Upper-division Writing Requirement Review Form (12/1/08)
I. General Education Review – Upper-division Writing Requirement
Dept/Program
Course # (i.e. ANTH N/A
Mathematical
Subject
455) or sequence
Sciences / B.A.
Course(s) Title
N/A
Description of the requirement if it is not a single course
The upper–division writing requirement for Mathematical Sciences majors consists of:
1. Math 406, or any other approved General Education upper–division Writing course,
OR
2. a senior thesis (MATH 499).
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office.
Please type / print name Signature
Instructor
(Varies)
Phone / Email
Program Chair
Dave Patterson
III Overview of the Course Purpose/ Description
Date
A separate form has been submitted for Math 406.
The remainder of this form concerns Math 499 (Senior Thesis). Please see the attached
departmental Senior Thesis Policy, and the attached Senior Thesis Assessment Rubric
(developed at Indiana University Southeast and adopted by our department). Please note that a
senior thesis is only rarely used to satisfy the upper-division writing requirement. In addition,
supervising a senior thesis involves quite a bit of additional work for faculty, and faculty are
usually not willing to supervise anyone but an exceptional student.
IV Learning Outcomes: Explain how each of the following learning outcomes will be achieved.
See the assessment rubric (“Mathematical
Student learning outcomes :
content”).
Identify and pursue more sophisticated
questions for academic inquiry
Find, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize
information effectively from diverse sources
(see http://www.lib.umt.edu/informationliteracy/)
Manage multiple perspectives as appropriate
Recognize the purposes and needs of
discipline-specific audiences and adopt the
academic voice necessary for the chosen
discipline
Use multiple drafts, revision, and editing in
conducting inquiry and preparing written work
Follow the conventions of citation,
documentation, and formal presentation
appropriate to that discipline
1
This is an inherent part of writing a senior
thesis in the mathematical sciences. See also
the assessment rubric (“Use of sources”).
See the assessment rubric (“Clarity”).
See the assessment rubric (“Clarity”).
Required, see the departmental policy.
See the assessment rubric (“Use of sources”).
Develop competence in information
technology and digital literacy
This is incorporated whenever it makes
sense with regard to the topic of the senior
thesis. For example, students will often have
to use specialized online databases to find
relevant sources.
V. Writing Course Requirements Check list ------- N/A to Math 499 (Senior Thesis)
Please note that each math senior thesis is individually supervised by a faculty
member. Students receive the Senior Thesis Assessment Rubric, so are aware of
expectations.
Yes No
Is enrollment capped at 25 students?
If not, list maximum course enrollment.
Explain how outcomes will be adequately met
for this number of students. Justify the request
for variance.
Are outcomes listed in the course syllabus? If
not, how will students be informed of course
expectations?
Yes No
Are detailed requirements for all written
Yes No
assignments including criteria for evaluation in the
course syllabus? If not how and when will students
be informed of written assignments?
Briefly explain how students are provided with
tools and strategies for effective writing and editing
in the major.
Will written assignments include an opportunity for Yes No
revision? If not, then explain how students will
receive and use feedback to improve their writing
ability.
Are expectations for Information Literacy listed in
Yes No
the course syllabus? If not, how will students be
informed of course expectations?
VI. Writing Assignments: Please describe course assignments. Students should be required to
individually compose at least 20 pages of writing for assessment. At least 50% of the course grade
should be based on students’ performance on writing assignments. Clear expression, quality, and
accuracy of content are considered an integral part of the grade on any writing assignment.
Formal Graded Assignments
N/A
N/A
Informal Ungraded Assignments
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus preparation
see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
Paste syllabus here. N/A
Attachments:
(1) Senior Thesis Policy of the Department of Mathematical Sciences
(2) Senior Thesis Assessment Rubric
2
Department of Mathematical Sciences
The University of Montana
Senior Thesis Policy
Since Math 499 (Senior Thesis) satisfies the upper-division writing requirement for math majors, care has to
be taken by the senior thesis advisor to ensure that
(1) working on the senior thesis improves the student’s writing skills, and
(2) the final version of the senior thesis is well-written.
Revision and resubmission of drafts after comments by the advisor are required. When commenting on the
draft(s), and when checking the final version of the thesis for acceptability, advisors are expected to use the
Senior Thesis Assessment Rubric included as an appendix in the departmental guide for math majors.
Adopted by the Faculty – 12/04/2007.
This policy and the Senior Thesis Assessment Rubric can also be found
on the server “teacher” in the folder “Undergraduate Committee”.
Senior Thesis Assessment Rubric
Department of Mathematics
Indiana University Southeast
The Senior Thesis is intended to be a paper that demonstrates a student’s ability to learn mathematics on his or her
own, and to be able to write in a manner which both demonstrates his or her understanding of the mathematics and
clearly communicates the mathematics to the intended audience. The Senior Thesis will be evaluated on the
mathematical content and on the writing, according to the criteria detailed below. To be judged to be satisfactory, the
Senior Thesis must meet all of the criteria below for satisfactory performance; to be judged excellent, the Senior
Thesis must also meet the criteria below for excellence in each category. (This rubric was adapted from a model
produced at Southern Oregon University’s Mathematics Department.)
Mathematical content:
Unsatisfactory: The thesis fails to demonstrate an
accurate understanding of the research problem,
and inadequate research (insufficient sources or
sources of poor quality) results in erroneous,
misleading or missing conclusions.
Research problem: The thesis should be written on a
mathematical problem, theorem or other mathematical
topic of sufficient interest and depth to merit treatment
in a Senior Thesis. The thesis should follow a research
plan that is sound, feasible and appropriate to the
research problem.
Depth: The thesis should demonstrate a real
understanding of the mathematics inherent in the
research problem.
Excellent: The thesis has a clear, focused statement
of a research problem or topic, and the research
problem is interesting and of a level appropriate
to a senior mathematics major. The research
plan is well-thought-out.
Excellent: It is clear from the thesis that the student
has a good, working knowledge and
understanding of the mathematics he or she is
discussing. For example, if a technique for
solving a certain type of equation is being
discussed, it must be clear that the student can
operate the technique on his or her own. The
mathematics must be at a level appropriate to a
senior thesis.
Satisfactory: The statement of research problem may
lack some clarity or focus, or the research
problem may be of less interest though at a level
appropriate to a senior mathematics major. The
research plan is adequate to address the
research problem.
Satisfactory: The mathematical content of the thesis is
generally correct but displays some minor
confusion or lack of clarity, while the student
demonstrates a working knowledge of most of the
mathematics. The mathematics is at the level
expected of a senior but may be somewhat
insubstantial.
Unsatisfactory: The statement of the research
problem is missing or confused, or the research
problem is uninteresting or trivial. The research
plan is inadequate or missing.
Thoroughness: The thesis should address the
research problem in a convincing and thorough
manner.
Unsatisfactory: The thesis betrays a lack of
understanding of the mathematics under
discussion. The mathematics is trivial, incorrect
or incomplete; in particular, if proofs of theorems
would be appropriate, these are missing or
garbled.
Excellent: The thesis will demonstrate an accurate
understanding of the research problem, and it will
demonstrate a convincing thoroughness of
research. In particular, the thesis should cite a
sufficient number of sound, peer-reviewed
sources. (While useful, sources on the worldwide web are not generally peer-reviewed and
should not be relied upon to the exclusion of
peer-reviewed books or periodicals.)
Satisfactory: The thesis will demonstrate a largely
accurate understanding of the research problem.
The research may be less than convincing in its
thoroughness, citing an insufficient number of
sound, peer-reviewed sources, but it will reach
essentially the same conclusions as would be
reached by a convincing and thorough research
effort.
1
Writing:
Organization: The thesis is organized in a clear and
coherent manner.
Unsatisfactory: The thesis is hard to read or follow;
words (particularly technical terms) are used
incorrectly; or sentences are incomplete or
broken. The writing is confused or hesitant, or
betrays a serious lack of understanding of the
mathematical content. Assertions are made
without support, or are incorrect. The thesis lacks
detail.
Excellent: The thesis has a clear organization that
effectively develops the central idea. There is an
introduction including a clear statement of the
research problem and outline of the research
method. The development of arguments through
the paper is clear and logically organized, and the
conclusion is apt. The thesis does not ramble nor
are there awkward or unexpected transitions.
Use of sources: References and citations must be
clear and correct, and the use of information from
other sources must be clear and responsible.
Satisfactory: The thesis is organized with an
introduction which includes a statement of the
research problem and outline of the research
method, but the organization lacks some clarity or
is not completely logical. There is some rambling
or awkward or unexpected transitions. There is a
conclusion to the thesis which summarizes what
has been accomplished.
Excellent: References and citations are correct and
complete; it is clear what information from other
sources is integrated into the thesis, and it is clear
where that information came from.
Satisfactory: References and citations are complete
and generally correct but it is not always clear
exactly what information from other sources is
integrated into the thesis.
Unsatisfactory: The thesis has no clear organization;
the thesis lacks an introduction or the introduction
does not indicate the research problem; the
introduction does not introduce the research
method. The development of the central idea is
confused or unclear. There are no transitions –
the thesis appears to be disconnected sections
that have been juxtaposed. There is no
conclusion to the thesis summarizing what has
been accomplished.
Unsatisfactory: References and citations are not
complete or have errors that prevent the reader
from knowing the source of cited information. It
is unclear what information from outside sources
is integrated into the thesis.
Conventions: The thesis must be grammatically
correct and properly formatted.
Clarity: The thesis must be clearly written; the
mathematical content in particular must be clear to the
intended audience.
Excellent: There are no faults in spelling, punctuation
and sentence construction. The thesis is
formatted in an appropriate and professional
manner. The care in proofreading and formatting
has strengthened the development of the central
idea of the thesis.
Excellent: Choice of voice is appropriate for
mathematical writing; word use is precise and
accurate; and the writing is lively and reads well.
The mathematical content is clear, and it is clear
from the writing that the student has a correct and
complete understanding of the mathematical
content of the thesis. Assertions are clearly
stated and well-supported.
Satisfactory: The thesis is formatted in an appropriate
manner and there are few faults in spelling,
punctuation and sentence construction. A lack of
thoroughness in proof reading has not seriously
marred the thesis nor confused the development
of the central idea.
Satisfactory: Word use is sometimes inexact or
imprecise or the writing is mechanical or
plodding. The writing is generally clear but is
sometimes confused or hesitant; the student
appears to have an understanding of the
mathematical content that is largely correct but
not completely so. Most assertions are generally
clear and are given support.
Unsatisfactory: The thesis is marred by numerous
errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation or
sentence construction. Formatting is not
appropriate for a senior thesis. A lack of proof
reading has confused the development of the
central idea of the thesis.
December 2007
2