SUNY COLLEGE AT OLD WESTBURY
Department of Mathematics/Computer & Information Sciences
QUANTITATIVE REASONING & DECISION MAKING
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MA 2050-001
Dr. Maureen Dolan
CRN 68657
Syllabus Fall 2012
TEXTBOOK: Mathematics in Life, Society & the World, 2nd Edition, by Harold Burton Parks, William Siebler,
Robert Burton, Prentice Hall. ISBN: 978-0130116901 (available used)
Other Course Materials (selected readings to be provided):
 Making Hard Decisions: An Introduction to Decision Analysis, by Robert T. Clemen, Duxbury Press,
Wadsworth Publishing Company. ISBN: 0-534-92336-4
 Environmental Decision Making: A Multidisciplinary Perspective, Tufts University Center for the Study of
Decision Making, Edited by Richard Chechile, Susan Carlisle, Van Nostrand Reinhold. ISBN:0-442-00659-4
 Mathematics for Global Survival, by Richard Schwartz, The College of Staten Island
 Additional readings and activities based on current events and topics in the news
Calculator:
Prerequisite:
A scientific calculator is required.
Grade of ‘C’ or better in Powertrack Math (MA1010 or equivalent)
Course Objective:
This course, designed specifically for general education, is intended to improve students’ quantitative
literacy and reasoning skills. MA2050 provides a means by which students may fulfill the college-wide Math
Proficiency Requirement (GE MA) in the General Education Program. It is anticipated that students in the
humanities may especially benefit from taking MA2050.
Course Description:
MA2050 provides essential skills in logic, reasoning, critical thinking, data analysis, problem solving and
decision making. Quantitative methods and applications to real-life problems are explored, as well as decision tools for
individuals and society. Topics include measurement, ratio and proportion, percentages, rates of change, understanding
graphical data, uncertainty, probabilistic reasoning, descriptive statistics, inputs to decision making and decision trees.
Personal decisions and applications across disciplines are explored, in areas that include consumer finance, equity,
numbers in the news, personal behavior, multi-cultural perspectives, health and medicine, risk and insurance, energy,
environment and sustainability.
The course combines lecture format, classroom discussion, problem solving sessions, active learning and webbased sessions. Students are encouraged to participate actively in classroom activities, discussion and problem solving.
MA2050 has reading and writing components related to quantitative reasoning and applications across
disciplines; it may be considered a lower division Writing Across the Curriculum course. Critical thinking and
quantitative reasoning are embedded in this course, through exploration of applications that integrate language, logic,
inference, sequential reasoning, selection among alternatives, analysis and interpretation.
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GRADING POLICY:
 Quizzes
 Midterm Examination
 Class Attendance
 Cumulative Final Examination
40% of Final Grade
25% of Final Grade
05% of Final Grade
30% of Final Grade
As per the college’s Academic Calendar, the Final Exam for this 1:00pm course is scheduled for Tuesday, December 18, 2012
General Information:
 As per Department policy, there are no make-up assignments or exams. Regular attendance is required. Every
student’s final grade for the semester will reflect the degree of his/her mastery of course material. Consistent
effort and regular attendance are necessary for success, but attendance alone does not guarantee a passing
grade. Refer to the College Catalog for details regarding academic policies and withdrawals.

Homework assignments are to be completed before the following class. Regular homework is not collected,
but its timely completion is essential to achieving success in this course. Students are encouraged to work in
study groups of their own choosing. Students are also encouraged to participate in class, and to volunteer
during problem solving sessions to work out solutions at the board. Class participation and additional/optional
assignments provide a means by which motivated students may earn extra credit towards their final grade.

All cell phones, smartphones and other electronic devices are to be turned off during classtime, except if
otherwise directed by the instructor as part of class activity.

Respectful, appropriate behavior in the college classroom requires that students: (i) arrive on time; (ii) remain
seated during class; (iii) do not leave the room during class without prior permission, unless due to emergency.

The Department of Mathematics/Computer & Information Sciences is located in the new Academic Building,
Rm 2050. Department secretary, Ms. Pamela Smith, can be reached by phone at 516-876-3127 or email:
smithpa@oldwestbury.edu. Dr. Dolan can be reached by e-mail at: dolanm@oldwestbury.edu or at alternate
email address: 74601.1372@compuserve.com

The Mathematics Learning Center is an important resource for tutoring and other assistance in mathematics
coursework. Students are encouraged to visit MLC either regularly or on as-needed basis.

Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSD): If you have or suspect you may have a physical,
psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact:
Dr. Lisa Whitten, Director OSSD, email: whittenl@oldwestbury.edu, phone: 876-3009, TTY: 516-876-3083.
OSSD will determine if you qualify for accommodations and, if you do, will arrange with your professors.

Academic Integrity: Cheating will not be tolerated. Please refer to the College Catalog (pp. 47-49) for details
regarding the college’s policy on Academic Integrity, Plagiarism and Academic Grievance Procedures.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------General Education Learning Outcomes:
Consistent with the SUNY guidelines for General Education learning outcomes in critical thinking, this course will provide
students with the following knowledge and skills:
 Ability to identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments 1 as they occur in their own and others’ work.
 Ability to develop well-reasoned arguments.
Consistent with the SUNY guidelines for General Education learning outcomes in mathematics, this course will provide students
with the following knowledge and skills:
 Ability to interpret and draw inferences from mathematical models such as formulas, graphs and tables
 Ability to represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically, verbally
 Ability to employ quantitative methods to solve problems (including arithmetic, algebra and technology)
 Ability to estimate and check mathematical results for reasonableness
 Ability to recognize the limitations of mathematical and statistical methods
1
“Argument”: (from Webster’s New Twentieth Century Dictionary Unabridged, Second Edition, 1983)
1. A reason or reasons offered for or against a proposition, opinion or measure.
2. The offering of such reason; reasoning.
3. In logic, the mean or middle term of a syllogism.
4. In mathematics, an independent variable the function values of which are tabulated.
QUANTITATIVE REASONING & DECISION MAKING
Fall 2012 COURSE OUTLINE
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Module #1:
Introduction to Decision Analysis
Nature of decision making; examples of decisions at personal, group, societal level; measures
of “good vs. bad” decision, influence diagrams, processes for effective decision making;
sequential reasoning, concept of utility, fundamental objective, inputs, decision trees.
Module #2:
Measurement and metrics
Measurement, scale, accuracy, error, dimensional analysis. Simple geometry, length, area,
perimeter, volume, fluid, mass, metric system, time conversions. Applications to scheduling,
consumables, consumer decisions.
Module #3:
Proportion
Ratio, proportion, percentage, rates of change, related rates; concepts of apportionment,
fairness and equity. Applications involving resource allocation, budgeting, energy use,
numbers in the news.
Module #4:
Understanding graphical data
Scaling, histograms, pie charts, 2-axis graphs, 3-d graphs, interpolation, extrapolation, trends;
how graphical data can be misleading. Inference based on graphs.
Module #5:
Probabilistic Reasoning
A priori probability, concept of sample space, randomness, natural law, probability of event;
simple vs. compound events, conditional probability, risk, uncertainty, odds. Applications to
games of chance, quality control, queueing systems, diagnostics, forecasting, insurance.
Module #6:
Introduction to Statistics
Data collection, concept of sampling, representative vs. anecdotal data, central tendency,
variance; concept of statistical inference, bias, coincidence, correlation, causality; how data
can be misinterpreted. Applications to advertising, medicine, polling, numbers in the news.
Module #7:
Consumer Finance
Basic concepts/computations involving money-time values, compounding of interest,
exponential and logarithmic functions, present and future value, annuities, selection among
alternatives. Applications to savings, mortgages, consumer financial decisions.
Module #8:
Environmental Decision Making
Quantitative reasoning and critical thinking in energy and environmental decisions; metrics
for sustainability. Concepts of carbon footprint, energy externalities, climate change models.
Applications involving personal values, public policy, electric power generation, alternate
sources of energy, patterns and trends.
Module #9:
Topics in Decision Analysis (time permitting)
Multi-cultural perspectives, ethics in decision making, benefit-cost analysis. Additional topics
in personal finance, education, healthcare, sustainability, natural resources.