1. GOALS OF THE COURSE: The primary purpose of Pre-Calculus and Analytic Geometry is 
to improve your skills and competency in algebra so that you will be successful in calculus, the 
other math courses required for your major, and in the courses that use mathematics. Another 
goal is to help you develop your mathematical learning skills so that you will be more confident 
in future mathematical courses.

2. LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Some of the learning activities available to you are described 
below:

FOCUS GROUP: You are not expected to navigate this course alone! Your teacher will meet 
with you once each week in Focus Group to help you find your own best learning style and plan 
your best path through the learning activities available. This is your home for the course, and 
attendance is required.

STUDY THE TEXTBOOK: Read each section carefully. Study the examples in the reading and 
then try the homework problems.

ON-LINE LECTURES: Hundreds of 2-12 minute long mini-lectures are available on the Polya web site. 
These lectures are your primary source of course instruction.  It is imperative to watch and take
notes on the appropriate lecture before working the corresponding homework problems.  You
may use a 3W sheet to help you keep your notes organized.

MYMATHLAB is the software that is used for all homework assignments, quizzes, and computer 
tests.  Every student must create a MyMathLab account.  Students are allowed to work
the homework problems infinitely many times until they are satisfied with their grade.  Weekly
quizzes will be activated as soon as 75% of the weekly homework is complete and correct.  
Students have 10 attempts at the quizzes (the best score will be recorded). Students may take 
each computer test 3 times (the best score will be recorded).

WORK WITH THE POLYA STAFF: The Polya helpers in the lab will be available to help you 
whenever a concept is not clear or you are having difficulty with a problem. This means help 
with homework when you need it—not the next day in class when it’s too late!  Before students
ask for help they are expected to have completed the "3 W's": Watch an online lecture, Write
(take notes), Work the homework problem as far as possible.  The Polya helpers may ask to 
see your 3W sheet to help pinpoint where you might be struggling.

COACHES' CORNER:  As described in the section on testing, you will be given an opportunity 
to take up to three versions of each computer test.  Between versions you may meet with a math 
coach who will review your work and suggest study strategies to use so that you are more successful 
on the your next attempt.  Before you meet with a coach, you are REQUIRED to fill out a 
coaching ticket for each objective that you want the coach to help you with.  A coach will 
help you with up to four objectives during a coaching session.

LIVE LECTURES: There are 9 live lectures given each week in the Polya Center.  See the 
live lecture schedule for details.

3. REQUIRED STUDENT MATERIALS

MYMATHLAB ACCESS CODE: May be purchased at the bookstore or online.

TEXTBOOK (OPTIONAL): College Algebra, 8th Edition, by Michael Sullivan, Prentice-Hall. It is available in the UI Bookstore.

STUDENT COMPUTER ACCOUNT: You need a student computer account. They are available at the 
ITS Help Desk in TLC 128.

VANDAL CARD: You will need your Vandal card in order to get credit for attendance at the Polya 
Math Center, and to take an exam in the Polya Math Center.

HEADPHONES: Headphones are needed to listen to the video lectures at the computers.

NON-GRAPHING CALCULATOR: You will need a calculator to work on some problems from the 
assignments, quizzes or a test. A non-graphing calculator is allowed when testing. You should use 
a scientific calculator that is capable of computing an exponential or a logarithm. Look for a 
calculator with a "LOG" or an "LN" button.

4. TIMING

In most three credit college courses, the average student spends 9 to 12 hours per week to be 
successful in the course. In traditional courses, students spend 3 hours in a lecture and 6 or more 
hours working alone, usually doing homework assignments and studying. In this course, you will 
spend one hour in a classroom setting (attending a Focus Group meeting), and as much time as 
you need participating in Polya activities.  We require that 2.5 of those additional hours be spent with 
us in the Polya Center where some of our best resources are available to you, but you are always 
welcome to spend more—many of our students report that they like to spend all their math time in 
the Polya Center where tutors are available. You will receive credit toward your final grade for 
conscientiously attending focus group and putting in the three hours a week in the Polya Center.  
Most successful Polya students report spending between 4 and 9 hours a week on math but this 
varies a great deal by student.

5. CREDIT FOR PARTICIPATION (Also refer to "GRADE CALCULATION.")

ATTEND YOUR FOCUS GROUP MEETING EACH WEEK. Your Focus Group will help you use 
effectively all of the activities available in the course and to help focus your learning on the 
important aspects of the course. In addition, the written portion of each test will be administered in 
the Focus Group.  Attendance at each Focus Group meeting is required, but you are allowed one 
absence with no penalty.

PARTICIPATE IN A POLYA LEARNING ACTIVITY FOR 2.5 HOURS EACH WEEK. As mentioned 
above, we ask that you spend 2.5 hours of your total math learning time each week in the Polya 
Center each week. You do receive attendance points for these hours as part of your grade.

Note: There will not be a Polya activity obligation during a test week.

To receive credit for the time you spend in the Polya Math Center you need to check-in and 
check-out at the front desk using your Vandal student ID card.

Polya time commitment is calculated just like regular attendance—you either meet the time 
commitment or you don’t.  For each week that you meet your time commitment you will 
receive credit and for each week that you don’t meet the commitment you will receive no credit, 
but you are allowed one missed week with no penalty. The Polya lab will be staffed with Polya workers 
during the following hours:

6. WEEKLY TASKS, ASSIGNMENTS, QUIZZES AND TESTS

WEEKLY TASKS, ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES: Each week you will have a task list to work 
through which includes one homework assignment and one quiz.  The homework assignment
must be completed by 11pm on the night before your next focus group.  The quiz must be completed 
by 11pm on the night of your next focus group.  You are allowed to miss one week’s assignment with 
no penalty.

TESTS: Three tests and a final exam will be given during the semester. Each of the three tests 
has two parts: a computer portion worth 80 points and a written portion worth 20 points. The 
written portion is taken in your Focus Group meeting as announced by your Focus Group 
teacher. It may be taken only once.  The computer portion is taken in the Polya Math Center. 
You may take the computer portion as many as three times but only once per day. The deadlines 
for taking these exams can be found at your Focus Group web page. The tests cover the material 
as described on the assignment page. The best way to prepare for a test is to make sure that you 
can work all the problems listed on the assignment page. You may use non-graphing calculators 
on tests.

You have the opportunity to take each computer test 3 times.  You may use the Coaches’ Corner 
before you retake the test to assist you in preparing for the test. Since you may not take two tests 
in the same day, it is important that you take the first version early so as to leave sufficient time to 
take other versions.  After the deadline for a particular test, you may not take any more versions of 
the test. Because we only want to count your best work, the highest computer test score is the score 
that will be used in calculating your test grade. For example if you take three versions with grades of 
65%, 75% and 70% then your official computer test grade is 75%. This grade of 75% "translates" into 
60 points towards your total test score. (Because 75% of 80 points is 60 points) The written test completes 
your test score.

Since your tests are taken on a computer, the way in which you enter your answers is extremely 
important.  It is your responsibility to read all input directions, and use correct syntax.  You will 
not be given credit for answers that were marked wrong due to incorrect syntax and/or not 
following directions.

The final exam covers all the material in the course with approximately 80% of the exam questions 
being multiple choice, and the remaining 20% asking for a written response.  You may take the final 
exam only once. Your Focus Group teacher will announce the date, time, and location of the final exam. Students who have conflicts need to see the Math Department administrative assistant in Brink 300 for permission to take a conflict exam. The exam will count 150 points toward your course grade calculation as shown below.

You may take any exam early, if you are ready. When you have completed all the exams no further 
participation is required. You will be given appropriate credit for attendance.

IMPORTANT: YOU MAY NOT USE NOTES OR YOUR TEXTBOOK DURING ANY TEST. ON 
COMPUTER TESTS, ALL SCRATCH WORK FOR THE TEST AND ANY PRINTED REPORTS, 
MUST BE TURNED INTO THE PROCTOR AND STAPLED BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE 
POLYA MATH CENTER.

You are expected to do your own work on the tests. Cheating on tests, misrepresentation of 
attendance, falsifying records, or lying will result in loss of credit for all work involved. Additional 
sanctions will be imposed as appropriate, in accordance with the UI Student Code of Conduct. 
See section 11 below on academic honesty.

7. GRADE CALCULATION

Focus group attendance: Max 22 points 
(2 points per focus group meeting - 1 focus group meeting dropped)

Polya time commitment: Max 40 points
(4 points for successfully completing the required Polya time each week-
1 week will be dropped)

Weekly Task Points (Homework) : 100 points
(10 weeks’ worth of assignments)
There are 11 graded non-test task lists.  The top 10 scores are kept.

Tests: 300 points

(3 tests worth 100 points each)

Final exam: 150 points

Total: 612 points

You should check your focus group attendance and Polya time commitment on the course web 
page each week to verify that they are correct.

Your course grade will be based on the total number of points that you have earned as follows:

551 points guarantees an A

490 points guarantees a B,

429 points guarantees a C,

368 points guarantees a D.

If you have any questions about how your grade will be computed, please see your Focus Group 
teacher.

8. COMMUNICATIONS AND EMAIL

Announcements about the course, special sessions, changes in schedules, or procedures, and so 
forth, will be made in your Focus Group, on the Polya 143 web page and by e-mail. Any questions 
that you have about the course, or about your progress in the course, should be directed to your 
Focus Group teacher. You are expected to check your University e-mail regularly.

9. THE STUDENT WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

We are committed to accommodate students with special needs. If you need some accommodation 
see Student Support Services or Student Disability Services on the third floor of the Idaho Commons. 
We will work with them to supply you with the appropriate tools and services.

10. QUESTIONS

If you have any problems or any general questions, you should first contact your Focus Group teacher. 
You can also contact Kirk Trigsted, the Director of Polya, or contact Professor Monte Boisen, the 
Chair of Mathematics. They can be reached at polya@uidaho.edu.

11. ACADEMIC HONESTY

Polya students are expected to maintain Academic Honesty in all their work. Collaboration is 
encouraged on many assignments such as homework and tutors are available to assist you with 
this kind of work, but your focus group teacher may assign other work or quizzes that should be 
completed independently.  All tests and the final exam are considered individual work and must 
be completed without unauthorized assistance of any kind, including the help of other students, 
tutors, notes, or graphing calculators. All test materials and scratch paper are to be turned in with 
the test paper and attempting to bring test work out of the testing area and/or share that work with 
other students is considered cheating.

Excerpted from the University of Idaho Student Code of Conduct Article 2:

1. Cheating on classroom or outside assignments, examinations, or tests is a violation of this code. 
Plagiarism, falsification of academic records, falsification of Polya Time records and the acquisition or use of test materials without faculty authorization are considered forms of academic dishonesty and, as such, are violations of 
this code.  Because academic honesty and integrity are core values at a university, the faculty finds 
that even one incident of academic dishonesty seriously and critically endangers the essential 
operation of the university and may merit expulsion. [rev. 7-98]

3. Instructors and students are responsible for maintaining academic standards and integrity in their 
classes. Consequences for academic dishonesty may be imposed by the course instructor. Such 
consequences may include but cannot exceed a grade of "F" in the course.

(The full text of the Student Code of Conduct may be found at http://www.students.uidaho.edu/documents/UISCOC.pdf&pid=56182&doc=1)

12.  ABSENCES

Absences may be excused by your Focus Group teacher  by presenting suitable documentation in a timely manner.  Examples of suitable documentation include a doctor’s note or official memo related to attending a University of Idaho event, such as a field trip.  If you experience a family or personal emergency, contact the Dean of Student’s office at 885-6757 to obtain suitable documentation.