Spring 2026 Course Syllabus
Course: POFT-1321 (Section: 1H, CRN: 10254)
Business Math 		LSCPA Logo Image
Instructor Information
Instructor Kellie Buckner
Email bucknerkc@lamarpa.edu
Phone (409) 984-6378
Office Student Center - Room: 411
Office Hours M 7-9am
T  7-9:30am
W 7-11am
R 7-9:30am
Additional Contact Information
Course Information
Description Study of an arithmetic-based, basic approach to business mathematics. It emphasizes a practical, skill-building approach from basic to more complex business mathematics topics.
Required Textbooks 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.

Additional Materials/Resources Laptop or Desktop Computer
Desktop Camera (it must be able to view whole desk during test)
Calculator (Basic)
Corequisites/Prerequisites None
Learning Outcomes Solve business math problems
Program Student Learning Outcomes *Demonstrates professionalism in the administrative workplace environment.
*Uses appropriate business administration skills.
*Uses appropriate office software applications.
*Creates effective business documents by applying ethical communication practices.
*Evaluates business documents.
Lecture Topics Outline Chapter 1: Problem Solving with Math 
Chapter 2: Fractions 36
Chapter 3: Percent and Their Applications
Chapter 4: Solving for the Unknown
Chapter 5:Business Statistics
Chapter 6: Banking and Budgeting
Chapter 8: Sales, Excise, and Property Taxes
Chapter 9: Risk Management
Chapter10: Installment Buying and Revolving Charge Credit Cards
Chapter 11: Discount Trade and Cash
Chapter 12: Markups and Markdowns: Perishables and Break-even Analysis
Chapter 16: Simple Interest
Chapter 18: The Cost of Home Ownership



 
Major Assignments Schedule Week 1: Orientation/ Chapter 1 and 2 Review
Week 2: Chapter 3 Due February 2, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 3: Chapter 4 Due February 9, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 4: Chapter 5 Due February 16, 2026 at 11:59pm

Week 5: Chapter 3-5 Exam Review- Opens February 17, 2026 at 12:01am and Closes February 19, 2026 at 11:59pm

Week 6: Chapter 6 Due February 25, 2026 at 11:59am

Week 7: Chapter 8 Due March 4, 2026 at 11:59am
               Chapter 6 and 8 Exam Review- Opens March 5, 2026 at 12:01am and Closes March 16, 2026 at 11:59pm

Week 8: No Classes / Spring Break
Week 9: Chapter 9 Due March 23, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 10: Chapter 10 Due March 30, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 11: Chapter 11 Due April 6, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 12: Chapter 9-11 Exam Review- Opens April 7, 2026 at 12:01am and Closes April 9, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 13: Chapter 12 Due April 15, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 14: Chapter 16 Due April 22, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 15: Chapter 18 Due April 29, 2026 at 11:59pm
Week 16: Chapters 12, 16, 18 Exam Review Opens April 30, 2026 at 12:01am and Closes May 5, 2026 at 11:59pm 
Week 17: Final Exam Review - Opens May 8, 2026 at 12:01am and Closes May 11, 2026 at 11:59pm
Final Exam Date May 8, 2026 - 12:01 AM   Through  May 11, 2026 - 11:59 PM
Grading Scale

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

You must have a C in order to pass this class
Determination of
Final Grade
Assignments = 15%

Quizzes=25%

Chapter Test= 30% 

Final Exam= 30%
 

Course Policies
Instructor Policies Homework and Quizzes: All homework and quizzes are online through McGraw-Hill Connect.  All chapter homework and quizzes are open on the first day of the semester, and you can work ahead. NO ASSIGNMENTS will be reopened. Please plan your schedule to have all assignments finished before the due date.  

Quizzes, Exams, and Finals: Exams, quizzes and finals can be taken at home, by appointment in the student center, or with an instructor. No quizzes, exams, or finals will be taken after the due date.  The exams are timed and proctored.  Once you start the exam, you must finish it in the same setting. Please watch your open and close dates on exams.

Proctoring: All quizzes, exams, and finals are administered under the supervision of a proctor system.  There are to be no phones, headphones, or watches allowed in the room with you while the exam is being taken.  All eyeglasses must be held up to the camera before the exam begins. No smart glasses are allowed in the room.  Only prescription glasses are allowed. No other person is allowed in the room while you are taking the exam.  The only items allowed on your desk while taking the quiz,  exams, or finals are: 1 whiteboard (which you will hold up before your exam starts and will be wiped clean before you submit your exam); 2 dry-erase markers; 1 eraser or paper towel (which will be held up to the camera before the exam starts).  The student will use the calculator available on the McGraw-Hill website or a basic calculator.  No talking is allowed while taking the exam, even to yourself.  Any violation of the proctoring rules or any steps omitted will result in a zero on the quiz, exam, or final.  NO EXCEPTIONS.

Students must show their ID (Driver's License or School ID) to the camera before starting the exam. 
Students are responsible for purchasing a desk camera for the proctored exams.  The face camera or camera on your laptop is not allowed.  The cameras must show all the students’ desks and the testing area.  If a student can’t afford a camera, they are allowed to be proctored through the student testing center or by the instructor by appointment.  It is the student’s responsibility to schedule an appointment before the exam's due date to have their test proctored by the instructor or the Student Center. The instructor will assume that the student has the necessary equipment for the exam to be taken at home, unless the student informs the instructor of their intention to take the exam at school before the exam opens. 

NOTE: THE STUDENT MUST PRESS SUBMIT BEFORE 11:59 PM ON OR BEFORE THE DUE DATE. THE CONNECT SYSTEM DOES NOT REPORT UNSUBMITTED ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS, AND THE INSTRUCTOR CAN NOT SEE WHAT YOUR ANSWERS ARE UNTIL YOU SUBMIT THE ASSIGNMENT.   

Dishonest/Cheating: Any student caught cheating or lending their work to another student will receive a zero on the assignment. Any student caught cheating on an exam or final will receive an "F" for the class.  Instructor watches all recordings of the quizzes, exams, and finals.  Any student caught cheating on a proctored exam will be reported to the school's President and given a copy of the recording of their proctored exam.  The students will have the incident added to their school records.


Announcements: It is the student's responsibility to check Blackboard for any announcements. Please check daily.

Blackboard or Connect Issues: Please contact IT at Lamar State College PA for Blackboard issues at 409-984-6150 and McGraw-Hill for Connect issues at 1-800-331-5094.

Extra Credit: No extra credit will be offered in this class.

Grades:  The instructor will not discuss your grade over the phone.  The instructor does have the ability to zoom, teams, or meet in person by appointment.  

A.I. use is not allowed for tests, exams, quizzes, or homework in this class. Students may use AI as a source for studying and learning. The instructor uses A.I. for the podcast videos used in Blackboard and Exam reviews. 
BEWARE: AI HAS MAKES MISTAKES.  ACCOUNTING IS A SUBJECT AI HAS A PROBLEM UNDERSTANDING.

Note: A.I. is not an accountant or tax preparer.  A.I. misses accounting problems over 50% of the time.  Please don’t think you can use A.I. to pass this class.  
Attendance Policy Attendance is not a part of your grade.  The instructor understands everyone has a life.  But it is the student's responsibility to get with a classmate to see what he or she missed.
Additional Information This class teaches responsibility and accountability. All accountants have timelines when reports and payments are due.  From payroll to taxes, to bookkeeping, the IRS will penalize the client and the accountant if reports and payments are late.  The IRS does not care about your personal, work, or school life.  Now of course we care, but timelines have to be met and your due dates for assignments are your timeline and your penalty is a zero.  

We are all adults in this class and you will be treated as so.  If you don't come to class, it is your responsibility to ask a classmate for the information you missed.  I will not reteach a class.  I will however answer questions on information you are not understanding.   

This class is a Hybrid class.  This means the student will be responsible for teaching themselves any material not taught in class. Instructor is limited on time each week to teach the material. Instructor will be teaching the practical skills, such as problems in the chapter.  Anything not taught in class due to time restriction is still the students responsibility.

Other resources to use to help you in this class:

McGraw Hill Sharpen companion in Connect
PowerPoint slides in Blackboard
AI generated PodCast in Blackboard.
Tutor.com
Learning Center has tutors are LSCPA
YouTube Videos on the subject in class
Make a study group with other classmates
Institutional Policies
MyLSCPA 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 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.
ADA Considerations 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 Disability Services Coordinator, Room 117, in the Student Sucess Center. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
COVID 19 Information The Lamar State College Port Arthur (LSCPA) Student Code of Conduct COVID 19 Policy requires students who have been diagnosed with COVID 19 to report their condition directly to their local health department. Students should also contact their course faculty to report their quarantine status. In addition, this policy requires all students to wear face coverings when directly exposed to COVID 19 in compliance with the criteria included in the policy. For more information please refer to the COVID 19 link on the LSCPA website.
Facility Policies 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.
HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect 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.
Title IX and Sexual Misconduct 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.
Clery Act Crime Reporting For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
Grievance / Complaint / Concern 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.
Department Information
Business and Industrial Technology
Chair:Cristina Lawson
Email:lawsonac@lamarpa.edu
Phone:(409) 984-6381