| COURSE NUMBER: | MS206 | CREDIT HOURS: | 3 |
| COURSE TITLE: | Math for Business & Economics | CLOCK HOURS: | 45 |
| INSTRUCTOR: | Jim Chapman | OFFICE HOURS: | By appointment |
| OFFICE: | Room 219E | PHONE: | 453-5000 x5245 |
| EMAIL ADDRESS: | chapmanj@thomas.edu | ||
Gross, Debra, Frank Akaiwa, and Karleen Nordquist. Succeeding in Business with Microsoft Office Excel 2007: A Problem-Solving Approach. Thomson/Course Technology: Boston, 2008.
Piascik, Chester.Finite Mathematics with Microsoft Excel. Brooks/Cole Thomson Learning, 2000.
This course is an introduction to quantitative modeling in the context of business and economics. Students learn mathematical concepts, constructs, and theory using the platform of spreadsheet modeling. Topics include principles of spreadsheet design, break-even analysis, optimization as applied to curve fitting, cash flow analysis, and time series analysis.
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:
All assignments are due before the beginning of class (before 10:45 AM daily) in the Digital Dropbox on Blackboard. Assignments received in the dropbox after class begins will not be accepted for credit.
Cases will be printed out, bound (binder, folder, staples, or paper clips), and submitted at the beginning of the class the day they are due. The cases are a little more in depth than the homework assignments, and will be the initial assessment of your understanding of the material. Printouts will consist of a copy of the solutions and a copy of the formulas used.
Two major exams will be given, as will shorter Practice Tests. Exams will be completed and printed out showing both solutions and formulas. They may be straightforward questions similar to the homework, or they may be similar to the cases in construction and depth. These will be submitted by the end of the scheduled class. Should additional time be needed to complete an exam, the instructor and the student will make arrangements at the instructor’s discretion. EXAMS ARE NOT TO BE DEPOSITED IN THE DROPBOX AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR CREDIT UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED. Practice Tests are available online and must be completed during the class period assigned. The second day of both exam weeks will be provided to take an alternative test to one Practice Exam assigned before that day. Practice tests will be averaged together as the equivalent of a third exam grade.
The final exam will be a project that considers all the major topics discussed in the course. It will be provided during the last week of regular courses, and will be due during the final exam period. The last section of the project will be completed during that period.
Attendance is scored at 1 point per complete week attended. For more information regarding the importance of attendance, please see the Attendance Policy below.
A (94 - 100) A- (90 - 93) B+ (87 -
89) B (83 - 86) B- (80 - 82)
C+ (77 - 79) C (73 - 76) C- (70 - 72) D+ (67 - 69) D (63 - 66)
D- (60 - 62) F (below 60)
Because of the nature of this course, class attendance is required and essential. If it is necessary to miss a scheduled class, the student must notify the instructor via voicemail, e-mail, or in person. If the class missed is an exam, make-up will be allowed only if the student contacts the instructor prior to the exam. If allowed, the make-up must be completed within one week. Failure to do so will result in a grade of “0”. More than 4 consecutive or 6 total absences may result in dismissal from the course for lack of attendance.
E-portfolios allow students an opportunity to store work they feel demonstrates their proficiency in the four Thomas College Core Competencies of Communication, Leadership and Service, Analytical Reasoning and Community & Interpersonal Relations.
Materials can come from class projects, extra-curricular and work experiences. Because it's an electronic format a variety of file types can be stored in the portfolios. From documents and spreadsheets to music and photographs - the portfolio accommodates them all.
The portfolios are set up on the SharePoint Portal Server on the Thomas College system. If they choose, students may also decide to create a web-page styled version of their electronic portfolio.
**Items appropriate for the E-Portfolio are marked with an asterisk in the grading section of this syllabus.**
Lecture and lab times are provided to further student’s understanding of the material. Students using chat rooms, surfing the Internet, playing Solitaire, text/instant messaging, and using other similar diversions during lectures and discussions are disruptive to the rest of the class. This disruptive behavior may result in dismissal from the course. Please use these items appropriately.
It is expected that you will make use of any resources available to you as become proficient in the course objectives. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining help from reference materials, other members of the class, and tutoring through the Learning Center. Items you submit for evaluation must represent your own work. It is permissible to obtain help from other persons when completing assignments, but you should make sure that you are able to reproduce any problem that required assistance without any help. Any departure from these guidelines will be considered cheating and dealt with according to the procedure outlined in the student handbook. Possible consequences range from receiving a “0” on the item to receiving a “0” for the course, but all consequences will be determined at the instructor’s discretion.
Students requiring academic accommodations to be successful in this course are encouraged to arrange a meeting with Lisa Desautels-Poliquin, Dean of Student Affairs. At that meeting, strategies for success will be discussed, as well as any accommodations required for the classroom, which will then be communicated with the instructor.