New Math Course Takes Place Of College Algebra
by October 25, 2012 8:55 pm 144 views
College students who don’t need college algebra in their fields of study can instead take another math course starting next fall.
Act 1197 of 2009 requires the state’s public colleges and universities to offer the course.
The change is occurring because college algebra, a required class, has proven to be a stumbling block that keeps many non-math-related majors from advancing along their degree path. Dr. Charles Watson, a math professor at the University of Central Arkansas, said in an interview that he has seen otherwise capable students give up after taking his class four or five times because they could not understand the concepts.
Gov. Beebe has set a goal of doubling the state’s graduation rate by 2025. During the past five years, Arkansas has seen college enrollment gains of 17 percent. However, only 37.3 percent of four-year students graduate within six years.
Six schools already offer a new quantitative literacy course including instruction in areas such as personal finance and statistics.
Those schools are the University of Central Arkansas; Arkansas State University-Jonesboro; the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Arkansas Tech University; the University of Arkansas at Little Rock; and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
The course was developed by mathematics professors from those universities, including Watson.