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

MISSION
 
The primary mission of the graduate mathematics program is to • Develop mathematical thinking and communication skills • Communicate the breadth and interconnections of the mathematical sciences • Require study in depth • Prepare students for teaching careers in the secondary school and community college setting, for employment outside academia, or for further graduate study. • Provide students with the necessary background in applied and computational mathematics for the department’s computational sciences doctoral program.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Outcome/Objective 1:
Mathematical thinking and communication
 Full Description:
Develop mathematical thinking and communication skills.
 A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
 Related Measures:
  • M. 1: Comprehensive Exam-Thinking and Communication
  • M. 2: Oral Presentation
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 2: Develop Class Schedule
    •  Outcome/Objective 2:
    Breadth and interconnections
     Full Description:
    Communicate the breath and interconnections of mathematics.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 2: Oral Presentation
  • M. 3: Comprehensive Exam-Core
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 2: Develop Class Schedule
    •  Outcome/Objective 3:
    Study in depth
     Full Description:
    Require study in depth.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 3: Comprehensive Exam-Core
  • M. 4: Graduate School
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 2: Develop Class Schedule
    •  Outcome/Objective 4:
    Employment or graduate study
     Full Description:
    Prepare students for teaching careers in the secondary school and community college setting, for employment outside academia, or for further graduate study.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 4: Graduate School
  • M. 5: Exit Survey/Interview
  • M. 6: Alumni Survey
  • M. 8: Program Completion Rates
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 1: Develop Exit Survey
  • A. 2: Develop Class Schedule
    •  Outcome/Objective 5:
    Applied and computational mathematics background
     Full Description:
    Provide students with the necessary background in applied and computational mathematics for the department’s computational science doctoral program.
     A Student Learning Outcome? Yes
     Related Measures:
  • M. 5: Exit Survey/Interview
  • M. 7: Doctoral Program Feeder
    •  Related Actions:
  • A. 2: Develop Class Schedule
  • A. 3: Recruit Graduate Students
    • MEASURES
     Measure 1:
    Comprehensive Exam-Thinking and Communication
     Measure Full Description:
    A student who takes the comprehensive exams will score satisfactory or better according to the departmentally developed rubric on those parts of the comprehensive exam that covers mathematical thinking and communication skills.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 1: Mathematical thinking and communication
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the students who take the comprehensive exams will score satisfactory or better according to the departmentally developed rubric on those parts of the comprehensive exam that covers mathematical thinking and communication skills.
     Findings:
    4 out of 4 (100%) scored satisfactory or better.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 2:
    Oral Presentation
     Measure Full Description:
    A student will perform satisfactorally on board presentation in the mathematics seminar.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 1: Mathematical thinking and communication
  • Obj. 2: Breadth and interconnections
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the students will perform at the B grade level on board presentation in the mathematics seminar.
     Findings:
    4 out of 4 (100%) performed at the A grade level.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 3:
    Comprehensive Exam-Core
     Measure Full Description:
    A student who takes the comprehensive exams, which covers the 27-hour core, will score satisfactory or better according to the departmentally developed rubric.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 2: Breadth and interconnections
  • Obj. 3: Study in depth
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the students who take the comprehensive exams, which covers the 27-hour core, will score satisfactory or better according to the departmentally developed rubric.
     Findings:
    4 out of 4 (100%) scored satisfactory or better.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 4:
    Graduate School
     Measure Full Description:
    A graduate who wishes to pursue further graduate education will be accepted into a graduate program.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 3: Study in depth
  • Obj. 4: Employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the graduates who pursue further graduate education will be accepted into a graduate program.
     Findings:
    2 out of the 4 graduates opted to pursue further graduate training. Both (100%) were accepted into graduate programs.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 5:
    Exit Survey/Interview
     Measure Full Description:
    A graduate will respond in exit interviews “strongly agree” or “agree” to the statement that the MATHMS program met their personal objectives.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 4: Employment or graduate study
  • Obj. 5: Applied and computational mathematics background
    •  Target Level:
    80% of graduating students will respond in exit interviews “strongly agree” or “agree” to the statement that the MATHMS program met their personal objectives.
     Findings:
    3 out of 3 (100%) of the exit surveys strongly agreed or agreed. One graduate did not fill out an exit survey.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 6:
    Alumni Survey
     Measure Full Description:
    An alumni will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to those statements concerning professional preparation in the annual survey sent to those who graduated three-years, seven-years, fifteen-years or twenty-one-years ago.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 4: Employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    80% of alumni will respond “strongly agree” or “agree” to those statements concerning professional preparation in the annual survey.
     Findings:
    None of the alumni surveys was from a graduate of the graduate program.
     Target Level Achievement: Not Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 7:
    Doctoral Program Feeder
     Measure Full Description:
    A significant portion of the graduates of the master’s program will elect to enter the department’s computational science doctoral program.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 5: Applied and computational mathematics background
    •  Target Level:
    20% of students in the master’s program will elect to enter the department’s computational science doctoral program.
     Findings:
    1 out of 4 (25%) elected to enter the department`s computational science doctoral program.
     Target Level Achievement: Met
     Further Action Planned? No
     Measure 8:
    Program Completion Rates
     Measure Full Description:
    A signifcacant portion of the students in the master`s degree program will earn the M.S. degree.
     Related Outcome(s)/Objective(s):
  • Obj. 4: Employment or graduate study
    •  Target Level:
    80% of the students in the master`s degree program will earn the M.S. degree.
     Findings:
    4 out of 6 (67%) students finished the master`s degree program. One entered an out-of-state graduate program with her husband. Another was asked to leave the program.
     Target Level Achievement: Partially Met
     Further Action Planned? No
    ACTIONS
     Action 1:
    Develop Exit Survey
     Full Description
    Neither Graduate Studies nor the College of Science and Technology requires that graduate students complete an exit survey upon graduation from their program. The department should fill this void and have its graduating students provide feedback on what they perceive as the strenghts and weaknesses of the program.
     Related Objectives:
  • Obj. 4: Employment or graduate study
    •  Related Measures:
  • M. 5: Exit Survey/Interview
    •  Person/group responsible for the action Jiu Ding and the graduate mathematics faculty
     Target date to implement the action May 2007
     Priority Med
     Additional resources
    None
     Action 2:
    Develop Class Schedule
     Full Description
    The program requires flexible course requirements. A class schedule must be constructed that allows both 4 new students and 4 second year students to make progress in completing their degree programs. This is a challenge for a small program, but it is a challenge that must be met.
     Related Objectives:
  • Obj. 1: Mathematical thinking and communication
  • Obj. 2: Breadth and interconnections
  • Obj. 3: Study in depth
  • Obj. 4: Employment or graduate study
  • Obj. 5: Applied and computational mathematics background
    •  Related Measures:
  • M. 8: Program Completion Rates
    •  Person/group responsible for the action Jiu Ding and the graduate mathematics faculty
     Target date to implement the action May 2007
     Priority High
     Additional resources
    Additional hires of mathematicians who can contribute to the graduate programs.
     Action 3:
    Recruit Graduate Students
     Full Description
    At present there is no graduate student recruitment effort. The program would benefit if it had applicants with appropriate backgrounds who applied in a timely fashion.
     Related Objectives:
  • Obj. 5: Applied and computational mathematics background
    •  Related Measures:
  • M. 7: Doctoral Program Feeder
  • M. 8: Program Completion Rates
    •  Person/group responsible for the action Jiu Ding and the graduate mathematics faculty
     Target date to implement the action May 2007
     Priority Low
     Additional resources
    None
    ANALYSIS
     Strength
    Most outcomes were met, and all were partially met. The students were an above average group. Two decided to pursue doctoral degrees, one will be an intructor at Southeastern Louisiana University and one will teach for us as an adjunct instructor during the coming fall.
     Attention Needed
    The course offerings must be flexible enough to allow 4 new students and 4 second year students to make progress on their degree programs. This is difficult to manage in a small program, but it is a challenge we must try to meet.
    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.