The level of sophistication and maturity of thinking expected of college students in the area of mathematics must extend their aptitude for quantitative reasoning beyond routine problem solving. This reasoning will allow the student to handle problem situations of greater complexity and diversity and lead them to an ability to mathematically analyze ideas both within and outside of mathematics. Therefore, courses meeting the General Education Mathematics requirement must have met a pre-requisite of Math 1010 and, at a minimum, achieve the following goals:
- Require students to perform mathematical processes including fractions, percentages, decimals, ratio/proportions, algebraic equations, and/or calculus techniques
- Provide students with application problems that use a variety of methods including arithmetical, algebraic, and/or geometric methods
- Challenge students to make inferences from mathematical models that include formulas, graphs, and tables
- Provide students with real-life applications that use a variety of mathematical functions
To meet these goals, courses in mathematics will require students to complete, at a minimum, the following:
- Homework assignments that demonstrate understanding of the appropriate mathematical topics and concepts
- Take examinations that measure retention of course materials and require at least some use of formulas, graphs, and tables, as well as, real life application
- Participate in a significant number of lectures, classroom discussions and other in-class activities in order to improve problem-solving skills