Math Department Meeting Minutes
10/01/2013
3:15-4:50pm
D226
Present: Nicole Scherger, Dan Kernler, Terri Martin, Ken Beynon, Jean Phillips, Kris Campbell, Lauren Anderko, Gary Grohs, Naima Bahaji, Chalyce Deterding, Dave Lawrence, Mary Ann Tuerk, and Greg Wheaton (minute taker)
In addition to bear meat (thanks Chalyce!) and banana bread (thanks Lauren!), our meeting started with and update that the new smart board has been installed in D224. Ken B. has enjoyed using it, and some of our part-timers have experience with it, and may be good resources for those of us who aren't as familiar. Also, the TI Smart View software is now installed on the Math Lab computers for use. Furthermore, we were informed that the new "study zone," or "quiet area" signage we requested near some of our classrooms willnot be put up, due to the administration's desire to keep a uniform look around campus.
Lauren A. reminded everyone of the mandatory online DCFS Mandated Reporter Training that we all must go through by 12/02/2013. It takes about 30-45 minutes to complete, and once complete, a printed out certificate must be signed and sent to Mary Prystawsky.
Nicole S. mentioned that no group proposal will be put forward for AMATYC, and individual funds must be used for the conference this year.
It is now a fact that students cannot co-enroll themselves online in both MTH 112 and MTH 114. They must get prior approval and signature from the MTH 114 instructor on both the MTH 112 and MTH 114 class enrollment forms. There is still some question about the exact order a student needs to take to enroll in both these courses simultaneously, and we will seek clarification from Jamie Pang. It is important to note that co-enrollment in MTH 112 and MTH 114 should be done sparingly and with caution. Please consult one of the Math Department Coordinators (Nicole S. or Lauren A.) for further guidance on this matter.
Nicole began a discussion on the Student Math League Test, a challenging test geared toward students with at least pre-calculus or discrete mathematics background. She will seek out funds for prizes for students, as this has been a rewarding event in the past. We decided to have this test on a Thursday, from 4-5pm near the end of October or beginning of November. The room number and specific date will be announced soon, via email.
Kris C. informed us of an upcoming change in teacher certification. Certifications will soon be structured in the following ranges: K-6, 5-8, or 8-12. What this means is that future middle school teachers will be required to take approximately 26-32 hours of mathematics in their education. We will need to be ready for some future change in our curriculum, especially Math For Elementary Education. We also may want to initiate conversations with Parul Raval (ECC Professor of Education) about some of these upcoming changes. As well as the certification changes coming up, the new PAARC assessment of the newly implemented Common Core State Standards will eventually compel us to seek to determine what "college readiness" means in terms of PAARC scores. NIU has a PAARC team, if anyone is interested in learning more about this assessment tool. Also addressed, was the concern with the amount of overlap between our MTH 133 and the AP Calculus course in high schools. We talked about the possibility of changing MTH 133 to five credit hours down the road. Also mentioned was the prospect of offering a 7:00am MTH 134 course to accommodate our high school students.
Kris C. talked with Peggy Gundrum (Director of Career Services) about getting some speakers to come in and talk about mathematics and their careers. Peggy agreed to fund marketing for these events, and we hope to have three events in the SP14 semester (one in Feb, one in March, and one in April). We will check the fund for stipends for the speakers, and we are requesting anyone to seek out speakers. These could be engineers, actuaries, NSA employees, accountants, or other employees in math-related fields. Please email Kris and Peggy with potential speakers for the spring!
Dan K. spoke about his honors section of MTH 102, saying that it has been going well, with 17 initially enrolled, now down to 15 or 16. There are still a wide range of mathematical abilities in this honors class, which may be surprising to some. Ken B. offered to propose a new honors course for MTH 133 that would begin in the FA14 semester. We were encouraged to think of new honors section proposals, especially since Dan K. is on the Honors Committee and we have divisional representation.
Mary Ann T. will begin an online discussion with MTH 112 instructors, talking about the new Sullivan book and best practices for teaching College Algebra. She will also work with Nicole S. in writing a proposal to request funding from Student Success for MTH 096/098 "round table" discussions concerning the newly revised sequence and added study skills objectives in 096.
We've decided to go to soft cover books for our entire calculus sequence and Differential Equations, and 3-hold punch bundles for our Finite Mathematics course. Nicole S. will send out an email asking all instructors what type of text (just the book, or the book with enhanced materials...) they will require for their classes, so the bookstore knows how many of each to purchase.
Lastly, Chalyce suggested there be some basic Maple labs available for instructors to use or modify. She will contact IT to seek creation of a math folder on a shared drive for us to share Maple lab samples and ideas.