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Open Access to Calculus

We have figured out how to remove prerequisite block at the course section level, so there is no longer a special enrollment process for corequisite sections if you didn't meet the stated prerequisite of the course. You can simply enroll for the course you wish in CLASS-Web. However, you still must complete the Chabot College Math Course Selection first before you can enroll in a math course. If you are a returning student who has not completed the Math Course Selection before, please do so. 

The legislation AB 1705 opens access to the lowest-level math course in a "student’s intended certificate or associate degree or a requirement for transfer within the intended major" (Ed Code Section 78213(i)(2)). This provision takes effect in Fall 2024 for all non-STEM majors and in Fall 2025 for STEM majors. Since it is logistically unwieldy to enforce prerequisite checks based on a student's academic goal, the first course in a calculus series will be open access. This means that anyone can choose to enroll in MTH 15 Applied Calculus 1 starting Fall 24 and in MTH 1 Calculus 1 starting Fall 2025, even if they have not completed the stated prerequisite. However, students who wouldn't have otherwise been eligible for MTH 1 or MTH 15 will be restricted to sections of the course with matching sections of required corequisite support workshop. All sections with workshops will be identified with a "C" at the beginning of the section name. For example, MTH 1-C01 is matched with the support workshop MTH 201W-C01, and MTH 15-C71 is matched with MTH 215W-C71. Each pair of courses is linked; a student must enroll in both sections together. 

In anticipation of Fall 2025, we will pilot one section of MTH 1 with corequisite support in Fall 2024 that is open access to help us assess the challenges and opportunities that open access to MTH 1 affords. 

Remember that generally you are expected to spend the number of hours outside of class every week that is equal to twice the number of units of the class. That would be 10 hours a week for MTH 1 and 6 hours a week for MTH 15 outside of class. It is important to you seek resources immediately when you need them. Chabot College offers drop-in tutoring in the STEM Center and tutoring by appointment through the Learning Connection. Go to your instructor's office hours (write them down in your calendar!), and form study groups with classmates. 

The corequisite support workshops would add two hours of class per week and four more hours outside of class. So the minimum amount of time, both inside and outside of class, for MTH 1 is 21 hours per week and for MTH 15 is 16 hours per week, if you choose to take calculus without having completing the prerequisite. This may not be enough for some students, especially if they have not yet completed high school Algebra 2 or Integrated Math 3, but AB 1705 forbids colleges from using any assessment instrument to help a student decide. In fact, the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office (CCCCO) interprets AB 1705 to mean that a student whose major requires calculus has no choice but to enroll in calculus (perhaps with additional instructional support) at a community college. The math faculty at Chabot College, on the other hand, believe students have the right to any course that students believe is appropriate for them. Thus, while Chabot College's Math Course Selection process cannot by law recommend a course below calculus to a student who needs calculus, the math faculty will continue to offer courses below calculus, at both transfer and pretransfer levels, to meet the students' needs, even when the CCCCO does not want us to. Here is the math course sequence, and you can discuss your concerns with your instructor during their office hours. 

If you are unhappy with restrictions imposed by AB 1705 and the CCCCO on what math classes you can choose, you are not alone. There is an online petition you can sign. You can also contact your California State Senator and Assembly Member by using the elected officials finder for their contact information. Chabot College runs the risk of losing the money for your enrollment in these restricted courses that the CCCCO doesn't want you to take, should the CCCCO wish to impose sanctions on Chabot College for offering these courses. Applying pressure to the legislators and the CCCCO could help delay these sanctions and even change the law.