Program Development Plan
Program:
Mathematics (MATH)
Department: Mathematics and Computer
Science
Date: June 8, 2015
Strengths: The MATH program …
• faculty composition and their caring for and commitment to the education of their students is exceptional;
• has strong programs with good curricular balance of traditional and modern topics;
• provides good customer service to all clients, both students and other disciplines.
Recommendations
Recommendations for the Department
1. Request (and establish) a new tenure-line position in mathematics. (p. 5)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
H
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Variable
Department Head,
Provost
Date of Review
C/R/N
Submit a proposal for a new faculty line
in next budget request cycle. New
position should support
Recommendation 2 (actuarial
science/analytics) and Recommendation
3 (Biltmore Park instruction). Supply
data for such instructional demand,
including growth in SCH and in service
course demand for Kimmel School.
N
Spring 2016
2. Resurrect the actuarial science option, and consider an analytics/big data option or theme. (p. 3)
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
1
Academic Affairs
Program Development Plan
Recommendations
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
H
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
Stage 1:
faculty
time
Stage 2:
Addition
al
instructi
on (6-9
credit
hours
per year)
Stage 3:
variable
BS MATH Program
Director, BS MATH
Curriculum Committee
Stage 1: Spring
2016
C/R/N
Stage 1: Reintroduce Actuarial Science
Concentration into BS MATH using
existing coursework.
Stage 1: C
Stage 2: R
Stage 3: N
Stage 2: Develop additional coursework
and/or increase frequency of course
offerings.
Stage 3: Consider feasibility of a
certificate program at undergraduate or
graduate level.
Stage 2: Spring
2017
Stage 3: Spring
2018
3. Ensure that mathematics instructors for the Biltmore engineering program are stakeholders in the WCU Mathematics Department.
(p. 4)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
C/R/N
2
Academic Affairs
Program Development Plan
Recommendations
H
Stage 1: MATH 153 Calculus I in Fall
2015 will be taught by a tenure-line
faculty member.
R
One 4credit
course
per term
Department Head,
MATH Program
Director, MATH faculty
Stage 2: Schedule BP courses to
maintain high quality of instruction
(preferably by a tenure-line faculty
member). Use adjunct pay and/or new
faculty line to cover the “hole” in the
Cullowhee schedule created by BP
course.
Stage 1:
Completed
Stage 2: Spring
2016
4. Adopt a placement/remediation tool such as ALEKS PPL. (pp. 3-4)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
H
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
Variable
Department Head,
Mathematics Tutoring
Center Director, OIPE,
Provost
Stage 1: Fall
2015
C/R/N
Stage 1: In response to the QEP topic
selection committee selecting the
abstract: Placement, Emporium, Math
Success, MCS faculty will submit an
expanded proposal.
N
Stage 2: We are in a trial phase of a
placement algorithm that uses both SAT
Math and unweighted HS GPA.
Stage 2: Spring
2017
Stage 3: Spring
2017
Stage 3: Consider adopting a placement
product.
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
3
Academic Affairs
Program Development Plan
Recommendations
5. Advise terminal mathematics students to take something other than MATH 130 (College Algebra). Other more suitable options
include MATH 101 (Mathematics Concepts) or MATH 170 (Applied Statistics). (p. 3)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
Department Head,
OIPE, Advising Center
Stage 1:
Completed
C/R/N
Stage 1: Department moves away from
advising students to take MATH 130 by
default.
Stage 2: Spring
2017
Stage 2: Develop an advising strategy
for students to take the math course
appropriate for major and for level of
preparedness. Use placement tool from
Recommendation 4. Coordinate
placement with Advising Center. Advise
students who need not take a MATH
course in first year.
6. Apply for grants that aid recruitment, such as NSF SSTEM, STEP, and Noyce grants. (p. 5)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
C/R/N
4
Academic Affairs
Program Development Plan
Recommendations
M
Department members attended a
Webinar on submitting an NSF Noyce
Fellowship Grant proposal. We hope to
submit a proposal some time in the next
two funding cycles. NSF STEP has been
discontinued and NSF S-STEM is
inactive – consider other sources.
R
Faculty
time
Departmental faculty
Spring 2018
7. Add language to DCRD indicating that unfunded grant proposals with good reviews will be valued. (p. 5)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
M
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
N
Faculty
time
Departmental faculty
Spring 2016
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
N
Departmental faculty
Completed
C/R/N
This will be considered in a DCRD
revision in 2015-2016.
8. Add a senior thesis option. (p. 3)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
H
C/R/N
Submitted and approved. Will appear in
2015-2016 catalog.
N
Challenges for Administration
9. Address salary compression and inversion. (p. 5)
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
5
Academic Affairs
Program Development Plan
Recommendations
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
H
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
Variable
Department Head, Dean,
Provost, Chancellor
Ongoing
C/R/N
Consider salary issues carefully in next
merit pay cycle.
N
10. Supply additional funding for furniture and instructional technology (e.g., smartboards). (pp. 5-6)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
M
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
Variable
Department Head,
Departmental faculty
Spring 2016
C/R/N
Funding for furniture to enhance
department learning community will be
proposed in next budget review cycle.
Functionality of instructional technology
will be assessed. Consider Classroom
Enhancement grant, GA grants, etc.
N
11. Be cognizant of the fallout from the loss of mathematics graduate programs, such as (a) MTC staffing, (b) loss of 4+1
recruiting tool, and (c) loss of local supply of mathematics instructors with ties to WCU. (pp. 3-4)
Priority
Strategic Action
L/M/H
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
Resources needed
Costs
Person(s) Responsible
Date of Review
C/R/N
6
Academic Affairs
Program Development Plan
Recommendations
M
(a) Plan to recruit more highly qualified
undergraduate tutors and certify them.
(b) Enhance other recruiting strategies,
such as use of social media, acquisition
of new scholarships, and renewal of the
Actuarial Science concentration. (See 2.)
(c) Network with other regional
institutions of higher education to recruit
fixed term and part time faculty. Move
temporary fixed term line to recurring
funds. Submit proposal for new tenure
line- see Recommendation 1.
Mathematics
H/M/L – High / Medium / Low
C/R/N – Current / Reallocated / New
R
Variable
7
Department Head, Math
Tutoring Center
Director, BS MATH
Program Director, BS
MATH Curriculum
Committee,
Departmental faculty,
Provost
(a) Spring
2016
(b) Spring
2017
(c) Spring
2017
Academic Affairs