Mathematics Department Assessment Document
from the North Central Accrediation Background Document
from the School of Science
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
Introduction The Department of Mathematics aims to balance the needs of
the students across campus who take mathematics courses with the
mathematics majors and the needs of one group of majors with the needs
of other groups of majors. The most popular options in the Mathematics
major are Core Math, Mathematics Education (for those students who
intend to be junior high or high school mathematics teachers), Math with
Computer Science. The Actuarial Science major is a separate major
supported jointly by the Mathematics and Statistics Departments. In
addition, we cooperate extensively with the Statistics Department
because our students enter in the same pool. To be successful, we must
meet the needs of students from all of these diverse groups of our
majors.
Student Learning Outcome Objectives
1. To acquire a broad knowledge of mathematics.
2. To acquire knowledge of specific mathematical concepts and
techniques from subject areas such as calculus of one and
several variables, linear algebra, discrete mathematics,
differential equations, abstract algebra, real and complex
analysis.
3. To develop problem solving skills.
4. To learn both concrete and abstract reasoning in a mathematical
context.
5. To become familiar with the principal modes of discovery in
mathematics. Specifically, students should learn how to use
technology as an investigative tool and how to formulate and
prove conjectures.
6. To be able to understand and critically analyze mathematical
arguments.
7. To communicate mathematical ideas precisely and clearly both orally
and in writing.
8. To become familiar with the cultural, social and economic forces that
shape our world.
9. To prepare for a lifetime of continual learning.
Assessment Activities
The Department of Mathematics takes advantage of a variety of assessment
activities:
The department seeks input from both current and past students in many
different forms. Student teaching evaluations have been mandatory for
most mathematics classes for over 20 years. The data goes both to the
instructor and to the administration. The Actuarial Sciences Program has
used exit interviews since 1993. In 1999, the exit interview program
was extended to all options in the mathematics department. In 1991 and
again in 1994 alumni employment surveys of graduates from the previous
three or four years were conducted. Since 1997, the department began
collecting employment data on a yearly (or, in some cases, twice yearly)
basis.
Another component of assessment is input from our faculty. There are at
least six different departmental committees concerned all or in part
with undergraduate education. Their membership includes over a third of
the faculty. At the end of each academic year, their comments and
observations are shared with the rest of the faculty in the form of a
report presented at a faculty meeting. In 1997, the Head instituted a
program of meeting personally with each faculty member on a yearly
basis. While not primarily intended as an assessment tool, these
meetings can, and often do, provide valuable assessment information.
When the department chooses a new Head (roughly, every five years), an
extensive internal review is conducted of all aspects of the educational
program. The Head selection committee submits a "state of the
department" document for the new Head's consideration. Recently, we have
instituted peer evaluations of teaching for some classes.
The department also seeks assessment data from outside the department.
The Actuarial Sciences Advisory Council, which includes representatives
from the Actuarial Science Industry, was created in 1993. In 1997 the
department created a Mathematics Department Advisory Council with
representatives from industry and all levels of education. Both councils
review our academic program on a regular basis. Every five years, the
department undergoes an extensive external review. The Mathematics
Education program underwent an extensive review by National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in 1992. We have also
received valuable input from the K-12 teachers who supervise our
students during their student teaching.
The department also obtains valuable insights from recruiters and
visitors to our department. The Actuarial Sciences program has its own
placement program, totally separate from the campus placement services.
The recruiters usually meet personally with the Director of Actuarial
Sciences, providing valuable input concerning both the strengths and
weaknesses of the students they interview. The other options within the
department receive similar input from our "Career Night" program that
brings representatives from industry and education to campus to speak to
our students both in large groups and individually. Every summer the
department hosts a calculus workshop for in-service high school teachers
that is team taught by a member of the Mathematics Department and an
in-service high school teacher. This is a valuable source for input,
especially considering that since 1993, there have been only two
different teachers from the department: the current and past
Undergraduate Chairs, both of whom still serve on the Undergraduate
Committee.
The assessment tools used by the Department of Mathematics include:
a) Exit interviews of graduating students
b) Alumni surveys/interviews
c) Certification and licensure examinations
d) External accreditation reports
e) Departmental advisory committees
f) External peer review
g) Comments from recruiters and other industrial representatives
h) Faculty observations
i) GRE examinations
j) Feed back from internships and student teaching
k) Post graduate placement
l) Student surveys/interviews
m) Student teaching evaluations
n) University student data queries and reports
Feedback Loops
The External Review Report of 1996 made several observations and
recommendations in regard to undergraduate education.
"The Department is to be commended for the imaginative improvements it
has made in the service courses, in large part in response to requests
from client departments. This is especially true with respect to the
redesign of the sophomore courses taken principally by engineering
students." In response to this outside need, the Department redesigned
the second year courses which have become useful to a variety of
audiences. One negative noted by the review team was the use of
"outside" faculty. This issue has been a source of vigorous and
continuing debate within the department and will be officially reviewed
in the fall of 1999.
A second issue noted by the review committee was the lack of appropriate
computer labs and technology in the classroom for math teaching. Both
components of this issue have been significantly improved by the
development of additional computer labs on campus and by the increased
number of lecture rooms with advanced technologyÑin specific the lecture
hall in the Math Building. More widely available math software has also
helped to improve this concern. In the spring of 1999, the department
unveiled a new state of the art interactive classroom that allows each
student to interact immediately with the instructor via his/her
individual computer.
In 1993, the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics appointed an
Actuarial Advisory Council consisting of more than a dozen practicing
actuaries. In annual meetings since then, the department has sought the
council's advice on all aspects of the Actuarial Program, but especially
on curricular issues. Based on their advice, the curriculum was
radically changed in 1994-95, including the development of several new
courses that they advised us were needed for our graduates to be well
prepared for their careers. More recently, the department has sought
their advice on the changes in the curriculum that will be effective
summer 1999 that have been stimulated by the changes in the professional
exams for actuarial certification. Throughout this time period, the
council has praised our progress in responding to the needs of our
students and supported our efforts by speaking to our students about the
changes in the profession and the effects that will have on them.
In 1992, the department's mathematics education program went through an
extensive evaluation by NCATE, which accredits mathematics education
programs. They stressed the need for more instruction in graphing
calculator technology. These comments were echoed by the in-service
teachers in our summer calculus workshop. As a result, graphing
calculator instruction was included in the syllabus for MA 301, which is
taken by all mathematics education students. The Undergraduate
Committee is also discussing ways for measuring the classroom competency
of out Mathematics Education graduates. This initiative is in response
to input from some of the high school teachers who supervise our student
teachers.
In 1997, the Department of Mathematics created a Department of
Mathematics Advisory Council. (The Statistics Department has a separate
advisory council that has some joint meetings with our advisory
council.) One of the K-12 educators on the advisory council commented
that our program still does not include sufficient instruction in
graphing calculator technology. As a result, we are working to
institute the use of graphing calculators in our majors' calculus
sequence MA 161M-162M.
Many of the employers who come to recruit our students both for
permanent positions and internships expressed a need for individuals
knowledgeable in spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel. As a
direct result, spreadsheet programming has been incorporated into our
Introduction to Actuarial Science class (SCI 170). The Undergraduate
Committee is currently discussing proposals for incorporating
spreadsheet programming into our new Mathematics-Business option.
Employment surveys of our graduates consistently indicated a
surprisingly diverse set of job titles, many representing positions in
the financial/business sector. Furthermore, a number of our Career
Night speakers expressed a need for technically capable workers with
training in business. Such input played a significant role in our
decision in 1996 to create our Mathematics-Business option.
Future Assessment Plans
As evidenced from the previous comments, the Mathematics Department
already has in place a wide variety of very effective assessment tools.
The new School of Science Alumni Survey will contain questions specific
to the Mathematics Department that will provide yet another source of
input. We also plan to continue the exit interviews begun this year and
perhaps augment them with student focus groups. The Undergraduate
Committee is discussing proposals (such as a competency exam) for
assessing the mathematical competency of all of our Mathematics
Education students.
We need to strengthen and institutionalize feedback mechanisms.
Assessment data needs to be channeled to the appropriate persons and
committees within the department. Our newer assessment tools, such as
the exit interviews, do have such feedback channels built into them, but
some of the older ones do not. In particular, the employment data has
not always been shared with the Undergraduate Committee. We hope to
correct this problem.
Back to Brown Bag Seminar Page