AGENDA ITEM NO: 11.
2
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS COMMITTEE
REQUEST FOR DECISION
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
PRESENTED BY: Len Proctor, Chair, Academic Programs Committee of Council
June 17, 2010 DATE OF MEETING:
SUBJECT:
DECISION REQUESTED:
Changes to high school mathematics admission requirements
It is recommended:
That Council approve revisions to the high school mathematics admission requirements to reflect the new high school mathematics curriculum as described in the attached report.
PURPOSE:
University Council approves changes to admission requirements.
SUMMARY:
Anticipating the introduction of a new mathematics curriculum in Saskatchewan high schools, the SESD
Admissions Office formed a working group to review the curriculum changes and recommend any needed revisions to university entrance requirements.
The revised high school curriculum streams students into three streams beginning in grade 10. Two of the streams (Pre-Calculus, and Foundations of Mathematics) will be acceptable for university entrance, as shown on the attached report. The working group also determined that for the purposes of calculating the common admission average, the Foundations of Mathematics 30, Pre-Calculus 30 and Calculus 30 courses were equivalent to the existing Math A30, B30 and C30 requirements.
The new curriculum is effective for grade 10 high school students entering in 2010, so the University will see the first graduates of this new curriculum applying for admission for the 2013-2014 academic year.
REVIEW
At its April 20 meeting, the Academic Programs Committee reviewed the proposals from the Working
Group to revise college mathematics admission requirements in accordance with the new high school mathematics curriculum., and discussed these proposals with the head of Mathematics and Statistics Raj
Srinivasan and the Manager of Admissions Lisa Shepard.
A proposal document was developed and circulated to the direct entry colleges with the request that the deans provide memos to endorse the admission requirement revisions. At its June 1 meeting, the
Academic Programs Committee agreed to recommend approval of these changes to Council.
ATTACHMENTS:
Proposal document describing changes to mathematics entrance requirements.
Memos from direct entry colleges (Agriculture & Bioresources, Arts & Science, Education, Engineering,
Kinesiology, Edwards School of Business)

Title of proposal: Changes to Saskatchewan high school mathematics admission requirements
Contact person(s):
Claude Lang, Director of Enrolment, and Lisa Shepard, Manager of Admissions
Date : March 26, 2010
Proposed date of implementation :
Approval by September, 2010, so that high school students beginning the revised mathematics curriculum can be advised of university admission requirements.
Requiring approval by Council
‰ A change in the requirements for admission to a program
3. RATIONALE
Over the past 18 months, the Associate Deans of the direct-entry colleges have engaged in a number of meetings facilitated by Lisa Shepard (Manager of Admissions, SESD) to discuss the proposed changes to the high school math curriculum in Saskatchewan and the other Western provinces with the adoption of the Western Northern Canadian Protocol Common Curriculum
Framework. The impact of these curriculum changes includes admission requirements, the common admission average used for all direct-entry colleges, and prerequisite preparation for our first year curriculum. Given this wide range of issues, many others were involved in the discussions, including mathematics curriculum experts (Gale Russell, Ministry of Education &
Egan Chernoff, College of Education), Professor Raj Srinivasan (Head of Mathematics &
Statistics), and other staff and faculty members involved in academic program approval and administration.
The working group, comprised of high school mathematics curriculum experts Gayle Russell from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education, Egan Chernoff, Raj Srinivasan and other staff and faculty members, went through an exercise of articulating between the present high school mathematics curriculum and the new curriculum, to determine the equivalency of the old and new curricula. In addition, questions from the university's math skills assessment test were

reviewed by the Ministry curriculum expert to determine in which of the new streams the questions were covered.
After extensive review of the new curriculum, and informed by the mapping of this curriculum against the skills assessment test for University calculus courses, the working group in consultation with the Associate Deans has achieved a consensus recommendation on the changed outlines below to the courses required to calculate the common Admission Average as well as to the Admissions Requirements for direct entry colleges.
A chart showing the revised mathematics courses for admission is attached. The working group also determined that for the purposes of calculating the common admission average, the
Foundations of Mathematics 30, Pre-Calculus 30 and Calculus 30 courses were equivalent to the existing Math A30, B30 and C30 requirements.
The new curriculum is effective for grade 10 high school students entering in 2010, so the
University will see the first graduates of this new curriculum applying for admission for the
2013-2014 academic year.
This proposal has been written in consultation with
Raj Srinivasan. Head, Mathematics and Statistics
Alison Renny, Assoc. Dean of Undergraduate Programs, Edwards School of Business
Tom Steele, Assoc. Dean, Undergraduate Affairs, College of Arts and Science
Nurul Chowdhury, Assoc. Dean Student Affairs. College of Engineering
Dan Pennock, Assoc. Dean Academic, College of Agriculture and Bioresources
Louise Humbert, Acting Assoc. Dean, Undergraduate Studies, College of Kinesiology
4. DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM CHARACTERISTICS
The revised admission requirements do not reflect a substantive change in university entrance standards. The revised admission requirements maintain the same level of mathematics skills which colleges already require of entering high school students.
See the attached list of admission requirements incorporating the courses from the new high school mathematics curriculum.
The 30-level courses in the Apprenticeship and Work stream will not be acceptable 30-level courses for university admission. The 30-level courses in the Foundation stream and in the Pre-
Calculus stream will be accepted as shown on the chart.
Because Math A30, B30 and C30 courses will be phased out, the following courses would be used to calculate the admission average for direct entry programs in the colleges of Arts &
Science, Agriculture and Bioresources, Education, Engineering, Kinesiology and the Edwards
School of Business:
One of Foundations of Mathematics 30, Pre-Calculus 30 or Calculus 30

5. RESOURCES AND BUDGET
No additional resources will be required. There will be no costs to the university in implementing these revisions.
6. RELATIONSHIPS AND IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTATION
The revised high school mathematics curriculum is going to be implemented in the four Western provinces, and follows the model already used in Eastern Canadian provinces. This involves a streamed approach: beginning in Grade 10, students will decide whether to follow the
Apprenticeship and Workplace Stream, the Foundations of Mathematics Stream or the Pre-
Calculus Stream in Mathematics education.
The first cohort of Grade 10 students will begin this program in September, 2010. Course syllabi for the three years of the three streams in the new curriculum are not yet completed.
Departments will be dealing with prerequisites for university courses.

Existing Revised
Agriculture & Bioresources
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (B.S.A.)
•
Mathematics B30
1
•
Mathematics C30
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.
Bachelor of Science in Renewable Resource Management
(B.Sc. [RRM])
•
Mathematics B30
1
•
Mathematics C30
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.
Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (B.Sc. [Agbus])
•
Mathematics B30
1
•
Mathematics C30
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.
Diploma in Agribusiness (Dipl.Agbus)
•
Mathematics B30
1
•
Mathematics C30
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.
Diploma in Agronomy (Dipl.Agron)
•
Mathematics A30
1
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-
Calculus 30
1
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-
Calculus 30
1
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-
Calculus 30
1
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-
Calculus 30
1
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-
Calculus 30
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.
Arts & Science
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) or
Bachelor of Arts & Science (B.A.& Sc.)
•
A 30-level Mathematics course is required to calculate an admission average
1
.
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-
Calculus 30 and Calculus 30 will replace
Mathematics A30, B30 or C30 within the admission average.
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.

Business
Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm.)
•
Mathematics B30
•
Mathematics C30
Education (Direct Entry)
Home Economics, Industrial Arts, ITEP, NORTEP, SUNTEP or Combined Bachelor of Education/Bachelor of Music
(B.Ed/B.Mus. [Mus.Ed.])
•
30-level mathematics
1
1
Students may be admitted to this college with one deficiency among these subjects. The deficient subject must be completed prior to entering the second year of study.
Engineering
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.)
•
Mathematics B30
•
Mathematics C30
1
•
Calculus 30
1
1
Minimum grade of 70% required.
Kinesiology
Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (B.Sc. [Kin.])
•
Mathematics B30
•
Pre-Calculus 30 (recommended) or
Foundations of Mathematics 30
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30
1
•
Pre-Calculus 30
1
•
Calculus 30
1
•
Foundations of Mathematics 30 (Pre-
Calculus accepted)

Office of the University Secretary
212 College Building 107 Admin Place
Saskatoon, SK Canada S7N 5A2
Phone: (306) 966-4632 Fax (306) 966-4530
TO: Dean
Colleges of Agriculture & Bioresources, Arts & Science, Education, Engineering, Kinesiology;
Edwards School of Business
FROM: Len Proctor, Chair, Academic Programs Committee
DATE:
RE:
May 6, 2010
Changes to mathematics admission requirements
The Academic Programs Committee of Council is reviewing the attached proposal document, regarding changes to mathematics admission requirements to reflect high school curriculum changes.
These changes have been drafted by the Admissions Office in consultation with the associate deans of the direct entry colleges.
The Committee has discussed these proposals with Lisa Shepard, Manager of Admissions, and with Raj Srinivasan,
Head of Mathematics & Statistics.
Considering that the high school curriculum will be streaming mathematics courses beginning in September 2010, committee members were particularly concerned about how the university can assist students to meet the entrance requirements of the program of their choice. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics expects that the university will have to deal with both with students who have chosen the wrong stream and with students who find themselves needing more preparation for university-level mathematics classes. In addition to the placement tests and three-week university mathematics preparation courses already offered, the Department also intends to introduce new “bridging” courses so that first-year students can be successful in university mathematics and calculus courses. The bridging courses from the Mathematics and Statistics department will be offered on a cost-recovery basis.
It is important that this revision in entrance requirements be approved as quickly as possible, so that high school students entering Grade 10 in September will be able to chose the correct course stream.
The Academic Programs Committee is requesting that college deans from the direct-entry colleges provide a memo to endorse this revision in admission requirements. The Committee will then forward this proposal to University
Council for approval.
We would like to have your endorsement by June 1, 2010 so that this can be taken to the June meeting of
University Council.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.

From:
To: cc:
Subject:
Date:
Buhr, Mary
Fornssler, Cathie; Jo-Anne Dillon; brooke.dobni@usask.ca; Cecilia Reynolds;
Kozinski, Janusz; Rodgers, Carol; tom.steele@usask.ca; Renny, Alison; Chowdhury, Nurul; Pennock, Daniel; Humbert, Louise;
"Lynn Lemisko"; raj.srinivasan@usask.ca; Lisa Shepard; Len Proctor;
RE: Request for memo from Dean regarding high school mathematics admission requirements
Monday, May 10, 2010 9:36:11 AM
The Associate Dean (Academic) of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources has been involved in the mathematics requirements, and the College is in favour of them.
Regards,
Mary Buhr
Mary M Buhr, PhD
Dean and Professor
College of Agriculture & Bioresources
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8
Canada tel: 306-966-4050 fax: 306-966-8894 email:mary.buhr@usask.ca
www.agbio.usask.ca
From: Fornssler, Cathie
Sent: Friday, May 07, 2010 12:19 PM
To: Buhr, Mary; Jo-Anne Dillon; brooke.dobni@usask.ca; Cecilia Reynolds; Kozinski, Janusz;
Rodgers, Carol
Cc: tom.steele@usask.ca; Renny, Alison; Chowdhury, Nurul; Pennock, Daniel; Humbert, Louise;
'Lynn Lemisko'; raj.srinivasan@usask.ca; Lisa Shepard; Len Proctor
Subject: Request for memo from Dean regarding high school mathematics admission requirements
Attached is a memo from the Academic Programs Committee of Council regarding changes to mathematics admission requirements.
The Committee is requesting a memo by June 1 from the Deans of direct entry colleges, to endorse revisions in admission requirements reflecting the changes in the high school mathematics curriculum.
Cathie Fornssler
Committee Coordinator
Office of the University Secretary
218 College Building
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon SK S7N 5A2 phone (306)966-5036 fax (306)966-4530

From:
To: cc:
Subject:
Date:
Jo-Anne Dillon
Fornssler, Cathie;
Buhr, Mary; brooke.dobni@usask.ca; Cecilia Reynolds; Kozinski, Janusz; Rodgers, Carol; tom.steele@usask.ca;
Renny, Alison; Chowdhury, Nurul; Pennock, Daniel; Humbert, Louise; "Lynn Lemisko"; raj.srinivasan@usask.ca;
Lisa Shepard; Len Proctor; Raj Srinivasan; Tom Steele; Kevin Schneider; LaVina Williams; Jo-Anne Dillon;
Re: Request for memo from Dean regarding high school mathematics admission requirements - Arts and Science
Thursday, May 13, 2010 5:38:25 PM
Dear Cathie:
The College of Arts and Science fully supports the proposed changes to high school math admission requirements for the College (i.e.
Foundations of Mathematics 30 or Pre-calculus 30 and Calculus 30 will replace Mathematics A30, B30 or C30, respectively, within the admission average). In fact, the proposal for curriculum changes to high school mathematics admission requirements was initiated by Tom Steele,
Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs and Raj Srinivasan, Head of the
Department of Mathematics and Statistics, in consultation with Lisa
Shepard, Manager of Admissions. I understand that our College has also consulted extensively with Associate Deans from other Colleges in preparing the proposal.
It should also be noted that in 2013, students will be entering the university under the new curriculum WNCP (Western Northern Canadian
Protocol) currently being proposed for high school mathematics. This may result in students, entering the university into a program stream requiring calculus, who did not follow the appropriate stream in high school.
To accommodate students who have chosen the wrong stream and to students who find themselves needing more preparation for university-level mathematics courses, the College of Arts and Science has introduced a new bridging course, Math 102. This new course is intended prepare students for university-level calculus.
Thank you for the opportunity to respond.
Jo-Anne R. Dillon, Dean
College of Arts and Science
University of Saskatchewan
Room 226, Arts Building
9 Campus Drive
Saskatoon, SK,
Canada S7N 5A5
Tel: 306 966 4232; Fax: 306 966 8839; Email: j.dillon@artsandscience.usask.ca or contact Lavina Williams, Secretary lavina.williams@artsandscience.usask.ca
Tel: 306 966-4232
Fornssler, Cathie wrote:
>
> Attached is a memo from the Academic Programs Committee of Council
> regarding changes to mathematics admission requirements.
>
> The Committee is requesting a memo *by June 1* from the Deans of

From:
To: cc:
Subject:
Date:
Cecilia Reynolds
Buhr, Mary;
Fornssler, Cathie; Jo-Anne Dillon; brooke.dobni@usask.ca; Kozinski, Janusz; Rodgers, Carol; tom.steele@usask.ca; Renny, Alison; Chowdhury, Nurul; Pennock, Daniel; Humbert, Louise;
"Lynn Lemisko"; raj.srinivasan@usask.ca; Lisa Shepard; Len Proctor;
RE: Request for memo from Dean regarding high school mathematics admission requirements
Monday, May 10, 2010 3:29:44 PM
The Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Programs in the College of Education has taken part in conversations and meetings about the mathematics requirements.
The College of Education supports the changes.
Cecilia Reynolds, Dean of Education

From:
To: cc:
Subject:
Date:
Kozinski, Janusz
Fornssler, Cathie;
Nurul Amin Chowdhury;
Re: Request for memo from Dean regarding high school mathematics admission requirements
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 6:04:02 AM

From:
To: cc:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Dobni, Brooke
Fornssler, Cathie; Buhr, Mary; Jo-Anne Dillon; brooke.dobni@usask.ca; Cecilia Reynolds;
Kozinski, Janusz; Rodgers, Carol; tom.steele@usask.ca; Renny, Alison; Chowdhury, Nurul; Pennock, Daniel; Humbert, Louise;
"Lynn Lemisko"; raj.srinivasan@usask.ca; Lisa Shepard; Len Proctor;
RE: Request for memo from Dean regarding high school mathematics admission requirements
Monday, May 10, 2010 9:21:44 AM image003.png
Cathie;
This proposal has been vetted through the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. The committee agrees that the high school math requirements place ESB in the best possible place when balancing pre-requisite needs and enrolment challenges. A new proposed math course,
MATH 102.3; Pre-calculus Mathematics is being proposed to bridge students who enter ESB with a math deficiency or proven math weakness. The description of MATH 102 follows:
Mathematics & Statistics
New course(s)
MATH 102.3 Pre-calculus Mathematics
1 or 2 This course discusses mathematical ideas essential for the study of calculus. Topics include: the fundamentals of algebra; functions, their properties and graphs; polynomial and rational functions; exponential and logarithmic functions; trigonometric and inverse trigonometric functions; trigonometric properties.
Prerequisites: High school mathematics MATH A30 and B30.
Note: Students may not take this course for credit after any other 100-level MATH course.
Instructor(s): Faculty in the Department of Mathematics & Statistics
Rationale: Improves department ’ s offerings in the field and responds to student demands. Many current students struggle with first-year Calculus courses because of inadequate or out-of-date preparation. This course is designed to prepare such students for success in Calculus by providing a credit course option dealing with the mathematics essential for Calculus that will bring their mathematical preparedness to the necessary level.
In 2013, students will be entering the university under the new curriculum WNCP (Western
Northern Canadian Protocol) currently being proposed for high school mathematics. This may result in students entering the university into a program stream requiring calculus who did not follow the appropriate stream in high school. This new course is intended prepare them for university-level calculus.
In conclusion, ESB is in full support of the proposed changes to high school math admission requirements for ESB and the direction of the math department in providing more bridging mathematics courses via MATH 102.
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