Staff Resources

Fall 2024 schedule is now available!

Non-Metro specific sections:

For students who have chosen not to register in a support section: Statistics/Non-STEM B4 stand-alone sections

For students who have chosen to register in a support section: Statistics/Non-STEM B4 with support paired sections

Executive Order 1110 addressed some of the historic inequities related college preparation by removing remedial math and English courses that didn’t count for credit and replaced them with a system of college-level math and English courses with support.  Student placement into these courses, instead of relying on a single, high-stakes test, are now determined by multiple measures (test scores, grades, high school course work, and supplemental advising exercises), giving students multiple ways to demonstrate their current skills and choose the best courses for their success. All courses now count toward the 120 units required to graduate.

B4 Advising Cheat Sheet FA24

Changes:

• MATH 123 is now a support course for MATH 124, PSY 171, and ISED 160
  • Starting FA24 the course will be 1 unit and will be CR/NC
• MATH 112 - Quantitative Reasoning for Civic Engagement is a 3-unit B4 course being offered this semester.
  • It is being taught by Math faculty independently of LCA but in close cooperation with the Professor teaching the LCA sections (HIST/IR/LCA/PLSI 112) 

Standard overview: 

• Students are encouraged to complete the First-Year Math Advising (FYMA/DSP) exercise at mathadvising.sfs.edu to help them decide which version of the B4 is best for them. 
  • Although advisors should communicate that students are expected to complete the DSP exercise, you are not responsible for enforcing compliance. 
  • Continuing students are also eligible to take the DSP. 
  • If a student chooses not to complete the DSP exercise, they should follow their pathway when choosing their B4 course: 
    • Pathway 1: No B4 course needed (certain majors may require further math classes) 
    • Pathway 2: Single semester stand-alone B4 course appropriate for their major 
    • Pathway 3: Either single stand-alone B4 course or a supported version   appropriate for their major.
    • Pathway 4: Recommended Stretch course if on Calculus track, support section if on Statistics track depending on their major.
• It is strongly encouraged for a student to complete their B4 by the end of their first year. If they are unable to complete the requirement in fall or spring, some B4 courses are offered during the summer 
• Only students on pathways 3 or 4 are eligible to take the stretch versions of the Calculus courses (107/108 or 197/198)  

Patterns: 

STEM B4 Offered

• MATH 197 – pathway 3 or 4 only
• MATH 198 (B4)
• MATH 199 (B4)
• MATH 226 (B4) (Instructors will ask students to see their high school transcripts if using high school coursework to fulfill prereqs)
  • Prerequisite: One of the following: MATH 198 or MATH 199 or equivalent with a grade of C or better; or MATH 226 or equivalent with a grade of C- or lower; or high school pre-calculus with B or better; or high school calculus with a grade of C or better.

Business B4 Offered

• MATH 107 – pathway 3 or 4 only
• MATH 108 (B4)
• MATH 110 (B4)
• DS 110 (B4)

Other B4 Offered**

• MATH 124
• MATH 124 with MATH 123 (ANY MATH 124 can be paired with ANY MATH 123)
• ISED 160
• ISED 160 with MATH 123 (ANY section of ISED 160 can go with any MATH 123)
• PSY 171 (ANY section of PSY 171 can go with any MATH 123)
• PHIL 111 (No support course available)
• HIST/IR/PHIL/PLSI 112 (No support course available)
• MATH 112 (No support course available)

Not offered this Spring:

• GEOG 203
• CSC 110

**Metro students who are NOT STEM and NOT Business will take ETHS 116 or ETHS 117 as per their Ed plan.

A2 Advising Cheat Sheet FA24

Changes: 

• Metro will be putting their courses into shopping carts rather than block enrolling students.

• Changes are being made to the First-Year Writing Advising Module (WAM) exercise so we will not be sending students to exercise this semester

• ENG 106 (4 units) will be offered this fall as a supported one semester A2 option.  This version is different than what we are used to seeing in the spring version.

  • Larger class (65 seats) 

  • Will have embedded support

  • Is available to anyone (not just students who did not pass ENG 104)

• CMS has created course descriptions for their courses in both Spanish and Mandarin which can be found on their website here.

• The stretch versions of English (ENG 104/105 and ENG 201/202) are no longer cohorted, but the English Department encourages students to stay in the same section and same teacher between fall and spring.

Overview: 

Since the First-Year Writing Advising Module (WAM) is not available this semester, students should choose which class seems best for their needs but should keep in mind the CSU recommendations based on their Pathway:

• Pathway 1 - No A2 course needed 
• Pathway 2 – ENG 114 or ENG 209 (multi-lingual) 
• Pathway 3 – ENG 104/105 (Stretch) or ENG 106 (Supported) or ENG 114 (Stand-alone) if primary language is English or either ENG 201/201 (Stretch) or ENG 209 (Stand-alone) if multi-lingual

• Pathway 4 – ENG 104/105 (Stretch) or ENG 106 (Supported) or ENG 201 & ENG 202 (multi-lingual)

   

• For the full stretch experience, students must start in fall 
  • Students who pass the first stretch class (ENG 104 or ENG 201) but do not pass the second (ENG 105 or ENG 202) have two options: 

    • Take ENG 114 or ENG 209 and sign up for tutoring support in the next possible semester. 

    • For ENG 104/105, there is sometimes space in ENG 105. The student can reach out the English Department to see if there is space to join (rkohls@sfsu.edu). 

• It is strongly encouraged for a student to complete their A2 by the end of their first year. If they are unable to complete the requirement in fall or spring, ENG114 is offered during the summer. 

Patterns:

• ENG 104-105 (stretch) 

  • If a student fails or withdraws from ENG 104, they are eligible to take the spring version of ENG 106 in the spring if it is offered.   

• ENG 114 (Stand-Alone)

• ENG 106 (Supported)

• ENG 201-202 (multi-lingual stretch) 
• ENG 209 (Stand-Alone) with an option of 212 before 209 or simultaneously 

  • CMS info: https://english.sfsu.edu/cms 

  • CMS questions: Esther Chan and Robert Kohls are available for warm handoffs for students with CMS questions.

  • International Articulation Program Partners 

     

The Math Department supports students taking their B4 for a third time here at SF State only if there is enough seats available after all first and second attempt students have registered.  If a student would like to appeal to take a specific B4 for a third time, they should follow this procedure:

1. Students must wait until the start of the semester - the Chair will not review appeals before the first day of classes.
2. Student start by completing the college waiver.  Please note that this form no longer requires a permission code.
3. Once the semester has begun, the student should contact the Instructor of the section they would like to add, let them know it will be a third attempt, and ask if they can join the class.
4. If the course has a matched course (such as a 4th hour for 199, 226, 227, and 228, or a required co-requisite like 123), please also write that course on the waiver form.  
5. If the Instructor(s) approve, they will send the form to the Department on the students behalf.

The English Department is supportive of students taking their A2 for a third time here at SF State to help with continuity and stability.  Currently, it is expected that there will be enough seats available so students should follow this procedure:

1. During registration, the student should contact the Instructor of the section they would like to add, let them know it will be a third attempt, and ask if they can join the class.  
2. If the Instructor agrees, they will give them a permission code to add the class.
3. The student will then complete the college waiver and email it to engdept@sfsu.edu for approval and processing. (They will accept the forwarded email from the Instructor as the Instructors signature).  Please note that form no longer requires a permission number.

Problem solving, quantitative awareness, reading and writing are all skills that, when practiced regularly, give individuals more power by increasing their effectiveness in analyzing situations, evaluating options, and communicating through complexity to represent truth(s). More immediate, by taking math and writing courses early in your college journey, you will increase your success in all other classes, since they ask you to employ these skills.