Instructor: Paul Hay

Email: haypa@lamarpa.edu

Phone: (409) 984 - 6549

Office Hours:

Monday           10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Tuesday           10:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Wednesday     10:00 AM - 12:30 PM  and  2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Thursday         10:00 AM - 12:30 PM  and  2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Friday               Virtual Meetings Available By Appointment

Additional Contact Information:

All emails must be sent with an official lamarpa.edu email address. Emails from personal accounts may be ignored.

The application of common algebraic functions, including polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and rational, to problems in business, economics, and the social sciences are addressed. The applications include mathematics of finance, including simple and compound interest and annuities; systems of linear equations; matrices; linear programming; and probability, including expected value.

Mathematics for Business and Social Sciences, by Kathryn Bollinger and Vanessa Coffelt, 2020.

This is an open source text and is available to download for free online at:

https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/188687

Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.

No additional course materials required.

MATH-0332 Intermediate Algebra or equivalent.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

• Apply elementary functions, including linear, quadratic, polynomial, rational, logarithmic, and exponential functions to solving real-world problems.
• Solve mathematics of finance problems, including the computation of interest, annuities, and amortization of loans.
• Apply basic matrix operations, including linear programming methods, to solve application problems.
• Demonstrate fundamental probability techniques and application of those techniques, including expected value, to solve problems.
• Apply matrix skills and probability analyses to model applications to solve real-world problems.

Communication skills: Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and/or visual communication.

Critical Thinking Skills: Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.

Empirical and Quantitative Skills: Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts.

Chapter 1 Matrices

1.1 Basic Matrix Operations

1.2 Matrix Multiplication

Chapter 2 Linear Models and Systems of Linear Equations

2.1 Review of Lines

2.2 Modeling with Linear Functions

2.3 Systems of Two Equations in Two Unknowns

2.4 Setting Up and Solving Systems of Linear Equations

Chapter 3 Linear Programming

3.1 Setting Up Linear Programming Problems

3.2 Graphing Systems of Linear Inequalities in Two Variables

3.3 Graphical Solution of Linear Programming Problems

3.4 Simplex Method

Chapter 4 Basic Probability and Applications

4.1 Mathematical Experiments

4.2 Basics of Probability

4.3 Rules of Probability

4.4 Probability Distributions and Expected Value

Chapter 5 Functions

5.1 Relations and Functions

5.2 Polynomial Functions

5.3 Rational Functions

5.4 Power and Radical Functions

5.5 Piecewise-Defined Functions

5.6 Exponential Functions

5.7 Combining and Transforming Functions

5.8 Inverse Functions and Logarithms

Chapter 6 Mathematical Finance

6.1 Interest and Effective Rates

6.2 Annuities, Sinking Funds, and Amortization

Fall 2026 Weekly Schedule

Monday, December 7, 2026

12:30 - 2:00PM

MMED 212

 90 - 100=A 80 - 89=B   70 - 79=C   60 - 69=D   Below 59 = F

Attendance - 10%

Homework - 15%

Quizzes - 15%

Module Exams - 45% (3 Module Exams @ 15% each)

Final Exam - 15%

Blackboard and MyOpenMath

Blackboard is the primary course website and should be checked regularly for announcements, course materials, assignments, grades, and schedule updates. Homework and quizzes are completed in MyOpenMath through links provided in Blackboard. Students should access MyOpenMath through Blackboard rather than creating a separate account.

MyOpenMath is free and does not require an access code or payment. Links to the relevant sections of the open-source textbook are embedded in the Blackboard course content, so students are not required to download the complete textbook.

Students are responsible for ensuring that their Blackboard and MyOpenMath submissions are completed successfully. Technical difficulties should be reported to the instructor as soon as possible and, when possible, documented with screenshots.

Course Materials and Preparation

Each section folder in Blackboard contains:

• The corresponding textbook material
• Videos explaining the primary learning outcomes
• A MyOpenMath homework set containing practice problems

Students should review the assigned material and complete the corresponding homework before the assessment deadline. The course calendar identifies the material planned for each class meeting; however, the instructor may adjust the schedule if additional instructional time is needed.

Homework and Practice Problems

Homework is intended to provide practice and feedback while students are learning the material.

Each homework problem may initially be attempted up to three times. After those attempts, students may request new versions of the problem and continue working until full credit is earned. After earning full credit, students may continue practicing additional versions without lowering the score already earned.

Students are encouraged to practice until they can solve each type of problem confidently, rather than stopping after obtaining one correct answer.

Homework must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date listed in Blackboard and the course calendar. Homework deadlines generally occur the night before the corresponding Module Exam.

Chapter Quizzes

Chapter quizzes are designed to help students prepare for the Module Exams.

• Each quiz has a 75-minute time limit.
• Quizzes may be attempted as many times as desired before the deadline.
• Only the highest quiz score will be recorded.
• Students are encouraged to review missed questions, complete additional practice, and attempt the quiz again.

Chapter quizzes must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the date listed in Blackboard and the course calendar. Quiz deadlines generally occur the night before the corresponding Module Exam.

Module Exams

The course contains three Module Exams. All Module Exams will be administered in class during our regular meeting time on the dates listed in the course calendar.

Each Module Exam:

• Allows one attempt
• Has a 90-minute time limit
• Covers the chapters assigned to that module
• Must be completed during the scheduled class meeting

There are no separate makeup examinations for missed Module Exams. A missed Module Exam will initially receive a score of zero. The Comprehensive Final Exam replacement policy described below is the only way to replace that zero.

Students should prepare for each Module Exam by completing the assigned homework, attempting the chapter quizzes, reviewing class examples, and practicing without relying heavily on notes or outside assistance.

Comprehensive Final Exam and Exam-Score Replacement

The Comprehensive Final Exam covers material from all three course modules. It will be administered in class during our regular meeting time on the date listed in the course calendar.

After the Final Exam has been graded, the lowest of the three Module Exam scores will be replaced by the Final Exam score if doing so improves the student’s course grade. Only one Module Exam score may be replaced.

This policy also applies to a Module Exam missed for any reason. If a student receives a zero for a missed Module Exam, the Final Exam score may replace that zero. This is the only method available for making up a missed Module Exam.

If the Final Exam score is not higher than the student’s lowest Module Exam score, no replacement will be made. The Final Exam score will still count separately as the student’s Final Exam grade.

Communication

Course questions may be asked during class, during office hours, or through the communication method identified in Blackboard. When contacting the instructor, students should include their full name, course number, and section.

Students should allow a reasonable amount of time for a response, particularly during evenings, weekends, and college holidays. Messages sent shortly before an assignment deadline may not receive a response before the assignment is due.

Regular attendance is strongly encouraged and is an important part of succeeding in this course. Class meetings include explanations, examples, guided practice, and opportunities to ask questions that may not be duplicated in Blackboard.

Students who miss class remain responsible for:

• Material covered during the class meeting
• Announcements or schedule changes
• Notes and examples presented in class
• Assignments and assessment deadlines

Students should consult Blackboard and obtain missed notes from a classmate before asking the instructor what was covered. Missing class does not automatically extend an assignment or assessment deadline.

The course calendar represents the instructor’s intended schedule. Dates or topics may be adjusted when additional instructional time is needed or circumstances affect the class schedule. Changes will be announced in class and posted in Blackboard. Students are responsible for checking Blackboard regularly for updates.

Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.

Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator, Room 119, in the Ruby Fuller Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.

No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.

This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.

As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.

LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.

For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.

If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.