Detailed Assessment Report for
2005 - 2006 Mathematics (BS)* Rev. 1

MISSION
 
The primary mission of the undergraduate mathematics program is to • Develop mathematical thinking and communication skills • Communicate the breadth and interconnections of the mathematical sciences • Require study in depth • Use technology for problem solving and to promote understanding
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Outcome/Objective 1:
Understand and apply calculus
 Full Description:
Students should understand theory and applications of calculus.
 A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
 Related Measures:
  • M. 2: Portfolio-Calculus
  • M. 5: MAT 305
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 1: Decide on the assessment of calculus knowledge.
  • A. 3: Restructure MAT 305 or leave it as it is.
    •  Outcome/Objective 2:
    Understand and construct proofs
     Full Description:
    Students will learn the fundamental logic needed for deductive reasoning and will construct proofs of some elementary theorems using quantifiers, indirect and direct proofs, and mathematical induction.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 3: Portfolio-Logic
  • M. 4: Capstone Course
    •  Outcome/Objective 3:
    Be aware of breadth and interconnections
     Full Description:
    Students should possess an understanding of the breadth of the mathematical sciences and their deep interconnecting principles; an awareness of the abstract nature of theoretical mathematics and the ability to write proofs; and an in-depth understanding of at least one subject in mathematics.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 1: Portfolio
  • M. 4: Capstone Course
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 2: Improve awareness of breadth and interconnections.
    •  Outcome/Objective 4:
    Be mathematically conversant
     Full Description:
    Students should be mathematically conversant.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 1: Portfolio
  • M. 4: Capstone Course
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 2: Improve awareness of breadth and interconnections.
    •  Outcome/Objective 5:
    Write computer programs
     Full Description:
    Students should be able to write computer programs in a high level language using appropriate data structure to solve mathematical problems. Students should be able to create and document algorithms. Students should be able to use the computer for simulation and visualization of mathematical ideas and processes.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 5: MAT 305
  • M. 7: Alumni Survey-Job Preparation
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 3: Restructure MAT 305 or leave it as it is.
    •  Outcome/Objective 6:
    Prepare for employment or graduate study
     Full Description:
    The program should prepare students for employment or graduate school. It should prepare them to have meaningful and enjoyable lives.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 6: Alumni Survey-General Satisfaction
  • M. 7: Alumni Survey-Job Preparation
  • M. 8: Exit Survey/Interview
  • M. 9: Program Completion Rates
    • MEASURES
     Measure 1:
    Portfolio
     Measure Full Description:
    A graduate`s Mathematics Student Portfolio will be deemed satisfactory or better as judged by the departmentally developed rubric for evaluating the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 3: Be aware of breadth and interconnections
  • Obj. 4: Be mathematically conversant
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the graduates will have Mathematics Student Portfolios deemed satisfactory or better as judged by the departmentally developed rubric for evaluating the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 4 out of 12 (33%) were deemed satisfactory or better. Coast: 1 out of 1 (100%) was deemed satisfactory or better.
     Target Level Achievement: Partially Met
     Further Action Planned? Yes
     Measure 2:
    Portfolio-Calculus
     Measure Full Description:
    The calculus part of the Mathematics Student Portfolio of a graduate will be deemed satisfactory or better as judged by the departmentally developed rubric for evaluating the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 1: Understand and apply calculus
    •  Target Level:
    80% of graduates will score satisfactory or better on the calculus part of the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 4 out of 12 (33%) were deemed satisfactory or better. Coast: 1 out of 1 (100%) were deemed satisfactory or better.
     Target Level Achievement: Partially Met
     Further Action Planned? Yes
     Measure 3:
    Portfolio-Logic
     Measure Full Description:
    The logic part of the Mathematics Student Portfolio of a graduate will be deemed satisfactory or better as judged by the departmentally developed rubric for evaluating the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 2: Understand and construct proofs
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the graduates will score satisfactory or better on the logic part of the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 8 out of 12 (67%) were deemed satisfactory or better on the logic part of the Mathematics Student Portfolio. Coast: 1 out of 1 (100%) was deemed satisfactory or better on the logic part of the Mathematics Student Portfolio.
     Target Level Achievement: Partially Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 4:
    Capstone Course
     Measure Full Description:
    A graduate`s performance in the capstone course will be deemed satisfactory.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 2: Understand and construct proofs
  • Obj. 3: Be aware of breadth and interconnections
  • Obj. 4: Be mathematically conversant
    •  Target Level:
    80% pass rate in the capstone course with a grade of C or better.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 9 out of 10 passed the capstone course with a grade of C or better. Coast: 0 out of 1 (0%) passed the capstone course with a C or better. This student graduated under a catalog which did not require the capstone course.
     Target Level Achievement: Partially Met
     Further Action Planned? Yes
     Measure 5:
    MAT 305
     Measure Full Description:
    A graduate will successfully complete MAT 305.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 1: Understand and apply calculus
  • Obj. 5: Write computer programs
    •  Target Level:
    80% pass rate MAT 305 a grade of C or better.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 6 out of 12 (50%) successfully completed MAT 305 with a grade of C or better. 6 did not take MAT 305 as it was not part of their program and they graduated under an earlier catalog. Coast: 1 out of 1 sucessfully completed MAT 305 with a grade of C or better.
     Target Level Achievement: Partially Met
     Further Action Planned? Yes
     Measure 6:
    Alumni Survey-General Satisfaction
     Measure Full Description:
    Alumni will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to those statements concerning intellectual/social development in the annual survey (sent to graduates three-years, seven-years, fifteen-years, and twenty-one-years after graduation).
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 6: Prepare for employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    80% of alumni will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to those statements concerning intellectual/social development in the annual survey.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 5 out of 7 (71%) stronly agreed that the program enhanced intellectual and social development. One was neutral. Thus 86% did not disagree or stronly disagree. Coast: 3 out of 3 (100%) strongly agreed or agreed that the program enhanced intellectual and social development.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 7:
    Alumni Survey-Job Preparation
     Measure Full Description:
    Alumni who are employed in technical positions will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to those statements in the annual department survey concerning job preparation.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 5: Write computer programs
  • Obj. 6: Prepare for employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    80% of those who are employed in technical positions will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to those statements in the annual department survey concerning job preparation.
     Findings:
    Hattiesburg: 4 out of 7 (57%) responded strongly agree or agree that they were adequately prepared for employment. A further 2 were neutral. Thus 86% did not disagree or stronly disagree. Coast: 3 out of 3 (100%) responded strongly agree or agree that they were adequately prepared for employment.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 8:
    Exit Survey/Interview
     Measure Full Description:
    Graduating students in exit interviews will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to the statement that the MATHBS program met their personal objectives.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 6: Prepare for employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    80% of graduating students in exit interviews will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to the statement that the MATHBS program met their personal objectives.
     Findings:
    The CoST Dean`s Office did not conduct exit surveys of graduates this year.
     Target Level Achievement: Not Met
     Further Action Planned? Yes
     Measure 9:
    Program Completion Rates
     Measure Full Description:
    The annual number of mathematics graduates from the undergraduate program will compare favorably with that of mathematics programs of similar institutions in Mississippi.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 6: Prepare for employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    The annual number of mathematics graduates from the undergraduate program will meet or exceed that of MSU and UM
     Findings:
    USM graduated 22 bachelors while MSU graduated 17. UM did not publish graduation data this year.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
    ACTIONS
     Action 1:
    Decide on the assessment of calculus knowledge.
     Full Description
    Most of our students receive their calculus training before they come to us. We must either develop an effective way of assessing this knowledge or not assess it at all.
     Related Objectives:
  • Obj. 1: Understand and apply calculus
    •  Related Measures:
  • M. 5: MAT 305
    •  Person/group responsible for the action Wallace Pye and mathematics faculty.
     Target date to implement the action May 2007
     Priority Med
     Additional resources
    None
     Action 2:
    Improve awareness of breadth and interconnections.
     Full Description
    Students should gain experience in using a variety of mathematics to solve problems. Ideally this should happen in the capstone course. Presently this course is MAT 481, History of Mathematics. Perhaps a better interim course would be MAT 441, advanced calculus. A mathematical modeling course like MAT 485 might be ideal. However, this entails finding a competent and willing instructor for the course.
     Related Objectives:
  • Obj. 3: Be aware of breadth and interconnections
  • Obj. 4: Be mathematically conversant
    •  Related Measures:
  • M. 1: Portfolio
  • M. 4: Capstone Course
    •  Person/group responsible for the action Wallace Pye and the mathematics faculty.
     Target date to implement the action May 2007
     Priority Med
     Additional resources
    None.
     Action 3:
    Restructure MAT 305 or leave it as it is.
     Full Description
    MAT 305 presently reinforces calculus knowledge through MAPLE programming. Perhaps the course should use a variety of mathematics software packages. It may be in the interest of our graduates to require another computer science language requirement and not require MAT 305.
     Related Objectives:
  • Obj. 1: Understand and apply calculus
  • Obj. 5: Write computer programs
    •  Related Measures:
  • M. 7: Alumni Survey-Job Preparation
    •  Person/group responsible for the action Wallace Pye and the mathematics faculty.
     Target date to implement the action May 2007
     Priority Med
     Additional resources
    None.
    ANALYSIS
     Strength
    The primary goal of the program is to produce graduates who are competent in undergraduate mathematics and who can think mathematically (logical and precise reasoning). Our assessment shows evidence that the program is effective in its primary goal.
     Attention Needed
    The major problems are these: calculus knowledge, appropriateness of capstone course, lack of control of the Coast program, and reminding the faculty to submit assessment materials.
    ANNUAL REPORT
     Executive Summary
    Academic year 2005-2006 was a year of transition for the Department of Mathematics. It had a new Department Chair, Dr. C.S. Chen, and it managed to make successful offers to two new assistant professors. With just eight tenured, one tenure-track, and six non-tenure track faculty members, it was a challenge to fulfill our obligation to teach on the order of 5000 students, to conduct research, and to render service.
     Contributions to the Institution
    • Online college algebra has been implemented. • Dr. Jiu Ding has published a research monograph entitled “Statistical Properties of Deterministic Systems.” • Regular faculty and adjuncts taught 173 sections of math courses, serving more than 5000 students. • Graduate faculty members published one book chapter, one research monograph, 12 papers in refereed journals, and made numerous professional presentations. • There was one grant proposal that was funded in the amount $91,690. Ten other grant proposals have been submitted.
     Highlights
    • Dr. Sungwood Lee received the College of Science and Technology Teaching Award. • Dr. Myron Henry received the College of Science and Technology Service Award.
     Teaching Activities
    • Student evaluations provided evidence that faculty members are teaching well. • During summer there were 28 sections with an enrollment of 538. • During fall there were 71 sections with an enrollment of 2757. • During spring there were 74 sections with an enrollment of 2114. • With the support of Dr. Rex Gandy, Dean of College of Science and Technology, the department is in the process of initiating the emporium method of teaching entry level mathematics courses. In this approach, students learn mathematics in a computer teaching lab. If the implementation is successful, it is expected that all courses below calculus will be taught in this way.
     Research and Scholarly Activities
    Research productivity in the department is improving, notably in the area of computational mathematics. Collaboration among faculty members has increased and a research group in computational mathematics has been assembled. There was a significant increase in grant proposals submitted. As a result it is hoped that external funding awards will increase in the coming years. Dr. Sungwook Lee has initiated a research collaboration between mathematics and physics. A new policy has made it a priority to invest resources in junior faculty members.
     Public/Community Service
    • Committees: 19 university-wide, 12 college-wide, 58 departmental committees. • Service to Discipline: 7 journal editorial board members, 2 regional professional officers, 2 national committee members, 2 regional committee members, 18 article reviews, 47 referee reports, 2 prepublication reviews, 5 workshop chairs, 1 panelists, and 2 grant reviews.
     Challenges
    • Increase scholarship. • Hire more staff. • Build the graduate program. • Strive to increase external funding. • Implement emporium approach to teaching introductory mathematics. • Improve salaries.