College Algebra- Fall 2025 - TTh 12:30- 1:45pm - Room 228

Instructor: Ted Wetherbee

Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College
2101 14th Street
Cloquet, Minnesota 55720

Office: W217
Phone: 218-879-0840
Email: ted@fdltcc.edu

Fall 2025 Class Schedule:
   8:00 -  8:50am _T_Th_  Office Hours         W217
   9:00 - 10:15am _T_Th_  Statistics            228
  10:30 - 11:20am _T_Th_  Statistics Prep       228
  11:30 - 12:20pm _T_Th_  Office Hours         W217
  12:30 -  1:45pm _T_Th_  College Algebra       228
   2:00 -  2:50pm _T_Th_  College Algebra Prep. 228

Text (online: Free)

College Algebra, by Jay Abramson (senior author)
Openstax:  college-algebra

From the textbook website you can view the textbook online using their viewer, you can download the entire book in PDF format, or you can download for Kindle. You can also download the entire textbook in PDF format from this local server directory:

College_Algebra_Abramson.pdf

Calculator

You may have a calculator already, but make sure that it is a scientific calculator. If you need to buy one, I recommend a cheap calculator like a TI-30XS Multiview. This does what you need, and the bookstore sells them for under $20 . If you have a problem getting one, let me know. You need to have it available for all assignments. You do not need a more expensive graphing calculator, but, if you have one, it will be fine.

Exams and Grading

3 tests     3x100 = 300
1 final             150
25 homework 4x25 =  100
-----------------------
                    550 total

90-100%   A
80-90%    B
70-80%    C
60-70%    D
0-60%     F

Scores from tests are posted on D2L here: 
https://fdltcc.learn.minnstate.edu/

The Course

This course addresses FDLTCC liberal education requirements (Competencies Across the Curriculum) in problem solving and technology. You should come to class everyday! This is the easy way to do well in any course, and it is especially true for math classes. There are exercises in the text for you to do, and these are usually answered at the end of each chapter. You will also get homework assignments on handouts, and you should complete then hand these in at the beginning of the next class. You homework grade is based on completing and turning in these homework handouts. You will also get sample exams which will be similar in length and content to the in-class exams. Let me know if there is are accommodations you need for the class.

Tentative Schedule

Tue aug26  1 1.1 real numbers
             1.2 exponents and scientific notation             
Thu aug28  2 1.3 radicals and rational expressions

Tue sep02  3 1.4 polynomials
             1.5 factoring polynomials
Thu sep04  4 1.6 rational expressions          

Tue sep09  5 2.1 Cartesian plane
             2.3 models and applications
Thu sep11  6 2.4 complex numbers
             2.5 quadratic equations

Tue sep16  7 2.7 linear and absolute value inequalities
Wed sep18  8 Review Test 1

Tue sep23  9 Test 1
Thu sep25 10 3.1 Functions
             3.2 domain and range
             3.4 composition
             3.5 tranformation
             3.7 function inverses

Tue sep30 11 4.1 Linear Functions
             4.2 modeling with linear functions
Thu oct02 12 4.3 fitting linear models to data
             Linear Regression Calculator
             Review: Test 2
            
Tue oct07 13 Test 2
Thu oct09 14 5.1 quadratics
             5.2 polynomials
             5.3 graphs of polynomial functions

Tue oct14 15 5.4 dividing polynomials
             5.6 rational functions
Thu oct16 NC No Classes
          
Tue oct21 16 Conic Sections: parabola and ellipse, graphing with Desmos.com
             NASA Maven Mars
             Kepler's Laws Orbits
             Halley's comet 
Thu oct23 17 6.1 exponential functions
             6.2 graphs of exponential functions

Tue oct28 18 6.3 logarithmic functions
             6.4 graphs of log functions
Thu oct30 19 6.5 properties of logs 
			calculation with logarithms, and uses of

Wed nov04 20 6.6 exponential and log equations
             radio-carbon dating
             6.7 exponential and log models and applications
             
Thu nov06 21 7.1 systems of linear equations in 2 variables

Tue nov11 NC No Classes
Thu nov13 22 7.2 systems of linear equations in 3 variables
             triangulation in games
             T3 review

Tue nov18 23 Test 3
Thu nov20 24 7.5 matrices and operations
             7.7 matrix algebra and inverses, solving systems

Tue nov25 25 7.8 determinants and Cramer's rule
Thu nov27 NC No Classes

Tue dec02 26 8.1 The Ellipse
             Conic Sections: circle, parabola, ellipse, hyperbola
Thu dec04 27 9.1 sequences and series
             9.2 arithmetic sequences
             9.3 geometric sequences and series
             9.5 counting

Tue dec09 28 9.6 binomial theorem
             9.6 binomial probabilities
             Applications of the binomial theorem
Thu dec11 29 Final exam review

Tue dec16 T1 Math 1010 11:00am - 12:50pm room 228
             Math 1030  9:00am - 10:50am room 228 
Wed dec17 T2 
Thu dec18 T3
Fri dec19 T4


Plagiarism
Plagiarism, or presenting the writing of another as your own (a.k.a. “copying”), results in an F for this course and is subject to any other disciplinary actions mandated by this institution and the Minnesota State system.

Accessibility Services Notice
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehab Act, Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College provides students with disabilities (e.g., mental health, attentional, learning, chronic health, sensory or physical) reasonable accommodation to participate in educational programs, activities or services. Students with disabilities requiring accommodation to participate in class activities or meet course requirements must first complete an intake form and necessary requirements with Trish Berger, Accessibility Services coordinator, to establish an accommodation plan. She can be reached at trish.berger@fdltcc.edu or 218-879-0819.

Sexual Violence
Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College (FDLTCC) is committed to providing an environment free of all forms of discrimination and sexual harassment, including sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, gender or sex-based bullying and stalking. If you or someone you know has experienced gender or sex-based violence (intimate partner violence, attempted or completed sexual assault, harassment, coercion, stalking, etc.), know that you are not alone. FDLTCC has staff members trained to support survivors in navigating campus life, accessing resources, providing accommodations, assistance completing with protective orders and advocacy. For more information regarding the Campus Security Report, the following link will give you a report on the Clery Compliance and Security Report at FDLTCC: https://fdltcc.edu/admissions/about-us/policies-reports/campus-security-policies-reports/.

Please be aware that all FDLTCC employees are required to report any incidents of sexual violence and, therefore it cannot guarantee the confidentiality of a report, but it will consider a request for confidentiality and respect it to the fullest extent possible. If you wish to report sexual misconduct or have questions about school policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct, please contact Jesse Stirewalt, Director of Housing and Student Activities at 218-590-3345 or jstirewalt@fdltcc.edu.

Student Success—North Star Communication Platform
Student success is at the heart of what Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College staff, faculty and administration strives to achieve. To help support our students in their educational journeys, FDLTCC uses a communication platform called North Star. Students can raise their hand for support, set up appointments with staff and faculty and communicate seamlessly with instructors.   The college encourages ALL FDLTCC students to use the North Star webpage link to watch video tutorials and to log into the platform  to start using its features. 
Content is neither approved nor reviewed by FDLTCC.