College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Department of Mathematics
1.
Create a strategic plan:
The Department, through undergraduate advising sessions, offered both Fall and Spring in 2013-14, has determined the need to map out a 3-5 year plan for expected undergraduate and graduate course offerings. The creation of this plan is an action item for Fall 2014.
2.
Grow the Ph.D. program:
The Department is offering 3 Ph.D. level courses in Fall 2014, up from two such courses offered each semester in 2013-14. The Department has begun a Graduate Teaching
Fellow training and mentoring program in teaching to help bolster the graduate program overall. The Department devised a support package to attract students to the
Mathematics track of the Applied Science PhD.
3.
Hire faculty to contemporize within the established research areas:
The Department was not funded for a new faculty line this year. Instead the Department hired a new fulltime Instructor. On the one hand the new Instructor has a Ph.D. in geometry that dovetails with the Math Center Director’s Ph.D. in topology. On the other hand this Instructor position is expected to teach predominately lower level courses.
4.
Establish a space for a Computational Lab:
The Department consistently worked on finding a way to produce space for a computational lab. This included hunting around for viable space, having talks with the
Provost and LAS Dean, and even one faculty stating the case to the Chancellor. A solution that was given by the Chancellor is to utilize a classroom as a Computational teaching and learning space which would also double as a classroom -- the Department would have priority to fill the classroom with its own classes first. What has happened so far in reality, since no space has been allocated in this way, is that for Fall 2014 Math has scheduled two courses that emphasize computing in the lab space controlled by the
ECE department.
5.
Reduce dependence on honoraria lecturers:
The Department is attempting to reduce the dependence on honoraria lecturers by (a) hiring new tenure track faculty, (b) hiring new Instructors, and (c) providing improved training and mentoring to Graduate Teaching Fellows. This year the Department implemented an extensive training and mentoring program for strategy (c).

College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
Department of Mathematics
6.
Increase success rates in lower level mathematics courses:
With the advent of the new Online Math Placement system, and with a focus on revising the syllabi and text materials in College Algebra (MATH 1040) and Pre-calculus
(MATH 1050), there has been improvement in the 1040, 1050, and 1120 (Business
Calculus) success rates. These improvements have been documented and shared with
Barbara Gaddis, Director of First Year Experience. There is some evidence of improvement in success rates in Calculus I, though this area requires further study. The improvement in Calculus is a slow process because it depends on making upgrades to the Pre-calculus curriculum, which is currently being done. There have been
Departmental discussions about instituting a common final exam in Calculus. The
Department continues to ask around about such an approach.
7.
Streamline and enhance curriculum at the upper undergraduate level:
The Math Capstone Experience was designed this year, as well as MATH 3650,
Scientific Computing I. Together with the initiative to implement a 3-5 year plan (see point #1), there are discussions underway to revisit MATH 2150 and MATH 3410 as keys to the undergraduate curriculum.