Class Information

Course Title Math 130: Quantitative Reasoning

Instructor Julia Williams

Website http://juliakw.net/teaching/2026/math130/

Email jwilliams@capecod.edu

Phone (774) 330-4260

Primary out of class contact course website or email me

Class Hours and Room TR 9:30–10:45 Building 4 Room 105

Office Hours MW 10:00–11:00, TR 1:00–2:00, Building 6 Room 119

Course Description This course explores connections between mathematics and various aspects of modern life. Topics in this course include logic, unit analysis, percentages, personal finance, statistics, probability, linear and exponential growth, mathematical modeling, and geometry

Prerequisite MAT035 (Algebra for Non-STEM) or MAT045 (Intermediate Algebra for STEM) or satisfactory basic skills assessment score

Departmental Syllabus (with formal learning outcomes) https://www.capecod.edu/media/capecodedu/content-assets/documents/syllabi/mat130.pdf

Informal Learning Outcomes

This course is a survey of topics in mathematics. Upon the completion of this course you will be able to solve problems in logic, probability, and statistics, and explain the real world meaning of the mathematical concepts.

Grading Policy

Your learning outcomes for this class will be assessed with quizzes, homework, and in-class writing exercises. The breakdown for your grade is as follows:

20%: Homework
20%: Unit 1 Quiz
20%: Unit 2 Quiz
20%: Unit 3 Quiz
10%: In-Class Writing Exercises
10%: Oral Check-Ins

Additionally, there will be an optional exam at the end of the semester. You may choose to take this exam to have it replace your lowest quiz score.

Grades will be assigned on the standard A through F scale, with +’s or –’s for borderline cases. I reserve the right to make adjustments for individual circumstance.

Homework

Each class day will have an associated worksheet, part of which you will turn in for a grade. Homework will be due the following Monday. You should expect that some homework will be what you think of as math problems, while other questions will ask you to write to reflect or explain things.

Show your work on homework! You do not need to show every minor step, but I need to be able to follow your thought process. More important than arriving at a correct final answer is being able to explain how you obtained it. Think of showing your work as communicating your process so others can follow it.

Homework grades are based on completion and my selection of two problems.

Rubric for completion
- 40/40: you did all problems.
- 20/40: you did most problems.
- 0/40: you did only a few problems.
Rubric for individual problems
- 30/30: you gave a full correct solution.
- 29/30: you made a minor error.
- 15/30: you were on the right track but were unable to finish or made significant errors.
- 0/30: you didn’t make meaningful progress toward a correct solution.

You are encouraged to work together on homework, but the work you turn in is expected to be your own. If you do collaborate with classmates, please say so and give their names with your submitted work.

I will not accept late work. Instead, I will drop your three lowest homework scores from consideration for your final grade.

Quizzes and Exam

This class is divided into three units, each of which ends with a quiz. These are in-person, individual assessments.

You will be allowed use of a note sheet and a calculator on the quizzes. Other resources or electronic devices are not permitted.

Quiz dates:

Unit 1 Quiz: Thursday, February 19
Unit 2 Quiz: Thursday, April 2
Unit 3 Quiz: Thursday, April 30

Additionally, during the final exam period will be an optional cumulative exam. If you choose to take this exam, it will replace your lowest quiz grade.

In-Class Writing Exercises

Every class period will begin with a 5 minute focused free write. You will write in response to a prompt, and turn it in at the end of the class. These writing exercises will be used as a basis for class discussions.

Oral Check-Ins

Twice during the semester you are required to stop by my office hours to have an oral check-in on how the class has been going. This is an opportunity for us to ensure we are on the same page with your class progress. For each of these weeks I will provide some class time for these check-ins, in case my usual office hours don’t work for you.

Week of March 2: Oral check-in 1
Week of April 27: Oral check-in 2

These check-ins are graded based on participation.

You are encouraged to come by office hours at other times when you have questions about the class.

Textbook Information

The textbook for this class is Mathematics for Liberal Arts, May 2024 edition. This book is freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-ShareAlake 4.0 License: [hosted on my website] or [see the textbook website]. The textbook website additionally has videos and other content you may find helpful.

The main use of this textbook will be as a reference and another perspective on the material.

Attendance and Class Participation Guidelines

You are expected to attend class sessions, and this is factored into your grade via the in-class writing exercises. Like most math classes the material in this class builds upon itself. If you skip class and fall behind it is difficult to get back on track. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to ensure you make up the missed lesson. The schedule on the course website gives the textbook sections we will cover each week, and any worksheets or handouts will be posted on the course website. If you know in advance you will have to miss a class, please email me.

Class time will be spent on a combination of in-class writing exercises, lecture, and group work/discussion.

You are expected to participate in all parts of class sessions. For lecture you should be actively listening, taking notes, and asking questions as appropriate. For group work/discussion you should engage in the work, sharing ideas with your classmates.

Mathematics has a reputation for being removed from social concerns and identities. Whether or not this is true for the content of mathematics, it is certainly false for the process of learning mathematics. Our classroom is to be a welcoming one, where everyone feels able to participate and learn regardless of their background or identity. As learners it is your obligation to treat others with respect and generosity, and be willing to exchange ideas with others.

Communication Policy and Office Hours

Announcements and homework will be posted to the course website.

The best way to contact me outside of class is by email. Please put “math 130” in the subject line of your email. If I do not respond by the end of the next weekday, please send me a follow up reminder message.

Office hours are held multiple times in the week, to give you an opportunity to ask questions and receive help in-person outside of class time. If you prefer to meet at a different time, please contact me to arrange that.

Accessibility

Students with disabilities are legally entitled to reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access to education. I am committed to providing you with equal access to this class, and am happy to work with you to ensure reasonable accommodations. Because the accommodations offered are usually forward-looking modifications, it is important to get them set up as soon as possible.

Anyone who feels they may need accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the O’Neill Center for Student Access and Support (774-330-4453; oneillcenter@capecod.edu)

The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a disability as a medical condition that substantially limits one or more major life activities—including things like walking, sleeping, taking care of yourself, learning, and regulating your emotions—or major bodily functions. If you have a medical condition—including mental health conditions—that significantly interferes with your schoolwork, you probably qualify. You do not need to disclose your condition to your instructors to receive accommodations.

Academic Honesty and AI Policy

You are expected to know and uphold the college’s policies on academic honesty as described in the Student Handbook. Mathematics classes form part of the core base of skills you need to succeed in many later classes, and you are harming yourself if you try to avoid learning the material for this class.

The point of this class is to learn fundamental skills to serve you later in your education and career. AI tools interfere with this goal. For that reason, the use of ChatGPT or other AI tools to produce or help produce material you turn in for a grade is prohibited. Submitted work using these tools will receive a zero, with no chance for making up the lost points. I reserve the right to escalate the consequences for repeated violations.

The following are examples of prohibited AI use:

Submitted work entirely generated by an LLM.
Asking Claude to solve a homework problem for you, then writing up its solution.
Using ChatGPT to draft a paper.

Outside of work you submit for a grade I am not interested in policing your use of AI. If you want to use AI tools to help you take notes, generate extra practice problems before an exam, or similar then that is none of my business.

You are encouraged to collaborate with classmates for homework, but the work you submit is expected to be your own. If you do work with others, please say so and give their names with your submitted homework.

Notice of Changes

This syllabus is subject to change. If this happens, you will be informed.