Math Department Minutes –2/4/2014

Attendance: Dan K., Ken B., Terri M., Kris C., Nicole S., Naima B., Vicki W., Jean P., Gary G., Cathy M., Chalyce D., Mary Ann T., Blythe B., James McGee, Greg W.

Announcements

  1. Upcoming Events & Conferences:
  • MyMathLab Event

February 7, 2014 at Pearson in Glenview, IL

  • NADE (National Association for Developmental Education)

This conference is March 5-8 in Dallas, TX. There are 2 openings still, through Libby Roeger’s budget. Please contact Terri and/or Libby if you’re interested.

  • Mathematics Teacher Education Summit

March 1, 2014 in Springfield, IL

For more info: (space is limited)

  • IMACC

April 3-5, 2014, at Allerton Park, in Monticello, IL

  • NISOD

May 25-28 in Austin, TX

  1. Tenure and Evaluation Committee

James would like to see representation from our department and to consider ways to improve the process. If you are interested in joining this committee, please be looking for an email from the ECCFA.

  1. College Board is currently seeking candidates for new members of the CLEP College Algebra Test Development Committee.

Each year, committee members write questions that will be used on the exam and review updates to the study guide. The committee also meets for 3 days once every 3 or 4 years to assemble the exam. The annual honorarium is $1,000 for committee members. For their attendance at committee meetings, members receive a per diem and a travel reimbursement.

Old Business

  1. ECC’s Developmental Education Faculty Conversation – Feedback

There were 4 or 5 of us math instructors present this year. A couple things we’re considering is incorporating dual enrollment, similar to the English department. This may help students succeed by giving them pre-requisite material in one class as they are going through the other. Another takeaway from this time was learning that the reading lab has resources for faculty to help students with their reading. Lastly, we discussed the possibility of having course coordinators to help ensure consistency in curriculum, as well as extra support in our teaching.

Assessment

  • MTH 134 fall 2013 assessment analysis: Nicole

We again saw the trend here that there was not a lot of difference between D and C students.

  • MTH 098/099 fall 2013 assessment analysis (for next meeting?): Ken
  • MTH 096 spring 2014 – committee (Naima, Nicole, Chalyce, Terri, and Greg) needs to pick out assessment questions
  • MTH 114 spring 2014 – Terri (?)
  1. Mentoring Program Update: 5 pairs have been matched (Dan)
  2. Textbook Committees:
  3. MTH 090, 097, and 125 will stay with the same texts going into new editions (per instructors’ feedback)
  4. MTHhH 104 – Nicole, Kris, and any other interested volunteers?

Mary Ann has also volunteered to be on this committee.

  1. WYSE (2/14)
  2. Volunteersto help with awards ceremony (12:45-1:30)

Contact Jane if you’re interested in helping out with this awards ceremony.

  • Committee to work on math presentation?

Let james know if you’re interested in volunteering on a committee to put together a showcase of the math department. Gary will be on this committee and contact ECC alumni who’ve been successful in a career.

New Business

  1. Maple (Nicole)

Our contract is up at the end of May, so we need to put this in the budget soon. There is also a 3-year contract discount we may take advantage of. Greg mentioned that it’d be ideal if every instructor could have a permanent home license of Maple. Nicole and Kris mentioned that any ECC math instructor can register his/her course as a Maple course, to get Maple for home use.

Greg has contacted Jeff B. about all this, and he said that the home license is good for one year when you register your course. The instructions for how to do this will be attached with the minutes.

  1. Trigonometry Prerequisite (Nicole)

We have been seeing some situations in which students who’ve scored high on their ACT are still being placed lower than Calculus because they are being checked for trigonometry in their past math courses, which is not always clear from transcripts from various high schools. We have agreed as a department that we think a 28 or higher on the ACT is good enough to place a student into calculus, without having to check for a past trig class. We’ll see where this goes in the future and keep people posted.

  1. Course Coordinators (Nicole)
  2. SSI…A Passing Fad? (Terri)

Terri discussed student success infrastructure history and changes. It isnot a passing fad. If anyone else is interested in being a part of one of the committees/task forces, let James know. Attached with the minutes, you will find the document Terri used to show the historic progress of our student success infrastructure.

  1. MTH 112 Roundtable (Mary Ann)

How does the new Sullivan text change the way we’ll be teaching MTH 112? It’s much different from Blitzer, and instructors are finding themselves hard-pressed to interpret the current learning outcomes we have for MTH 112. Gary, Ken, Vicki W., Chalyce, and Terri will take the lead in polling the department about what is to be taught, how we feel about the book, how weshould incorporate technology, and how we can better define the learning outcomes in MTH 112.

  1. 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Alan Ladwig

Excerpt from an email from James:

He just retired from NASA and is highly decorated as you will see by the attachments. He was appointed to NASA by both the former Clinton administration and the Obama administration. We have the opportunity for engagement with the students if that is something you think would be of value to them. He will be here on campus (he is from the Washington D.C. area) to receive the award on Sunday, February 16, 2014 at our Founders’ Day Celebration and Luncheon. He could be available on campus the Tuesday following which is February 18, 2014.

Are there any volunteers interested in setting things up for this visit? Look for Dave L.’s email, and please respond to him if you are interested.

  1. Motorola STEM grants

Excerpt from an email from James:

TheMotorola Solutions Foundation,the charitable arm ofMotorola Solutions, Inc.(NYSE: MSI), today announced that it will again provide funding to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs through its Innovation Generation grants. The annual program has distributed more than $25.5 million in grants since 2007 and hundreds of Motorola Solutions employees volunteer with grantees every year. In 2012, programs that received Innovation Generation grants will provide more than 170,000 teachers and students with high-quality STEM education.

Any volunteers interested in pursuing?