Precalculus

Instructor

Roy Shahbazian
Canvas Inbox (email)
H-101-1
714-564-6226
Office hours for students via Zoom: Tues 9-11am, Wed 9-10am, Thurs 9-11am or by appointment 9am-9pm M-F

Purpose

The goal of the course is to learn Precalculus. We'll learn about Conic Sections, Sequences and Limits as well as review Trigonometry, Functions, Exponential Functions, and Systems of Equations. On the way we'll try practice thinking logically to make good decisions in life in general. At the end of course, we'll look back and see how much we have learned. That's the goal-- to learn math.

Textbook

Precalculus by Lippman, Rasmussen, Stitz & Zeager

Online Course Materials

The textbook is downloadable. The homework will generally be on MyOpenMath. You will need to create a username and password. When it asks for you first and last name, enter them exactly as they appear on Self Service. Enroll in Course ID 537 and enrollment key shahbazian67463.

Schedule

We will cover most of the chapters of the textbook during the course but not every section. On average we will cover 4 sections per week. We'll have a slightly slower pace towards the end and faster pace towards the beginning with more familiar material.

Week DateSection
110 Feb1.3-4, 2.3-5
217 Feb3.1-5
324 Feb4.1-5
43 Mar4.6-7, Group review exam
510 Mar5.1-4,5.5
617 Mar6.1-3
724 Mar6.4-8
831 Mar7.1-3, Group review exam
Spring Break
914 Apr7.4-7
1021 Apr8.1-3
1128 Apr9.1-3
125 Mayreview, Group review exam
1312 May9.4-5
1419 May10.1
1526 May10.2,4
162 Junreview, Group review exam

Grading

Quiz 10%
Homework 15%
Test 50%
Final 25%

The grading scale is 90+ A, 80+ B, 70+ C, 60+ D.

Three Tips to Succeed in this Class

  1. Do the assignments on the Calendar in a way that's realistic for learning
  2. To develop a social support network, communicate with people in the class about what you're learning and how you're feeling about it
  3. Before exam dates, practice doing review exercises in test-like conditions and get good sleep

Resources to help you do well in the class

Plan on using support services that are available to you including the

Exams

There aren't any make-up exams nor discussion, but a student with a documented1 reason to miss a test, should make alternative arrangements with the instructor. The lowest quiz and discussion score will be dropped.

Discussion and Schedule

Your active participation in the class is how you'll learn. If you can keep up the motivation continue doing the assignments well, you're likely to succeed in the class. If you miss multiple consecutive assignments, you may be dropped from the course. Homework assignments will be due multiple days per week. Assignments will generally be due2 every weekday. There are both video lessons to hear about the material and homework Assignments to actively learn it.

Each week we'll discuss topics related to a Math concept, how Math intersects with professional development or the rest of our lives. You will need to reply to the Discussion prompts or to someone else's post. See the online Discussion for the current topic(s).

Discussion Grading

Each week, plan to write at least two substantive posts plus replies to the Discussions. One of these posts will be your solution to a homework exercise showing the steps for others to learn from. The other posts can be on any of the other Discussions. To give you a sense for the grading on this aspect of the course, posting three substantive posts/replies of 40-80 words that promote further thinking and discussion would get an "A" for the week. Or posting five brief posts where one is early in the week and includes a screenshot, photo or diagram would also get an "A" for the week.

A key purpose of the discussion is to build relationships by listening to what other people have to say and giving them a response so we all feel supported and we can build a sense of community in what is otherwise a very isolated way of taking classes. As humans, relationships help us keep going, and studies show that students who have social connections are more likely to make it through to the end of a class or degree.

There are no make-up discussions, but posts are accepted any time during a particular week (Monday Sunday). Even if you miss an entire week, you can still get an "A" by getting an "A" in all the other weeks. In an online class, interacting with people is a significant part of what keeps us motivated to keep going.

The Discussion score is based on the date you submit each post, so if you post to a week 1 topic during week 2, it will count toward the Week 2 Discussion score.

Exam Schedule

The tests and final will be on the the dates/times/location listed on the Canvas Calendar.

Each exam may include material from any assignment due before the (first day of the) exam. If the exam is on-campus, bring a photo ID (such as SAC Student ID), pencil, eraser and scientific (non-graphing) calculator.

If you take any exams in the Assessment Center, read their Guidelines and hours on the Assessment Center webpage.

Submitting Homework

The homework must be done online, printed and submitted in class on the due date. When you print each section, make sure your ID and the section number are included. Please also write your name on the paper. You will need to show your work in a notebook that you will use to study for the tests. H

Math Center

The Math Center is a great place to learn math. Do your homework there so you can learn math with your friends and classmates. Or get help virtually using Zoom. There are trained tutors who can guide you if you get stuck. Their job is to provide guidance to help you figure things out on your own, not to show you how. We learn more by doing things ourselves than by watching someone do them.

Honors

The College awards honors to students with GPA of 3.5, 3.8 and 4.0 and at least 30 units of coursework. See the College Catalog or College Catalog (PDF) for details.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

For financial aid purposes, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher and complete 67% of their attempted units (which includes all coursework). F, NP, and W grades will lower GPA and/or completion rate. Students not meeting satisfactory academic progress will be notified of an opportunity to appeal in Self-Service. If their appeal is approved, their financial aid will be reinstated. Students must also complete their educational program within a maximum time frame of 150% of the units required to complete that educational program. Example: A student who is registered in a program with 60 required units for completion is eligible for financial aid while attempting their first 90 units. For more information, Santa Ana College's SAP policy can be found on the Student Services webpage

Class Schedule

See the College Schedule and Self Service for registration dates, the class start date, holidays, drop dates, final exam dates and the class end date. Coursework must be submitted by the class end date. Students experiencing certain hardships during the class might qualify for Excused Withdrawal or an Incomplete grade. Check with the Admissions office for details about how these appear on a transcript and the conditions.

Course Description

The official description of this course is in the official College Catalog or College Catalog (PDF) for the current academic year and is incorporated herein by reference along with any corresponding addendums.

Student Conduct

Please note Standards of Student Conduct, BP5201, in the Student Handbook.

Artificial Intelligence

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to substantially complete assignments or exams is not permitted unless explicitly allowed by that assignment's instructions. The use of AI tools will be treated similarly to assistance from another person which is not appropriate on exams nor quizzes. It's acceptable and encouraged to use AI and other technology to help you learn a concept while doing homework, but don't copy the output of AI without properly mentioning the source. Students might be required to verbally explain submissions in a live conversation to receive credit. Most of what you submit for a discussion should be your own thoughts and words.

Documentation and Attribution: Keep a history of your interactions with AI tools and be prepared to submit these records if requested by your instructor. This demonstrates appropriate use of the tools and supports your learning process.

Validating AI Outputs: AI tools may generate incorrect, overly vague, irrelevant, or nonsensical outputs. It is your responsibility to verify the accuracy and reliability of any AI-generated content you use. Cross-reference information and ensure that AI-generated citations are valid.

Data Privacy: Do not include personally identifiable information or sensitive data in prompts when using generative AI tools. Depending on the policies and practices of the AI service, the information collected might be made available to organizations who might use it in ways that are not in your best interest.

Seeking Clarification: If you are ever in doubt about whether the use of generative AI is permitted for a specific task or assignment, consult your instructor before proceeding.

Citing Generative AI: Students are expected to adhere to standards of academic integrity regardless of whether they use AI. The best method is to find, read, and cite authoritative sources that verify claims made by AI. However, if citing AI directly, here's how to cite these tools:

  1. In-Text Citation: When directly quoting text generated by an AI tool, attribute the text to the creator of the tool. For example, if using ChatGPT, you might write: "According to OpenAI's ChatGPT, 'quoted text here'."
  2. Reference List: Include a full citation in your reference list.

Exam Scoring

The total points for each test will be displayed in the gradebook. Generally, each test question will be scored out of five points and the optimum number of points will be five times the number of questions. Collectively, the tests make up a specific portion of the course grade which is indicated above in the Grading section. If the course has projects, the scoring will be in the category indicated above. Generally the online gradebook will do the calculations so it's easy to see your current grade, but keep in mind that not all submitted assignments may be included in the gradebook until the end of the semester when the course grade is calculated.

College Policies

Academic Honesty Policy

Students at Santa Ana College are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. To falsify the results of one's research, to steal the words or ideas of another, or to cheat on an examination, cor- rupts the essential process by which knowl- edge is advanced. Academic dishonesty is seen as an intentional act of fraud, in which a student seeks to claim credit for the work or efforts of another without authorization, or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information in any academic exercise.

There are two categories of sanctions: Limited and College-wide. Limited sanctions include an academic action such as as- signing a lower grade or a grade of "F" for the test or project or a lower grade or an "F" for the class. College-wide sanctions include any sanction that will affect a student's standing with the college-at-large, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the college.

In matters relating to academic honesty violations, the primary responsibility for disciplinary proceedings rests with the instructor and the academic division where the violation allegedly occurred. The Dean of Student Affairs will assist in all College-wide sanctions.

This course will follow the College Policies in the Santa Ana College Catalog and are incorporated into this document by reference and supercede any policies in this document. The preceding exerpts are included for your convenience.

Students might be required to verbally explain submissions in a live conversation to receive credit.

Academic Accommodation Statement
A student with a disability, who would like to request an academic accommodation, is responsible for identifying herself/himself to the instructor and to the disabled Student Programs and Services (DSPS). To make arrangements for academic accommodations, contact the Disable Student Office in Johnson Center, U-103, or phone (714)564-6264, TTY (714)564-6284 for a referral to the appropriate DSPS Department.

Land Acknowledgement

The land on which Santa Ana College exists today is the ancestral territories of the Acjachemen and Tongva people, whose presence and resilience in California continue to this day.

Footnotes

1. Alternative arrangements for a missed test may be made for unavoidable absences with official, verifiable documentation. The decision to make alternative arrangements will be made by the instructor who may elect to consult the Dean, Chair or other staff or faculty. Make-up exams will not be given.
2. The goal of homework assignments is for the student to learn the material of the course. Homework assignments may be scored on completeness, apparent effort, accuracy or demonstrated learning at the discretion of the instructor.