Course Syllabus: Discrete Mathematics  - MTH 288-001N, ( 3 credits) fall 2020
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Don Goral
OFFICE: CT 336A
TELEPHONE: (703) 323-3888
E-mail: dgoral@nvcc.edu
Website: http://www.nvcc.edu/home/nvgorad

TEXTBOOKS:

There are 4 textbooks required for this course: 3 free OER (Open Educational Resources) and 1 low cost (around $20). Follow the link to the Text Outline, which shows which sections of each textbook support each student learning objective of the course.

Link to Text Outline

A graphing calculator is not required.

Course Content Summary: including course prerequisites, course objectives, and topics to be included.


CLASS MEETINGS: Tuesday, Thursday 2:00PM - 3:15 PM

CA 305

Course Description: Presents topics in sets, counting, graphs, logic, proofs, functions, relations, mathematical induction, Boolean Algebra, and recurrence relations.

 HOMEWORK

Link to homework assigned

Follow the above link to see the homework exercises assigned for the semester.

Homework will be assigned, but will not be collected. However, homework problems will form the major source of quiz problems and will be a guide to the exams.

Weekly Schedule, including OFFICE HOURS & Appointments: CT 336A

                              Monday                                            Tuesday                                                        Wednesday                                                    Thursday

For details, see Contact Dr. Goral on my website.

IMPORTANT DATES:  

Tuesday, 01/14/20 - first day of class
Monday, 01/20/20 - Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday - college closed
Friday, 01/31/20 - Last day to drop a class with a tuition refund or change to audit (census date)
Friday, 01/31/20 - last day to change from credit to audit
Friday, 01/31/20 - students who have not attended any class will be withdrawn
Thursday, 02/06/20 - Exam 1 - topics to be announced
Thursday, 03/05/20 - Exam 2 - topics to be announced
Wednesday, 03/25/20 - last day to withdraw without grade penalty
Thursday, 04/30/20 - last day of class
Tuesday, 05/05/20 - final exam  - 2:00 PM - 3:40 PM
  

Tests and Grades

Quizzes - 20%
Exam 1 - 20%
Exam 2 - 20%
Comprehensive Final Exam - 40%

There will be no make up exams. There will be both announced and unannounced quizzes, both in class and take home. There will be no make-up quizzes and late work will not be accepted. Each quiz will receive a check for being turned in, as long as there is evidence of substantial effort. If a quiz is outstanding it will receive a check plus. If a quiz shows significant confusion or many errors, it will receive a check minus. The quiz grade will be the percentage of quizzes turned in. Periodically, there will be a bonus quiz, which can be substituted for a missing quiz; missing a bonus quiz will not diminish your total quiz grade. Homework will be assigned, but will not be collected. However, homework problems will form the major source of quiz problems and will be a guide to the exams. If your final exam score is higher than the lower of your exam 1 and exam 2 scores, then it will be substituted for the low score. If your final course grade is on the border between two grades, then your performance on quizzes, your participation in class, and your improvement during the course will be considered; that is, a demonstration of consistent progress and general understanding of mathematical ideas may raise your grade.

The grading scale for the total quiz grade,  exam 1, exam 2,  final exam, and course grade will be:
A: 90-100 B: 80-89 C: 70-79 D: 60-69 F: 0-59
If you wish to receive a "W", you must notify your professor or the registrar by the withdrawal date; no reason is necessary. After that date, in order to receive a "W", you must have a good reason, which is documented. If you begin the class and you stop attending class without notifying the registrar or your professor, you will receive an "F".

Attendance (from NOVA Catalog 2015-2016)

Education is a cooperative endeavor between the student and the instructor. Instructors plan a variety of learning activities to help their students master the course content. Students are expected to participate in these activities within the framework established in the class syllabus. Faculty will identify specific class attendance policies and other requirements of the class in the syllabus that is distributed at the beginning of each term. Successful learning requires good communication between students and instructors; therefore, in most cases, regular classroom attendance, or regular participation in the case of a nontraditional course format, is essential.

It is the student’s responsibility to inform his/her instructor prior to an absence from class. Students are responsible for making up all coursework missed during an absence. In the event of unexplained absences, the instructor may withdraw a student administratively from the course.

If a student does not attend at least one class meeting or participate in an online learning class by the “last day to drop with a tuition refund” (census date), his/her class registration will be administratively deleted. This means that there will be no record of the class or any letter grade on the student’s transcript. Furthermore, the student’s class load will be reduced by the course credits, and this may affect his/her full-time or part-time student status. Tuition will not be refunded.

I will take attendance to know who is in class, but after the census date, this will have no direct affect on course grades.

Academic Integrity (from NOVA Catalog 2015-2016)

When College officials award credit, degrees, and certificates, they must assume the absolute integrity of the work students have done; therefore, it is important that students maintain the highest standard of honor in their scholastic work.

The College does not tolerate academic dishonesty. Students who are not honest in their academic  work will face disciplinary action along with any grade penalty the instructor imposes. Procedures for disciplinary measures and appeals are outlined in the Student Handbook. In extreme cases, academic dishonesty may result in dismissal from the College. Academic dishonesty, as a general rule, involves one of the following acts:

• cheating on an examination or quiz, including giving, receiving, or soliciting information and the unauthorized use of notes or other materials during the examination or quiz;
• buying, selling, stealing, or soliciting any material purported to be the unreleased contents of a forthcoming examination, or the use of such material;
• substituting for another person during an examination or allowing another person to take the student’s place;
• plagiarizing, which means taking credit for another person’s work or ideas. This includes copying another person’s work either word-for-word or in substance without acknowledging the source;
• accepting help from or giving help to another person to complete an assignment, unless the instructor has approved such collaboration in advance;
• knowingly furnishing false information to the College; forgery and alteration or use of College documents or nstruments of identification with the intent to defraud.

Any use of cell phones, pagers, ear buds, etc., will result in a 0 on the exam, with no option for making up the exam. Any cheating will result in a 0 on the exam and further disciplinary actions will be taken.

 
Students are expected to follow Information Technology Student/Patrol Ethics Agreement as posted in computer areas and academic integrity standards as set down in the Student Handbook.

The Learning Environment:
NVCC is a place for learning and growing. You should feel safe and comfortable anywhere on this campus. In order to meet this objective, you should: a) let your instructor, his/her supervisor, the Dean of Students or Provost know if any unsafe, unwelcome or uncomfortable situation arises that interferes with the learning process; b) inform the instructor within the first two weeks of classes if you have received a special needs or a disability accommodation.  To avoid interrupting the learning process, turn off all cellular phones, pagers, and other electronic devices prior to entering the classroom.   

Nova IT help Desk has assistance available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This service includes nights, weekends and holidays.Toll Free: 855-259-1019 (Outside of Northern Virginia)

Local Telephone Number: 703- 426 - 4141

Fax: 703-323-2319

Email: ithelpdesk@nvcc.edu

http://www.nvcc.edu/about-nova/directories--offices/administrative-offices/ithd/index.html

Disabilities Statement
Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact a counselor for disability services in CA 112 to discuss possible accommodations. Once proper documentation has been received from counseling services, the student should schedule an appointment with the instructor to discuss recommended accommodations. All information is kept confidential and may increase your chances of success in the academic setting.

Math & Science Center:
Unlimited tutoring services, subject-related videos and computer software are available in the Math & Science Center in CG 405.  For more information, please call 703-323-3257. 

The tutors are students who have successfully completed the courses for which they are tutoring.

http://www.nvcc.edu/annandale/lrc/tutoring/index.htm

Science Learning Center:

CS building

Faculty in various disciplines will be available to help in their specialties.

Evacuation:
In case of emergency, please follow the emergency procedure as discussed on the first day of class and as posted in the classroom.  If the building is evacuated, we will meet in the student parking lot below building CM, so that I can take attendance again.  This is for your safety – please do not leave the group until dismissed!

Inclement Weather Policy:  In case of inclement weather, please visit the college website for FAQ’s:  http://www.nvcc.edu/depts/homepage/closing.htm#faq

Check your email and the online class log to see if I will be holding an online meeting to supplement a canceled class.