Welcome to Math 1! Please let me know if you have any questions at all, about our course or anything else.
Important note about a possible work stoppage during the semester.
The California Faculty Association (the union that represents all CSU faculty, including lecturer faculty, tenure-line faculty, coaches, counselors, and librarians across the 22 CSU campuses) is in the midst of a difficult contract dispute with the CSU system-wide administration. In response to the CSU management’s stance, it is possible that the faculty union will call a strike or other work stoppage this term. I promise to inform the class as soon as possible of any disruption to our class meeting schedule. Our working conditions influence your learning conditions, and CFA works to protect both! For further information about the issues involved, please see CFAbargaining.org.
Instructor Information
Instructor: Dr. Joshua Wiscons (he/him/his)
Email: joshua.wiscons@csus.edu
Physical Office: Brighton Hall (BRH) Room 144
Virtual office: csus.zoom.us/my/jwiscons
Student office hours:
- In person: Monday + Wednesday from 12:30–1:30 PM [Brighton 144]
- Virtual: Thursday 1–2 PM [only via Zoom]
- Also by appointment. Just send me an email.
Course Information
Meetings and books
This is an in-person class.
Class times:
- Section 02: Mon + Wed + Fri from 10:00 – 10:50 AM [Alpine 204]
- Section 03: Mon + Wed + Fri from 11:00 – 11:50 AM [Alpine 227]
Book: None.
Catalog Description
Recommended for students whose majors do not include a specific mathematics requirement. Objectives are to show some of the essence and quality of mathematics, and to enhance precision in the evaluation and expression of ideas, thereby developing a students quantitative reasoning skills. Designed to give students an understanding of some of the vocabulary, methods, and reasoning of mathematics with a focus on ideas. This is a 3 unit class.
Course Description
We will be covering three topics in this course: Mathematics of Elections, Graph Theory, and Patterns. For Mathematics of Elections, we will learn about different methods for deciding the outcome of an election and explore principles of fairness related to them. In the module on Graph Theory, we will study graphs (collections of points and edges between them) and develop theory to analyze routing problems. For Patterns, we will learn about arithmetic and geometric sequences as well as other important sequences like the Fibonacci sequence. These topics are subject to change.
General Education Area 2: Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning
Students shall demonstrate the abilities to reason quantitatively, practice computational skills, and explain and apply mathematical or quantitative reasoning concepts to solve problems.
Community Agreement
Members of this class represent a rich variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Our class commits to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity and recognizes it as a source of strength. While working together to build this intellectual community, we ask all members to:
- share their unique experiences, values, and beliefs;
- be open to the views of others and honor the uniqueness of their colleagues;
- appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other in this community; and
- value each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner.
We will further develop this agreement together in class.
Course Components
Grade composition
Overall grades for the course will be determined from the course components listed below with the following weighting:
- Participation 30%
- Assignments 25%
- Exams 45% (15% x 3)
Participation
Our class will benefit greatly from the perspective, questions, and comments of each student. We will be working together on problems most every day. Your grade on this component will be tracked via attendance, but to be marked as present for the day, you need to (1) be in class for the entirety of the period and (2) be engaged with the in-class work. If you need to miss all or part of a class, please let me know, and I’ll be happy to discuss excusing the absence.
Assignments
We will have periodic homework assignments. You are allowed and encouraged to collaborate with your classmates (and with me!) on solving the problems. We will be using the free system WeBWorK. Although you will enter your answers online, please make sure that you carefully organize your solutions and all supporting work on paper to help prepare for the exams.
Outside Resources
Please do not use any resources or tools (e.g. A.I., Chegg, tutors, etc.) to solve your homework problems for you. However, you are most welcome to use resources and tools to explore the concepts (and solve related problems) and to check your answers. When working with peers or tutors, please make sure they are guiding you to a solution and better understanding as opposed to doing most of the work for you. Let me know of you have any questions about this.
And please remember that you are allowed and encouraged to discuss anything with me!
Exams
There are 3 equally weighted exams. The first two are tentatively scheduled for October 05 and November 09. The third exam wil be given during our final exam period, which is scheduled as follows: Section 02 is on Tuesday, December 15 from 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM; Section 03 is on Monday, December 14 from 10:15 AM – 12:15 PM. If an exam occurs during a religious holiday that you observe, I’m happy to reschedule it for you.
Schedule of Topics
This is a rough schedule of what we will cover, but please be aware that it is subject to change. The section numbers refer to our book.
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introductions + Topic 1 |
| 2 | Labor Day (Monday) + Topic 1 |
| 3 | Topic 1 |
| 4 | Topic 1 |
| 5 | Topic 1 |
| 6 | Exam 1 + Topic 2 |
| 7 | Topic 2 |
| 8 | Topic 2 |
| 9 | Topic 2 |
| 10 | Topic 2 |
| 11 | Exam 2 + Veteran’s Day (Wednesday) + Topic 3 |
| 12 | Topic 3 |
| 13 | Topic 3 + Thanksgiving Break (Thursday + Friday) |
| 14 | Topic 3 |
| 15 | Topic 3 |
| 16 | Exam 3 (Final Exam Week) |
Policies and Accommodations
Attendance
Please come to class as much as possible! Our community will benefit greatly from a breadth of perspectives, and class will provide an opportunity to ask, clarify, and answer questions. I will also take attendance for your participation grade. Please send me a quick email if you need to miss class, so I know what is going on and can support you getting caught up.
Late assignments
Please strive hard to meet the deadlines, but if you need an extension for any reason, I am always happy to discuss it with you. Health related reasons will always be accommodated. Please send me a quick email as soon as you realize that extra time is needed—I really want you to be successful! Although late assignments may be subject to a reduced grade, I will usually grant short extensions with no penalty.
Accommodations
If you know or think that you might need academic adjustments or accommodations, of any kind, please speak with me privately as soon as possible. Please also reach out to the Disability Access Center (DAC) to discuss eligibility.
Safety and Wellness
If you become sick, please do not attend classes, but do let your instructors know. Please contact Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS) at 916-278-6461 to receive guidance and/or medical care.
Academic Honesty
Academic dishonesty (including cheating and plagiarism) will result in disciplinary action and will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct. If you are unsure what constitutes cheating, please speak with me and review Sacramento State’s Academic Honesty Policy and Procedures document here: sacramentostate.policystat.com/policy/11300038/latest.
Technology
The emphasis of this course is on conceptual understanding. You may use calculators and/or computer software programs on the homework assignments unless otherwise stated. I’m a big fan of Desmos for graphing and WolframAlpha for other computations.
Getting Extra Help.
Please come talk with me if you have any questions! The Math Lab is located in Brighton Hall Room 118. The Math Lab provides free assistance to students in lower-division mathematics/statistics courses.
Student Resources
Crisis Assistance & Resource Education Support (CARES)
If you are experiencing challenges with food, housing, financial or other unique circumstances that are impacting your education, help is just a phone call (916-278-5138) or email (cares@csus.edu) away. The CARES office provides case management support for any enrolled student.
Basic Needs Support
The ASI Food Pantry provides food and basic necessities to Sac State students in need at no cost. You just need to present a valid student OneCard. Students also have access to the Basic Needs Resource Center (BNRC). Whether you need groceries, clothes, toiletries, parenting supplies, or a couch surfing kit, everything at the BNRC is free and just for Sac State students. No barriers. No judgment. Just confidential support when you need it.
You can also utilize the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services (SFBFS). In fact, SFBFS offers more than just food. From clothing for a newborn baby or a teenager heading out on a job interview, to Immigration Legal Services or English as a Second Language classes, and more, SFBFS is proud to offer support to the people of Sacramento County in a variety of different ways.
Sexual Misconduct
If you or someone you know has experienced any type of sexual violence (including harassment, assault, dating or domestic violence, or stalking), there are many confidential and non-confidential resources available on campus. So you know, the University requires faculty and staff to report any personal disclosures of sexual misconduct including rape, dating/domestic violence and stalking to the Title IX Coordinator. Students who do not wish to report their experience to me or the Title IX Coordinator may speak to someone confidentially by contacting Student Health and Counseling Services (916) 278-6461. You can also contact WEAVE, Inc. Sacramento, which provides confidential support 24 hours a day at (916) 920-2952.
If you are in immediate danger or need immediate assistance, please call 9-1-1 or if you are on campus, campus police at 916-278-6000. If it is after hours or the weekend and you need immediate advocacy, please call WEAVE’s 24-hour hotline at 916-920-2952.
Learn more here: www.csus.edu/student-life/health-counseling/sexual-violence-support
Student Health and Counseling Services
Your physical and mental health are important to your success as a college student. Student Health and Counseling Services (SHCS) in The WELL offers medical, counseling, and wellness services to help you get and stay healthy during your time at Sac State. SHCS offers: Primary Care medical services, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, transgender care, and immunizations; urgent care for acute illness, injuries, and urgent counseling needs; pharmacy for prescriptions and over-the-counter products; mental health counseling, including individual sessions, group counseling, support groups, mindfulness training, and peer counseling; athletic training for sports injury rehabilitation; wellness services, including nutrition counseling, peerled health education and wellness workshops, and free safer sex supplies; violence and sexual assault support services. Most services are covered by the Health Services fee and available at no additional cost.
Confidential counseling services are available for Sacramento State students. Counselors are located on the second floor of the WELL. Appointments can be made 8:00am–5:00pm, Monday–Friday. Call 916-278-6461 or go here shc-pncweb.saclink.csus.edu/ to make an appointment.
If you are in immediate crisis, please call 9-1-1 or the Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Learn more here: www.csus.edu/student-life/health-counseling
Disability Access Center (DAC)
Sacramento State is committed to ensuring an accessible learning environment where course or instructional content are usable by all students and faculty. If you believe that you require disability-related academic adjustments for this class (including pregnancy-related disabilities), please immediately contact the Disability Access Center (DAC) to discuss eligibility. A current accommodation letter from DAC is required before any modifications, above and beyond what is otherwise available for all other students in this class will be provided. Please be advised that disability-related academic adjustments are not retroactive.
The DAC is located on the first floor of Lassen Hall in room 1008. Phone is 916-278-6955 and e-mail is dac@csus.edu. For a complete listing of services and current business hours visit www.csus.edu/student-affairs/centers-programs/disability-access-center/
More Resources
Sacramento State offers many more resources to support you and your peers; learn more about some of them here:
Please reach out to me if you have any questions at all!