Memo

To:            All faculty teaching Math 095
Subject:    Math 095 information
Date:         January 14, 2010

The course objectives for Math 095 are available on the department's Math 095 page (http://math.prairiestate.edu/m095.htm), and they should be shared with your students.  As usual, we will be giving departmental final exams this semester.  The exams will consist of 40 multiple-choice problems and several free-response problems.  All exam problems will be based directly on the course objectives.  There are two official review packets for Math 095, one focusing on the course objectives and one focusing on the free-response problems & the department assessment plan.  Both should eventually be shared and reviewed with your students.  Faculty will begin putting together the final exams very soon.  If you have any questions or comments about the final exams, please bring them to my attention as soon as possible.  The official Math 095 formula sheet is also available and may be shared with students at any time.  Although you may allow students to use other formula sheets throughout the semester, no other sheets are allowed for use on the final exam.

Faculty using the Angel book:
Your text for Math 095 is Angel's Elementary and Intermediate Algebra, 3^rd edition (ISBN 978-0-132-33722-9).  You should cover sections 4.3 & 4.4 (possibly reviewing other topics from chapter 4), section 7.8, chapter 8, sections 9.1-9.5, chapters 10-12, and, if time permits, sections 13.1-13.3.  Your students will be tested on the course objectives whether or not the text covers them.  In some cases you may need to supplement the text.  If you have any questions about the course content, see Steve Kifowit.

Faculty using the Hawkes Learning System:
Your text for Math 095 is the Hawkes book, Wright's Elementary and Intermediate Algebra, 3rd edition (ISBN 978-0-918091-90-1).  Your students will be tested on the course objectives whether or not the text covers them.  In some cases you may need to supplement the text.  For questions about course content, see Brian Garant or Kate Sims-Drew.

The results of last semester's final exams will be in a forthcoming memo.  Expect that memo within the next several weeks.

The department's current assessment plan continues to focus on equation solving in Math 090 & 095.  It is important that you carefully read the assessment plan, which is available at http://math.prairiestate.edu/reports.htm.  Please familiarize yourself with the equation-solving rubric and use it whenever possible.

Prairie State College Department of Mathematics Chicago Heights, IL 60411