Fall 2006 Course Syllabus
Course: C065.010.
Course Title: Elements of College Mathematics.
Time: TTh 2:40 - 4:00.
Place: BE 160.
Instructor: Spellman, Dennis.
Instructor Office: 434 Wachman Hall.
Instructor Email: dennis.spellman@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: 215-205=4-1659.
Office Hours: TTh 10:00-11:00.
Prerequisites: none.
Textbook: Collaborative Approach to Mathematics.
Course Goals: We will cover chapters 1, 2, 4 and 5. You will work much of the time in groups. Each class on Thursdays will have a twenty-point assignment consisting of ten problems from the text that you will work on and hand in during class as a group assignment. On Tuesdays there will be an occasional in-class group quiz worth 5 points. There also may be homework assignments worth five points, due at the start of the next days class.
Topics Covered: We start with a description of various numeration systems that will lead us into discovering the various numerations systems used in today's ever-growing technology fields. These include the binary system, base 4, 8, 16, 32 and the fascinating relationships between them. Then in the second half of the semester we will exploregeometry and logic, leading up to noneuclidean geometries that fashion the world around us.
Course Grading: A: 90 - 100, B: 80 - 89, C: 70-79, D: 60-69, F: 60.
Exam Dates: Exam 1: October 12, Exam 2: November 29, Final Exam: December 14 at 2:00.
Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend every class and you are responsible for all assignments made in class. You are allowed 4 absences. There is no such thing as an "excused" absence. For each absence after the fourth your grade will be lowered by one grade, so store up your absences for emergencies. (Here is a word to the wise: most emergencies occur at the end of the semester, so plan on attending every class, in this course and all your courses.).
Any student who has a need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact me privately to discuss the specific situation as soon as possible. Contact Disability Resources and Services at (215) 204-1280, 100 Ritter Annex, to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities.
Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed here.
Students will be charged for a course unless a withdrawal form is processed by a registration office of the University by the Drop/Add deadline date given below. For this semester, the crucial dates are as follows:
During the first two weeks of the fall or spring semester or summer sessions, students may withdraw from a course with no record of the class appearing on the transcript. In weeks three through nine of the fall or spring semester, or during weeks three and four of summer sessions, the student may withdraw with the advisor's permission. The course will be recorded on the transcript with the instructor's notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. After week nine of the fall or spring semester, or week four of summer sessions, students may not withdraw from courses. No student may withdraw from more than five courses during the duration of his/her studies to earn a bachelor's degree. A student may not withdraw from the same course more than once. Students who miss the final exam and do not make alternative arrangements before the grades are turned in will be graded F.
The grade I (an "incomplete") is reserved for extreme circumstances. It is necessary to have completed almost all of the course with a passing average and to file an incomplete contract specifying what is left for you to do. To be eligible for an I grade you need a good reason and you should have missed not more than 25% of the first nine weeks of classes. If approved by the Mathematics Department chair and the CST Dean's office, the incomplete contract must include a default grade that will be used in case the I grade is not resolved within 12 months.