Spring Semester, 2012
INSTRUCTOR: Erik Sorensen
OFFICE: 210 Walker Hall
PHONE: 831- 5667
OFFICE HOURS: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (10am -11am, 12 noon -1pm) or by appointment
E-MAIL: esorensen2@radford.edu
HOMEPAGE: http://www.radford.edu/~esorensen2
TEXT: Math and Human Society; by C. Case, W. Case, Corwin, Mistele, and Sorensen
Grading: Your course grade will be based on the following: Tests: (60%); Homework (10%), Attendance (5%); Final Exam: (25%).
Letter grades will be assigned based on the following scale:
90 - 100 A
80 - 89 B
70 - 79 C
60 - 69 D
0 - 59 F
Course Content and Goals: For the of the semester, come to class prepared to explore and refine your knowledge of chapter content as the accompanying schedule dictates. This class is not about simply “doing the math problem”, but developing a deeper knowledge of the structures that give rise to “doing the math.” For much of class-time, we will be exploring and refining your knowledge for the assigned chapter content.
The course will cover approximately the following sections/topics from the text:
Chapter 1 (Scientific Notation, Percentages, and Math Modeling)
Chapter 2 (Financial Math)
Chapter 3 (Descriptive Statistics)
Chapter 4 (Voting and Apportionment)
Tests: There will be three tests given during the semester. Each test will count for 20% of your course grade.
Final: This course has a common final exam; in other words, all sections take the same final. The final is comprehensive and counts for 25% of your course grade. The date of the final will be Saturday after classes end (the Saturday before finals week, April 28 at a time and location TBA).
Make-up tests: There are no make-up tests with the only exception being for Radford University sanctioned events. If you miss a test, the final exam will count for more of your course grade. For example, if you miss one test, the final exam will count for 25% plus the percentage of the test you missed.
So then, the course has two primary goals:
· To teach you something about mathematics itself and improve your math skills.
· To teach you how a few kinds of real-world problems have been approached quantitatively.
Attendance Policy: Attendance at all class meetings is expected and strongly recommended. It's your responsibility to sign the class roll each day: if your name isn't on the roll, you're absent that day. If you miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to get up to speed on anything you missed before the next class. Please do not fall behind. If you need help, let me know immediately!!
Homework: Homework problems will generally be assigned for each class meeting. Another big trap you can fall into is to not do the homework regularly and to try to simply rely on the solutions that are presented in class. The previous sentence is the most important statement on this page. The old adage Mathematics is not a good spectator sport was never truer than in this course.
Materials/Calculators: Students are encouraged to use calculators. You will need at least a scientific calculator or graphing calculator for the course. No restrictions are placed on the use of calculators in homework, in class, or on tests. We will be also using Microsoft's Excel spreadsheets for some class and homework assignments.
Additional Help: There is a Tutoring Center (Learning Assistance and Resource Center: LARC) located in Walker Hall, room 126. There will be math tutors available at various times throughout each week of the semester. The phone number is 831-7704. The web address for the center is www.radford.edu/~larc. You are always welcome to come to my office during office hours or by setting up an appointment.
Students with Disabilities: If you are seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are required to register with the Disability Resource Office which is located in Room 32 of Tyler Hall. The telephone number is 831-6350. To receive academic accommodations for this class, please obtain the proper forms from the DRO and meet with me at the beginning of the semester.
Radford University Honor Code Policy: By accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to understand, support, and abide by the University Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of this academic integrity will not be tolerated. This class will be conducted in strict observance of the Honor Code. Refer to your Student Handbook for details.