An Coiste Feabhais Acadúil
The Committee on Academic Quality Improvement
The Academic Quality Assurance Programme, 2007–2008
Review of
The Department of Mathematics
Final Report
29 April 2008
This report arises from a visit by a Review Group to the Department of Mathematics on
19th -21st February 2008. The Department had already prepared and submitted a 'Self
Assessment Report' that, with other documentation, was made available to the Group in
advance of the visit.
The Review Group consisted of: Professor Jürgen Berndt, Chair and Head of Department
of Mathematics, University College Cork (Chair); Professor Anthony J. Lawrance,
Department of Statistics, University of Warwick; Professor Edmund F. Robertson,
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St. Andrews; Dr. David O’Sullivan,
Department of Industrial Engineering, NUI Galway; Dr Maria Tuohy of the CFA acting
as rapporteur, and Professor Annick Johnson, Managing Director of AVEPRO, Rome, as
Observer.
The report is structured as follows:
1. Aims, Objectives and Planning
2. Organization and Management
3. Programmes and Instruction
4. Scholarship and Research
5. Community Service
6. The Wider Context
7. Concluding Remarks and Executive Summary
8. Comments on the Methodology of the Review Process
During its two-and-half-day visit (Tuesday 19th – Thursday 21st February 2008), the
Review Group had the opportunity to meet with all members of the Department, first on
Wednesday morning with the Head of Department and followed by a one-and-half-hour
meeting with all members of staff. The Review Group subsequently met with many
individual members on Thursday. It also met with five undergraduate students
representing the different programmes to which the Department of Mathematics
contributes, seven postgraduate research students (at Master and PhD levels) and two
recent graduates, and with the administrators in the Department. The Review Group
conducted interviews with the Deans of the Colleges of Arts, Engineering and Science,
with the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, and with senior representatives of the
University administration, including the Vice-President for Physical Resources, the VicePresident for Research, the Assistant Secretary in the Registrar’s Office and the Assistant
Director of CELT. The Review Group also visited all the accommodation facilities of the
Department.
1.
Aims, Objectives and Planning
The Review Group was impressed by the self-assessment report and supporting
documentation provided by the Department of Mathematics. The Review Group also
wishes to thank the staff of the Department for the requested additional documentation
provided in a comprehensive and professional manner during the course of the review.
The staff in the Department made considerable effort to inform the reviewers of the
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achievements and difficulties of the Department over the last ten years, together with its
areas for improvement and current concerns. The self-assessment report and the
accompanying documentation provided an overview of a Department with a large and
diverse portfolio of core and service teaching programmes and a clear indication of a
Department with significant and increasing research activity. The Departmental aims and
objectives, as laid out under the constituent headings on page 5 of the self-assessment
report, are clearly formulated in relation to teaching and learning, to research, to staff
development, to the wider community and to the University.
These matters must be slightly provisional, given that a new School incorporating
Mathematics and Mathematical Physics is in the course of formation. As a further
consequence of this situation, the Review Group heard that final steps in the finalization
of a strategic plan for the Department had been deferred until the new School structure
was clear. However, the Department has clearly outlined the priorities to be incorporated
in the operational plan on page 6 of the self-assessment report, some of which the Review
Group discussed with the Head of Department and individual members of staff. The
priorities listed encompass key areas of teaching and learning, research, and
infrastructure. The Review Group understands that the aims and objectives for the
Discipline (the current Department) of Mathematics will be encompassed in the new
School structure and comments made in this report will need to be read in this context.
The following recommendations are made:
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2.
The Review Group recommends that the Department of Mathematics (or new
Discipline of Mathematics in the new School) should revise its aims and objectives
and develop a strategic plan for teaching, research, staffing and other academic
matters within the context of the new School. A long-term strategy should be
formulated to underpin future negotiation with the University management on
decision-making in regard to academic issues such as staffing and priorities.
The Review Group recommends that the Department (or Discipline) should
continue to develop their service teaching in all Colleges and Faculties along the
lines of the excellent model provided by their interaction with the Faculty of
Commerce. It should continue to be an aim of the Department to provide excellence
in service teaching and to work constructively with the relevant Colleges and
Faculties towards providing the best possible student learning experience.
Organization and Management
The Department of Mathematics currently consists of 19.5 permanent academic staff
(including two university professors, 1 personal professor and 3 senior lecturers), one
contract academic staff member, one part-time teaching assistant and two administrative
assistants. The dedication, commitment, enthusiasm and collegiality of staff in the
Department was clearly evident to the Review Group, despite the appalling and disparate
accommodation facilities available to the Department. The external members of the
Review Group found that the current standard of the Department’s buildings amounted to
‘mathematical slums’, almost unbelievable in a western university, and actually
unsanitary according to some comments made by postgraduates. Another unpleasant
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surprise was that the Department has absolutely no support staff, highly regrettable for a
modern Mathematics Department. This role is currently and inappropriately provided by
academic staff. On the positive side, the Department has in place an active and
overarching Departmental Committee, which comprises all academic staff. In addition,
three sub-committees for Teaching, Research, and Teaching Allocation, are in place
supporting the management of the Department. The Review Group recommends that
additionally the Department has unified Health & Safety policy. The Department is
commended for the policy it has implemented to ensure an equitable and structured
approach to the distribution of teaching loads in the Department, and the manner in which
sabbatical periods and research developments (including the De Brun Centre and
statistical expansion) are supported.
The Review Group was very concerned about the relatively low number of senior
staff in the Department and about low staff morale arising from issues in relation to
promotion from Lecturer to Senior Lecturer. The current promotion procedure is
implemented with emphasis on quantitative measures for research output rather than
qualitative ones and fails to acknowledge the specific intellectual nature of mathematical
research. It is also not in line with Section 2.1.6 of the University Strategy for Research
2007-2011, where it is stated that the University is committed to measuring the output of
its investments in research, with one of the four important outputs being the quality of
publications. In mathematics, even initial quality judgements outside the department can
only be made on the basis of external review and this apparently is not done.
The following recommendations are made:
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The Review Group strongly recommends immediate steps to correct the appalling
lack of good quality, consolidated office and meeting facilities currently available
to the Department. After various discussions, the Review Group recommends that
the only acceptable long-term solution is a new building for the new School
including the Discipline of Mathematics. However, more immediately, they see a
shorter-term solution arising from the pending move of Zoology releasing space in
the Aras de Brun Building. After some renovation, the Vice-President for Physical
Resources thought it could provide sufficient office and meeting space for
academic, research and administrative staff, and for postgraduate students. The
Review Group thinks it is highly important that the new School in its entirety be
located at a single location from the beginning, and from which a unified
mathematical community can develop. The mathematical research benefits of this
are hard to overstate, and it would also be working ‘home’ for mathematical
undergraduates and so enhance their experience too. From meetings that the Review
Group had with senior members of University management, a radical improvement
of accommodation will have the support of Deans of the Colleges of Arts,
Engineering and Science, the Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Commerce, and senior
representatives of the University Administration, particularly including the VicePresident for Physical Resources and the Vice-President for Research. The
Assistant Secretary in the Registrar’s Office was also made aware of the urgent
need for vastly improved facilities by the Review Group.
The Review Group recommends implementing criteria to improve the promotional
prospects of mathematics staff and so reduce poor staff morale, both for those who
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already deserve promotion and for those younger colleagues who are dispirited by
the promotion block they see ahead. Such improvements should incorporate
promotion on the basis of externally validated research quality. This will ensure
staff retention and also adequate representation of the Discipline of Mathematics by
senior academics at senior levels on University decision-making bodies. The
University should implement its promotional strategy in ways that reflect the
different nature of individual disciplines, in mathematics principally on the basis of
publication quality, rather than from volume or finance perspectives.
The Review Group, in addition to the previous recommendation, recommends that
the University applies an exceptional one-off correction to repair the unacceptable
situation that has arisen in regard to several highly deserving but unpromoted staff
in Mathematics.
The Review Group recommends the recruitment of a full-time technical support
officer for the Department. It is now widely accepted in the mathematical
community that adequate computing facilities and software are required for the
delivery of high quality undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It is vital to
have technical support with the relevant expertise for maintaining and developing
computing facilities, installing and upgrading software and advising students and
staff on computing matters.
The Review Group recommends that the Department revises the remit of the current
Faculty service teaching representatives to be responsible for liaising with, and
managing all aspects relating to, teaching matters with the individual Colleges and
Faculties.
The Review Group recommends that the Department negotiate with University
Management to secure funds from earned research overheads generated by the De
Brun Centre to fund the essential administrative support required for the centre’s
activities.
Programmes and Instruction
The Department has a reasonable overall strategy on teaching and learning and currently
provides a diverse array of courses and service teaching, perhaps too diverse from
efficiency considerations. The Review Group noted the success of key programmes (e.g.
Financial Mathematics) and the continued performance of the Department in attracting
good quality students. The Review Group would have liked a clearer understanding of the
relationship between different course codes and apparently similar course descriptions. A
breakdown of individual workloads, in terms of lecturing, tutorial and supervisory duties
and contact hours would also have been useful.
The Department currently makes an invaluable contribution to a wide variety of
programmes across five different Colleges. In some instances, significant collaboration
has taken place between the Department and individual Colleges on course design and
improvement (e.g. Commerce and Arts), while closer collaboration should be developed
with other Colleges (e.g. Engineering and Science). The Faculty of Commerce highly
commended the level of engagement and openness displayed by the Department of
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Mathematics to the development of their new ‘mathematics for business’ programme,
which has been implemented in the 1st and 2nd years of the BComm degree. Plans are in
progress to continue the collaboration with a view to developing modules for 3rd and 4th
year courses. New approaches to student assessment and the evaluation of learning
outcomes have been included as part of the 1st year programme. The Faculty of
Commerce is keen to progress towards accreditation of its degree programmes and would
welcome the continued interaction/collaboration of the Department of Mathematics. The
Faculty also envisages that the BComm programme could be used as a model to revise
and restructure the involvement of Mathematics in their other degree programmes e.g.
BComm (International) and BSc Information Systems. In addition, the Department of
Mathematics has developed a new ‘Blended Learning’ (part-time) degree option in
Commerce.
The College of Arts has introduced very significant changes in the 1st year BA
programme to promote early student engagement, and while this has very considerable
resource and time implications, the Department has engaged fully with the College in
facilitating these changes. The Review Group was taken aback with the amount of time
spread right through the terms and vacations which the College of Arts gave to multiple
examination opportunities.
The Review Group commends the Department’s proactive approach to
developing methods to provide students with key problem-solving, numeracy, reasoning
and communication skills through the development of focused workshops, group
projects, and to the development of new courses in key emerging areas of strategic
importance to the University, e.g. in Biostatistics and Bioinformatics.
The Review Group noted the very significant demands on administrative and
academic staff in the Department of Mathematics due to the time-consuming nature of
examination processes (60-70 examination papers per academic year). The enormous
workload reflects the varied natures of courses, differences between ‘Marks & Standards’
requirements for similar/identical programmes in different Colleges/Faculties and
multiple exam periods throughout the academic year, including repeat examinations.
Some points were raised regarding the relevance of some modules in some programmes,
where students would have preferred the opportunity to take additional coursework in key
topics. More appropriate choice in terms of final year projects in some programmes, e.g.
Financial Mathematics, would also be welcomed by the students. In this particular
regard, the Review Group did not favour a major diversification into Financial
Mathematics; rather it felt that existing staff could be given time and resources to develop
mathematical and statistical teaching areas in finance outside of their existing expertise
comfort zones. The provision of new consolidated accommodation facilities for
Mathematics would be viewed as a very positive development by the students, who value
the friendly, enthusiastic, helpful and approachable nature of staff in the Department of
Mathematics and appreciate the efforts, contribution and dedication of staff.
The following recommendations are made:
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The Review Group recommends that the future Discipline of Mathematics adopt a
thorough review of undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes aiming at
relevance and delivery efficiency. In this process, the new Department and
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4.
Discipline should engage fully with all of the constituent stakeholders in other
faculties and in so doing would have the full support of their Deans. The
opportunity should also be taken to review the Departments traditional programmes
and prune away outmoded or inefficient offerings.
The Review Group recommends that the Department avails itself of opportunities
envisaged for the incorporation of Mathematics modules at postgraduate level in
new 4th level initiatives (e.g. in Engineering).
The Review Group recommends reduced tutorial size for courses with large
numbers of students (e.g. in Arts), and more postgraduate tutors with formalized
training and for tutor briefing sessions prior to tutorials.
The Review Group recommends improved and clearer student guidance on
programme selection, e.g. provision of course booklets, clear information on subject
choices for different mathematical degree/career paths, especially more clarity in
course selection for students taking mathematics in the Undenominated Science
programme versus the Denominated Mathematics degree programmes.
The Review Group recommends the implementation of a formalized approach to
student feedback for all programmes and the creation of a staff-student committee.
The Review Group recommends recruitment of a Technical Support Officer and
ready access to a range of core and software packages for students.
Scholarship and Research
The Department of Mathematics is a research-active Department with many high profile,
excellent staff who have international recognition and display a high level of commitment
to research. The significant research activity of the Department is reflected in the marked
increase in the number of graduate students, including IRCSET-funded graduate students.
The Review Group noted that the number of PhD students would be considered high for a
Mathematics Department. In addition, there has been a significant increase in postdoctoral researcher numbers, in the ability of the Department to attract international
research staff, and in the level of research funding awarded to the Department from
various funding bodies, including Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The Review Group
noted publications in journals of high reputation, as well as excellence in several key
areas of Mathematics, especially the established area of Algebra and Group Theory and
the invigorated area of Statistics. The Review Group commended the excellent
interaction between staff in organizing research seminar programmes and in developing
initiatives to foster a research culture for graduate and postdoctoral researchers in spite of
deplorable accommodation facilities. The Review Group also noted the significant
potential of the De Brun Centre, which is a prestigious (SFI) research initiative in
Computational Algebra to enhance the national and international research profile of the
Department and the reputation of the University in mathematical research. The Review
Group further noted significant developments in the area of Statistics since the external
appointment some five years ago of a Chair in the subject, among these being associated
research students and fellows, and the imminent appointment of an SFI-funded Lecturer
and an SFI-funded Chair in Bioinformatics. Clearly, the twin peaks of computational
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algebra and statistics need continued emphasis in strategic planning. The Review Group
recommends exploiting the new School structure for future interdisciplinary activities.
The Review Group was impressed by the high regard in which the Department is held
amongst its postgraduate students, who feel that the Department is very encouraging,
helpful and approachable and does its best despite the appalling situation with offices.
The Department has also been very encouraging to mature students proceeding with
research degree options. Given all of the above, the Review Group was highly concerned
about the negative impact of the lack of acceptable accommodation facilities on the
ability of the Department to maintain and develop its research reputation, especially in its
two key areas of research excellence.
In view of the staff’s perception that the nature of mathematical research is not
fully understood at upper management committee levels, the Review Group wishes to
make the following statement, and a list of recommendations. Research in Mathematics
is generally done on an individual or two-person basis, not in large groups. Likewise,
research supervision is an individual and hence very time consuming activity; so
generally there are fewer numbers of graduate students than in other scientific disciplines.
Despite the greater funding opportunities for applied and inter-disciplinary research, core
mathematical research should have equal standing in the University with these areas. It
follows that decisions on staff advancement and resource allocation should be on the
basis of research performance evaluated externally and therefore on a basis which is fair
relative to the norms of Mathematics, not by universal and perhaps inapplicable volumes,
finance and scores.
The following recommendations are made:
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The Review Group recommends that the importance and role of Mathematics in the
strategic research goals of the University should be promoted and developed;
currently, staff consider their research is undervalued by the University. While
some opportunities would appear to exist for Mathematics in the University
Research Strategy 2007-2011 and in SFI-funded inter-University clusters,
Mathematics does not have a central profile.
The Review Group recommends the Department or new School makes a strong case
for the appointment of two new Chair positions in central mathematical and
statistical areas, and this to be a key component of their strategic plan. The
Department is currently well below weight in senior appointments relative to its
size; one would expect 4 established Chairs in a research-active Department of its
size.
The Review Group recommends that the DeBrun Centre should be formally
recognised by the University as a research unit and that a link from the relevant
University website to the excellent website of the DeBrun Centre should be
established. The DeBrun Centre is funded by the Science Foundation of Ireland,
which is funding research projects on behalf of the Irish Government. The DeBrun
Centre should be promoted to the general public by the University and not only by
the Department of Mathematics.
The Review Group urges the University to create relevant promotional
opportunities for mathematics staff, otherwise their research excellence and
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dedication in teaching will inevitably suffer.
The Review Group recommends the streamlining of teaching activities in order to
reduce the impact of large and diverse teaching loads on research.
The Review Group recommends that the University provide the Department with
additional administrative assistance to meet increasing research needs, justified by
income generated from research support overheads.
The Review Group recommends the development of interaction at research level
with the College of Arts and Celtic Studies where this fits with the Department’s
research strategy.
Community Service
The Department has played a very active role in the University community, which is
clearly evident from the contribution of staff to University committees and initiatives. It
was clear to the Review group that staff in the Department are actively involved in
promoting the University in the community e.g. through Science Promotion Group under
the auspices of the College of Science and through Department-led initiatives to promote
mathematics at primary and secondary school levels. The Review Group commends the
Department for its contribution to Community Service, and no recommendations for
improvement are required here.
6.
The Wider Context
The Review Group noted the very significant contribution made by the Department at
local, national and international levels through its many external scholarship and research
links. Not only has the Department developed innovative schemes to promote
mathematics at primary and secondary school levels through its outreach activities, but it
also actively participates in Erasmus/Socrates and JYA undergraduate exchange
programmes. Members of staff act as external examiners, are members of judging panels
(e.g. Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition), represent the Department and
University on various national and international professional boards, and act as
international evaluators and reviewers for professional funding agencies and journals.
Members of staff have many research and teaching links with 3rd Level institutions all
over the world.
The following recommendation is made:
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7.
The Review Group urges further staff promotions to strengthen the Department’s
ability to further enhance the national and international profile of the University.
Concluding Remarks and Executive Summary
The achievements of the Department of Mathematics in recent years are remarkable. Just
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to mention a few highlights; the quality of undergraduate education and students is very
high, the number of PhD students increased significantly, the quality of research is
excellent. There are two external factors that have a significant negative impact on the
further development of the Department: accommodation and promotion. It should be a
high priority of the University to work with the Department towards a satisfactory
resolution of these two problems. The main internal factors requiring development by the
Department are a published strategy for staffing, teaching, research and other academic
matters, and clarity of the programme descriptions in the teaching portfolio of the
Department. The Department should act soon on these matters taking into account the
new School structure. Finally, it appears to the Review Group that the University does
not fully understand and appreciate the importance of the academic discipline of
Mathematics in the context of its strategic priorities. Mathematics is pervasive in many
other academic disciplines and must be a core discipline at any University aiming at
international recognition. Research in Mathematics, covering pure, applied and statistics,
is a fundamental component of the research portfolio of such a University. Research in
Mathematics is performed either by individuals or in groups which are very small
compared to other disciplines. Research funding in Mathematics is of much less
importance than in many other science subjects, and mainly required to support PhD
students or postdoctoral fellows, and for organising and attending workshops and
conferences. International recognition and esteem in Mathematics is achieved by research
of high quality, as judged by external peers. The Department of Mathematics at NUI
Galway has achieved this in some fundamental areas of Mathematics, particularly in
Algebra and Statistics. The DeBrun Centre for Computational Algebra is an excellent and
potentially long-standing achievement. NUI Galway should build on these achievements
and provide an adequate environment for research activities.
The main recommendations arising from the review process are stated in the following
Executive Summary.
Executive Summary
1. The Review Group strongly recommends immediate steps by the University to
correct the appalling lack of good quality and consolidated accommodation facilities
by implementing both its proposed long-term and short-term solutions.
2 The Review Group recommends a revision of promotional criteria for staff in
Mathematics focused on research quality as mainly judged by external mathematical
evaluation rather than by volume, finance and scores, and urges a one-off correction
to repair the unsatisfactory current situation.
3 The Review Group recommends the appointment of two further Chairs in central
areas of Mathematics and Statistics in order to bring the discipline in line with
international proportions.
4 The Review Group recommends that the present Department of Mathematics adopt a
thorough review of undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes at Discipline
level aimed at relevance and delivery efficiency in the new School.
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5
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The Review Group recommends that the present Department of Mathematics should
develop a strategic plan for teaching, research, staffing and other academic matters in
the context of the new School.
The Review Group urges the University to promote and develop the importance and
role of Mathematics in its strategic research plan.
Comments on The Methodology of the Review Process
The review was well organised, and everyone the Review Group met with made the
whole process a very constructive exercise. In retrospect, the Review Group might have
found it valuable to meet with all staff a second time after completing its meetings with
other individuals and groups.
Professor Jürgen Berndt (Chair)
Professor Anthony J. Lawrance
Professor Edmund F. Robertson
Dr. David O’Sullivan
Dr Maria Tuohy (Rapporteur)
Professor Annick Johnson (Observer)
(29 April 2008)
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