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Department of Mathematics
Revised Mathematics Department Assessment Plan
September 25, 2002
1. Student entering the calculus sequence will have adequate preparation.
Assessment method: We will monitor the performance of students who enter directly into the calculus sequence and compare it with the performance of students in calculus who have gone through the precalculus sequence. Faculty who teach the calculus sequence will also be asked whether their students seem to have adequate skills in algebra and trigonometry.
Goal: Students who enter calculus after passing their required precalculus courses should pass Math 131 at as high a rate as students who place directly into calculus. Students who place directly into calculus should continue to perform at high levels.
2. Students at the end of first year calculus will have a working understanding of single variable calculus. The specific course objectives are listed in a separate memo.
Assessment method: Final exam papers from Math 131 and Math 132 will be saved for later examination. A committee of faculty will meet on an annual basis to review the performance of students on the Math 131 and Math 132 final exams. The committee should report on any changes in student performance from year to year, as well as on whether or not students are meeting the specific course objectives. Additional input may be provided by the instructors of more advanced courses in which calculus is used.
Goal: All students who pass the calculus course should have mastered the material outlined in the course objectives. In examining final exam papers, the papers of students who achieved passing grades should demonstrate this mastery.
3. Our service courses will meet the needs of students in other departments while maintaining mathematical content.
Assessment Method: The mathematics department will regularly meet with representatives of client departments to discuss the content of the service courses and any perceived deficiencies.
Goal: Our client departments should be largely satisfied with our service course offerings.
4. Our BS graduates will be able to apply mathematics from the required coremathematics courses to solve real world problems in science and engineering.
Assessment Method: A capstone course, (Math 430, Mathematical Modeling) is being added to the requirements for the BS in mathematics. Students in this course will be using mathematics from many of their undergraduate courses, including calculus, linear algebra, differential equations and probability. The instructor of this course will gather a portfolio of student work for review by the department faculty.
Goal: The portfolios of student work in Math 430 should demonstrate to the satisfaction of the faculty that students are able to use the mathematics they have learned in core courses to solve real world problems.
5. Students who have passed the "transition to higher math course", Math 352, will be able to understand and express arguments in the form of mathematical proofs.
Assessment Method: The instructor of this course will gather a portfolio of student work from the course. The portfolio will be reviewed by all department faculty. Additional feedback will be provided by the instructors of more advanced courses in which students are expected to read and write mathematical proofs.
Goal: All students coming out of Math 352 should have this level of "mathematical maturity" before going on to more advanced courses. The portfolios must demonstrate this to the satisfaction of the department faculty.
6. Our BS graduates will be prepared for success in their postgraduate academic and professional careers.
Assessment Method: We will gather information on where our graduates go after graduation. The annual assessment report is prepared in the fall, so there should be adequate time to gather this information.
Goal: All of our graduates should either find employment in industry or enter a graduate program within five months of graduation.
7. Our MS graduates will have demonstrated the ability to take on a significant mathematical or statistical project, solve the problem, and communicate the results of their research.
Assessment Method: All graduate students are required to give a public presentation of the results of their MS thesis or independent study project. Mathematics faculty are expected to attend these presentations. On an annual basis, the mathematics department faculty will meet to discuss the performance of the students in these presentations.
Goal: The mathematics department faculty should be satisfied with the quality of all MS theses and independent study projects.
8. Our MS graduates will be prepared for success in their postgraduate academic and professional careers.
Assessment Method: We will gather information on where our graduates go after graduation.
Goal: All of our graduates should either find employment in industry or enter an advanced graduate program within five months of graduation.
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