Math Department
Commendations
The Program Review Committee commends the Math Department for:
§ Demonstrated responsiveness to student and program needs through continual revisions to curriculum and development of new courses.
§ Selection of common texts for many courses.
§ Development of common finals for selected courses thus ensuring consistent outcomes in preparation for sequential courses.
§ Development of a departmental website and the many individual faculty web sites.
§ Collection and analysis of data on student and departmental performance and integration into departmental decision making.
§ Collaboration with other departments and programs to promote student success through such programs as SCORE (English & Counseling), test anxiety workshops (Counseling), and special accommodations (Disabled Students Services).
Suggestions for strengthening the program from within:
§ Expand the use of data in setting departmental goals and priorities.
§ Expand the comparison of sixteen and eight week classes to include an in depth comparison of skill sets taught and student learning outcomes attained.
§ Develop strategies for improving student retention and success rates in developmental classes.
§ Re-examine opportunities for collaboration and support within the college community to address technology issues.
§ Study the effects of class size (both less than the current maximum and those in which faculty add beyond the maximum) and teaching styles for different levels of courses to support requests for changes in maximum class size.
Recommendations for Institutional Support:
§ Support a study of the effects of class size on student success and retention
§ Review for possible change the current withdrawal policy and the number of times students can repeat a class for which a W is earned.
§ Review the on-line registration process and consider ways to ensure student information is current so that students will be able to enroll in the appropriate math classes.
§ Continue the study of short term versus full term classes to include additional factors such as student motivation, comparisons of faculty grading and class assignments, and the measurement of student learning outcomes.
§ When staffing improves, encourage departments providing technology support to develop proactive strategies for reaching out to other programs and departments.