THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 0493S Date of Senate Approval 2/11/93 Signature of Senate Chair _______________________________ Date ___________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval _________________________________________ Date __________________ Denied _________________________________________ Date ____________________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC Document # 2 "Changes in Mathematics" EFFECTIVE DATE: Fall 1993 I. Add a brief description of the Mathematics Assistance Center similar to that which the one for the Language Department. Add the following paragraph after the description for the "Mathematics Minor for Teachers": ADD: "The Mathematics Assistance Center The Mathematics Assistance Center is operated by a professional staff to help students in their courses. Students are welcome to drop in at any time to obtain help on topics ranging from basic mathematics through calculus. They may use the center to work on their homework or to meet in study groups. The center also offers independent study programs for students not prepared for Math 155." IMPACT STATEMENT: The Mathematics Assistance Center has been an important part of the Mathematics Department's educational effort for many years, yet it has never been mentioned in the catalog. This addition to the catalog is due to previous year's oversights, and not due to a change in the department's policy. RATIONALE: The Mathematical Assistance Center is a part of this University and ought to be mentioned in the catalog. Other learning centers like the Writing Center are already mentioned in the catalog. II. Delete MATH 104, Basic Mathematics, and all references to that course. Specifically: p 145 (lines 6-9) DELETE: "104 Basic Mathematics (4) Arithmetic, fractions, decimals, ... ... but does contribute to GPA." p 145 (under "155 Nature of Mathematics") DELETE: "Prerequisite: MATH 104 or satisfactory ... ... placement examinations." p 145 (under "157 Structure of Mathematics I") DELETE: "Prerequisite: MATH 104 or satisfactory ... ... placement exam." p 179 (under "185 Introductory Statistics") DELETE: "Prerequisite: MATH 104 or satisfactory ... ... placement exam." IMPACT STATEMENT: The elimination of the course has in effect already happened, since we have not had the enrollment to justify offering this course. There should be no impact on other departments by eliminating this course from the catalog. Students whose deficiency in mathematics prevents them from performing adequately in our general education mathematics course (MATH 155) will be able to obtain help in the Mathematics Assistance Center. The center has a program in effect which will help these students. This program consists of an initial diagnostic test to determine specific deficiencies in the mathematical background of a student. Once these deficiencies are identified the student will be given the appropriate study materials. He or she is then strongly encouraged to use the tutorial services of the center and to work through the materials that was given to him (or her). (Six students are presently participating in such a program.) RATIONALE: The last time this course was offered was in the fall of 1991. In subsequent semesters there were not enough students to justify offering this course. We also do not anticipate many students in the future who will need Basic Mathematics. Those students who would need a developmental mathematics course are served more effectively and by the program presently being implemented by the Mathematics Assistance Center. III. Add a new course MATH 167 which would replace our MATH 163/164 fast-track. Also modify all course descriptions which reference MATH 163 and MATH 164. ADD: "MATH 167 College Algebra and Trigonometry (5) The topics are identical to those covered MATH 163 and MATH 164. This course is primarily for students who need to take Calculus I but do not have a sufficient mathematics background to do so. Prerequisites: MATH 105, or two years of high School algebra and satisfactory performance on the mathematics placement exam. (Students may not receive credit for both MATH 167 and 163 or for both MATH 167 and 164.)" Additional changes Page 145 (under "163 College Algebra") To the end of the course description ADD: "(Students may not receive credit for both MATH 163 and 167.)" Page 145 (under "164 Trigonometry") To the end of the course description ADD: "(Students may not receive credit for both MATH 164 and 167.)" Page 145 (under "191 Calculus") REPLACE: "Prerequisites: MATH 163, 164, or four years of ..." WITH: "Prerequisites: MATH 163 and 164 or MATH 167 or four years of ..." Page 146 (under "266 Matrix Algebra") REPLACE: "Prerequisites: MATH 163." WITH: "Prerequisites: MATH 163 or MATH 167." IMPACT STATEMENT: Since this is not a new course (the mathematics department has taught a MATH 163/164 fast track every semester for the last 8 years), this change should not effect the curriculum of other departments. It will however be necessary for all departments who require their students to take both MATH 163 and MATH 164 but do not require calculus (Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, and Music) to allow their students to take this course in lieu of Math 163 and Math 164. RATIONALE: In the past every semester we have offered one section each of MATH 163 and MATH 164 taught in 8 week sessions. This was done so that the students who need calculus but who do not have the necessary mathematics background will be ready for calculus by the subsequent semester. These special sections have been an endless source of confusion during the registration period. Designating this fast track sequence as a different course will alleviate the confusion during registration, and make the instruction of the sequence less cumbersome for the instructors. Since the course is taught at a slightly quicker pace, and should only have students who are interested in pursuing calculus only 5 contact hours are necessary to cover the material. V. Replace the wording for the general education requirement for Mathematics. Page 46 REPLACE: "All students are required to take MATH 155 ... ... higher-level courses were taken. Mathematics Course (MATH) MATH 155 Nature of Mathematics4 semester hours" WITH: "All students are required to take 3-4 semester hours of Mathematics to satisfy the general education requirement." Mathematics Courses (select one) MATH 155 Nature of Mathematics 4 semester hours MATH 191 Calculus I 4 semester hours STAT 185 Introductory Statistics 4 semester hours Students may also satisfy the requirement by completing the sequence MATH 157/158 or with one course from the list MATH 163, MATH 164, MATH 167, or any 200 level or higher Mathematics course. MATH 105 Intermediate Algebra does not count as a general education requirement." IMPACT STATEMENT: Add MATH 167 to the list of courses satisfying the general education requirement in Mathematics RATIONALE: The present catalog description does not reflect UNCA policy accurately. Students and advisors alike are sometimes confused as to the exact requirement when they read the catalog. This proposed catalog change is an attempt to state actual UNCA policies more accurately. At present students choose any mathematics course (except MATH 104 which does not count toward graduation, and MATH 157 which must be followed by MATH 158) for their general education mathematics requirement. VI. Miscellaneous editorial change a. Page 146 (under 341 Numerical Analysis) REPLACE: "CSCI 141, 142, or 243" WITH: "Proficiency in any programming language" RATIONALE: Since none of the previous courses are required by our majors the prerequisites need to be made more flexible. b. Page 147 (under 394 Differential Equations) REPLACE: "Co-requisite: Math 291." WITH: "Prerequisite: Math 291." IMPACT STATEMENT: Students were allowed to take Calculus III and Differential Equations simultaneously so that they could complete their mathematics requirements for engineering in two years even if they dropped a semester behind in their Calculus sequence. (The recommended sequence is Calculus I, II, III, and Differential Equations.) Very few students have attempted to take both courses simultaneously, and of those the majority had to repeat Differential Equations. A more sound advice to students who wish to finish Differential Equations in their sophomore year is to advise them to take a calculus course in the summer. RATIONALE: Early in the Differential Equations course (MATH 394) and throughout the course it is necessary for the student to be familiar with partial differentiation. If the student is taking both MATH 291 and MATH 394 at the same time, that student needs to be familiar with topics like partial derivatives in MATH 394 before these topics are presented in MATH 291.