)
 Exam #2 (3.1,3.2,3.3,3.4,3.5)
 4.1 Angles and Radian Measure
 4.2 Trigonometric Functions: The Unit Circle
 4.3 Right Triangle Trigonometry
 4.4 Trigonometric Functions of Any Angle
 Quiz #5 (4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4)
 4.5 Graphs of Sine and Cosine Functions
 4.6 Graphs of Other Trigonometric Functions
 4.7 Inverse Trigonometric Functions
 Quiz #6 (4.5,4.6,4.7)
 Exam #3 (4.1,4.2,4.3,4.4,4.5,4.6,4.7)
 5.1 Verifying Trigonometric Identities
 5.2 Sum and Difference Formulas
 Quiz #7 (5.1,5.2)
 5.3 Double-Angle, Power-Reducing, and Half-Angle Formulas
 5.5 Trigonometric Equations
 Quiz #8 (5.3,5.5)
 Exam #4 (5.1,5.2,5.3,5.5)
 6.1 The Law of Sines
 6.2 The Law of Cosines
 6.3 Polar Coordinates
 6.4 Graphs of Polar Equations
 Quiz #9 (6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4)
 6.5 Complex Numbers in Polar Form; DeMoivre’s Theorem
 6.6 Vectors
 6.7 The Dot Product
 Quiz #10 (6.5,6.6,6.7)
 Exam #5 (6.1,6.2,6.3,6.4,6.5,6.6,6.7)
 7.3 Partial Fractions
 9.1 The Ellipse
 9.2 The Hyperbola
 9.3 The Parabola
 Quiz #11 (7.3,9.1,9.2,9.3)
 10.1 Sequences and Summation Notation
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  10.2 Arithmetic Sequences
 10.3 Geometric Sequences and Series
 Quiz#12 (10.1,10.2,10.3)
 Exam #6 (7.3,9.1,9.2,9.3,10.1,10.2,10.3)
 Writing Project
 Comprehensive Final Exam

Course Grading
Grading Breakdown
Activity Types Percentage
Homework Assignments (37) 30%
Quizzes (12) 20%
Exams (6 + 1 writing project) 30%
Final Exam (comprehensive) 20%
Total: 100%

Grading Conversion Table

Letter Grade Grade Point Percentage
A 4.0 90-100
B 3.0 80-89
C 2.0 70-79
D 1.0 60-69
F .0 0-59

Professor Expectations
Students are expected to attend on time to every single class, and be prepared with paper and pencil at all
times to take notes.

General Course Requirements

1. Be punctual. The professor must provide a learning environment conducive to learning for all students.
Tardiness is distracting and disruptive to fellow students and professor. Students who miss quizzes or class
assignments due to tardiness may not be able to make up the missed grade. The student may visit with
fellow classmates to acquire notes of information missed or may make an appointment with the professor
for further direction.

2. Avoid absences. Be absent ONLY when absolutely necessary. Your best chance to do well in this class is to
attend every class meeting. Students are expected to be diligent in their studies. It is expected that
students will complete the weekly assignments by the due date. Therefore, it is vital that students
complete the assigned readings and assignments on schedule so that they are prepared. To access the
course site http://tsc.ecollege.com please use Mozilla Firefox as your Internet browser. [The college
attendance policy states that regular and punctual class attendance is essential and that no assigned work
is excused because of absence, no matter what the cause. Records of class attendance are kept by faculty.

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 When an accumulation of absences reaches the point of endangering a student’s academic status, the
faculty member can report this situation to the Division Dean’s Office. A professor should not assume that
continued absence from class indicates an official withdrawal until notified by the Registrar (TSC Faculty
Handbook).

3. Plan ahead for quizzes. There will be NO make-up quizzes given (a grade of a zero will be recorded for
every quiz missed). Quizzes are to be taken in class when scheduled. They are to be taken without notes or
textbooks.

4. Plan ahead for exams. Make-up exam will only be given with a valid medical excuse. If a major exam is
missed, it is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with the professor and schedule the make-
up exam. The make-up exam must be taken within a week from the test date (a zero will be recorded if the
exam is not taken within this time). No retests will be given.

5. Submit written homework assignments on-time. Late work will not be accepted; therefore missing
assignments will be recorded as a “0” on the gradebook.

6. Note that quiz and exam scores are final. Once a quiz, test, or final exam has been graded, the grade will
remain as is.

7. Apply scholastic integrity in your work. Note that the institution has a firm policy against scholastic
dishonesty, which “includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit
for any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an
examination of another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to
commit such acts” (Regents Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2). This policy will be strictly
enforced.

8. Adhere to copyright regulations. “Unauthorized photocopying of copyrighted works, including musical

works, may be unlawful and may infringe the copyright of the copyright owner. Students in possession of
unauthorized duplications of copyrighted material are subject to appropriate disciplinary action as well as
those civil remedies and criminal penalties provided by federal law.”

9. Silence your mobile devices. Cell phones are required to be “turned off” or set on a silent/vibrate mode.
Under no circumstances will any student be allowed to carry on a telephone conversation or text during
the class session.

10. Maintain a clean learning environment. Students may keep food and drinks at their desks, but must
ensure the area is clean before leaving for the day.

11. Demonstrate respect in the classroom. Each student is expected to demonstrate respect to the professor,
fellow classmates, and practicum personnel (if applicable).

12. Demonstrate professionalism. Each student is expected to act professionally, both in and out of the
classroom. Any inappropriate verbal disgracing regarding this program will result in probation, suspension,
and/or dismissal of the program. TSC reserves the right to exclude at any time persons whose conduct is
undesirable.
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Professor Communication Expectations
Please read your email often for class announcements.

TSC Course Catalog

TSC Course Catalog 2016-2017:
http://www.tsc.edu/index.php/about/catalog.html

Library Information
The library is located on the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Brownsville campus, but it is
shared between Texas Southmost College and UTRGV Brownsville. Please click on the following link to access
the library’s website: http://www.tsc.edu/index.php/library.html

Our website provides 24/7 access to thousands of scholarly journals and e-books, all accessible to our
students, faculty and staff from any location worldwide. Our physical libraries hold a wide array of print books,
DVDs, archives, and more, as well as study rooms – available to be checked out for both group and individual
study. Librarians are available to help you with your research in person, via phone, chat, text, or email.

College Policies
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
TSC monitors academic progress every fall and spring semester to identify those students who are
experiencing difficulty with their courses. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is based upon two
components: GPA of 2.0 or higher and successful course completion of at least 67% of course work
attempted. Students remain in good standing with the College and Financial Aid when both criteria are
met. Students who do not maintain these required minimum standards will be placed on probation or
suspension as appropriate. The complete Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and the Undergraduate
Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid policy can be found in the current Undergraduate Catalog.

“Incomplete” Grades
“Incomplete” grades are given only at the professor’s discretion, and must be requested by the student. If
the professor grants the “Incomplete,” the student has until ninety (90) days after the beginning of the next
regular semester to complete the course requirements. If the student does not complete the course
requirements within the deadline, the grade of “Incomplete” will automatically convert into a grade of “F.”
Please note that “Incomplete’s” are given only in an emergency or when there are extenuating
circumstances. Refer to the catalog for additional details about receiving a grade of “Incomplete” in a
course.

Academic Integrity
Students are expected to be above reproach in all scholastic activities. Students who engage in scholastic
dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the course and
expulsion from the College. Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism,
collusion, and submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to
another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a
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 student, or the attempt to commit such acts. Since scholastic dishonesty harms the individual, all students,
and the integrity of the College, policies on scholastic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.

All scholastic dishonesty incidents will be reported to the Vice President of Student Services. Do not allow
your peers to pressure you to cheat. Your grade, academic standing, and personal reputation are at stake.

Some components of this course are designed to be highly interactive with students helping each other
learn; however, all written assignments are designed to represent the efforts of each student individually
and not to be shared. When students submit their efforts for grading they are attesting that they have
abided by this rule.

Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the use of, by paraphrase or direct quotation without correct
citation in the text and on the reference list, the published or unpublished works of another person.
Students may NOT submit papers and assignments that they have previously submitted for this or other
courses. The use of materials generated by agencies engaged in "selling" term papers is also plagiarism.
Students are encouraged to review the tutorials and suggested websites for more information about
plagiarism. Papers and other assignments may be submitted to an external agency for verification of
originality and authenticity.

By enrolling in this course, the student expressly grants TSC a "limited right" in all intellectual property
created by the student for the purpose of this course. The "limited right" shall include but shall not be
limited to the right to reproduce the student's work product in order to verify originality and authenticity,
and for educational purposes.

Academic Responsibilities
Students are expected to be diligent in their studies and complete class requirements. Students are
responsible for all class work and assignments. On recommendation of the professor’s concerned and with
the approval of the Dean, students may, at any time, be dropped from courses. This may result in a “W” or
“F” on the student’s permanent record.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in this class
should notify the Disability Support Services early in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements
may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide
documentation of his/her disability to the Disability Services counselor.

Note: Course content and schedule may vary from that specified by this syllabus (and related documents), to
accommodate contingencies that may develop during the course. The professor will explain the rationale for any
variance as it occurs.

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