Online office hours
- Monday, 2–3 pm
- Wednesday, 1–2 pm
- Friday, 12–1 pm
If none of these times work, contact me via Canvas or email, and we can set up some other time to talk.
Syllabus
Syllabus MAC 1105 (Basic College Algebra) – Spring 2018
Instructor Information
Course Coordinator: Dr. Darryl Chamberlain Jr. (LIT 437)
TAs: Kathryn Bianco (LIT 459) and Andrew Kriehn (LIT 443)
Contact: Canvas (preferred), kbianco@ufl.edu, or akriehn2@ufl.edu.
Office Hours: A list of all scheduled office hour times is available on Canvas. These meetings
will be through Canvas using the “Conferences” page. To meet with the TAs outside of the
scheduled office hours, email them to make an appointment.
Course Information
Description of Course:
MAC 1105 (Basic College Algebra) is a review of Algebra designed to prepare students for
Calculus. Content for this course includes: reviewing real and complex numbers, solving various
types of equations, graphing basic functions, and exploring exponential and logarithmic
functions. A detailed description of the course content goals and objectives can be found on
Canvas.
WARNING – This course is designed for students who will eventually take Calculus or need
MAC 1105 for their major. Students looking only to complete their Math requirement should
heavily consider taking Math for Liberal Arts Majors 1 (MGF 1106).
Course Materials:
Canvas is your main resource for this course. You can access Canvas by going to
https://ufl.instructure.com/ and then using your Gatorlink username and password to login.
Textbook: This course will use an open-source textbook, which can be found at
https://openstax.org/details/college-algebra. Purchasing a hard copy of the textbook is not
required.
Lectures: You will have access to video lectures for all of the content of the course.
These videos can be found on Canvas and will be integrated into the homework
assignments.
Xronos: Xronos is an innovative online homework platform developed by the Ohio State
University. Using this platform is completely free to students. Instructions on how to use
the platform to complete homework can be found on Canvas.
Course Structure:
This is a Mastery-Based course that will allow you to progress at your own pace as you show
mastery of the content. One of the benefits to this model is that you will not be forced to keep
pushing forward in the course when you do not know the fundamental material! All of the
lectures will be provided via video online.
The content of this course is divided into 14 modules: 8 core modules and 6 advanced
modules. Approximately once every 3 weeks, you will have the opportunity to show mastery in
up to 4 modules (referred to as “Progress Exams”). If you show mastery, great! If not, you will
be able to retry the module again during the next exam. In this model, tests are no longer highstakes
assignments where a bad day could sink your grade.
To pass the course, you will need to show mastery in the 8 core modules (averaging 2 of 4
modules per Progress Exam). This equates to averaging a 50% on all of your exams in a
traditional course. Examples of possible ways to show mastery of the 8 core modules throughout
the semester are provided on Canvas.
Important Dates:
• May 14th – Classes Begin
• Progress Exam 1 – May 31st through June 2nd
• Progress Exam 2 – June 21st through June 23rd
• June 25th through 29th – Summer Break
• Progress Exam 3 – July 12th through July 14th
• Progress Exam 4 – August 2nd through August 4th
• August 3rd – Withdrawal Deadline
• Final Exam (cumulative) – August 6th through August 10th
• August 10th – Classes end
Course Grade
The majority of your grade will be based on the number of modules you master. An overview
is provided below.
A 8 Core Modules, 12+ total Modules
B 8 Core Modules, 9-11 total Modules
C 8 Core Modules
D 6-7 Core Modules
F 0-5 Core Modules
Your participation in Weekly Assignments and your Final Exam grade will determine plus/minus
grades. More details on the exact grading scheme can be found in Canvas.
University policy stipulates that a minimum grade of a C must be achieved to obtain Gordon
Rule or General Education credit.
Attendance, Late, and/or Missed Work Policies:
• All homework assignments will be due at the end of the semester. There will be no makeup
or extensions for these assignments.
• If you know you will miss a Progress Exam for a valid reason, you must inform the
course coordinator at least two weeks in advance. You will then be allowed a make-up
Mastery Moment within one week.
University Policies and Assistance
Students with Disabilities:
1. Register with the Disability Resource Center (352-392-8565, www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/) by
providing appropriate documentation.
2. Email dchamberlain31@ufl.edu your accommodation letter, along with any additional
information.
This should be done as early as possible in the semester.
Academic Honesty:
UF students are bound by The Honor Pledge which states, “We, the members of the University
of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honor
and integrity by abiding by the Honor Code.” On all work submitted for credit by students at the
University of Florida, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have
neither given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” The Honor Code
(https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/1617/advising/info/student-honor-code.aspx) specifies a number of
behaviors that are in violation of this code and the possible sanctions. Furthermore, you are
obligated to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel.
If you have any questions or concerns, please consult with the course coordinator or TAs in this
class.
Online Course Evaluation:
Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this course by
completing online evaluations at https://evaluations.ufl.edu. Evaluations are typically open
during the last two or three weeks of the semester, but students will be given specific times when
they are open. Summary results of these assessments are available to students at
https://evaluations.ufl.edu/results/.
Campus Resources:
U Matter, We Care: If you or a friend is in distress, please contact umatter@ufl.edu or
352 392- 1575 so that a team member can reach out to the student.
Counseling and Wellness Center: http://www.counseling.ufl.edu/cwc/Default.aspx, 392-
1575; and the University Police Department: 392-1111 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.
Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS) Student Health Care Center, 392-1161.
University Police Department, 392-1111 (or 9-1-1 for emergencies).
Extra Help:
Teaching Center Math Lab: Located at SE Broward Hall (and LIT 215). Offers free,
informal tutoring. https://teachingcenter.ufl.edu/tutoring/
Private Tutors: A list of qualified private tutors for hire is available on the UF math
website https://math.ufl.edu/courses/ under Advising and Help with Courses.