Spring 2006 Course Syllabus
Course: C055.003.
Course Title: Mathematics C055.003, College Math.
Time: 9:40-10:30.
Place: BB201.
Instructor: Hamid, Mohammed.
Instructor Office: Wachman hall 536.
Instructor Email: mohammed.hamid@temple.edu
Instructor Phone: (215)204-7850.
Office Hours: MWF 7:30-8:30 am,10:40-11:30am other times by appointment.
Prerequisites: Mathematics placement or a grade of C- or higher in Math 0045.
Textbook: Bennett and Briggs, Using and Understanding Mathematics, Addison-Wesley, 3rd Edition, 2005 (ISBN 0-321-22773-5) or 3rd Custom Edition (ISBN: 0-536-83573-X) The custom edition is a paperback and includes multiple-choice supplementary practice problems in the back of the book. If students buy the standard edition, which is hard-back, they should purchase the supplementary problems from the Temple Bookstore.
Course Goals: Math 55 is a Core course designed to improve the level of quantitative awareness of students using familiar situations that provide a sense of purpose for studying mathematics. The objective is not to make mathematicians of the students, but to help them gain a mathematical perspective and deal as comfortably and critically as possible with an environment that increasingly makes use of quantitative reasoning.
Topics Covered: The course consists of topics in Chapters 4, 9, 8, and 7, covered in the order indicated below. Of the 42 class hours available in the semester, 34 hours are scheduled for covering this material, and eight hours are left for tests and review. 4A The Power of Compounding (3 hours) 4B Savings Plans and Investments [pages 227 235 only] (2 hours) 4C Loan Payments, Credit Cards, and Mortgages (3 hours) 1. Test 1 9A Functions: The Building Blocks of Mathematical Models (2 hours) 9B Linear Modeling (3 hours) 8A Growth: Linear versus Exponential (3 hours) 2. Test 2 (Midterm Exam) 8B Doubling Time and Half-Life (3 hours) 9C Exponential Modeling [to be done after 8B] (3 hours) 7E Counting and Probability [to be done before 7A] (3 hours) 3. Test 3 7A Fundamentals of Probability (3 hours) 7B Combining Probabilities (3 hours) 7C The Law of Large Numbers (3 hours) 4. Final exam.
Course Grading: A 90- 100% B 80 - 89% C 70- 79% D 60- 69% F Below 60% + or - are left for professors discretion, depending upon students exceptional or poor performance, respectively. Attendance, attitude, homework, class participation, etc determine the grade sign. A grade of C- or better is needed to pass the course.
Exam Dates: Test 1 will be given the week of February 6. Test 3 will be given by April 5. The mid-term exam consists of approximately 15 to 20 questions and is designed to be taken in 50 minutes. It should be scheduled for the last day that our class meets during the week of February 27, which is the 7th week of the semester. The final exam consists of approximately 30 to 35 questions and will cover the entire syllabus. For Main campus day classes the final will be held on Thursday, May 4, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Room assignments for the final exam will be announced later in the semester.
Attendance Policy: Attendance is mandatory. Three or more unexcused absences will result in an F grade. Excused absences require documentation. Religious holidays are excused, given that the professor is notified in advance.
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.