Sacramento City College
Unit Plans
Completed Spring 2004
Department Name: Math & Statistics
Department Spokesperson: Deborah Bryant
Division Dean: Ron Hatton (Interim)
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Accomplishments
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Three-Year Plan
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Action Plan
Budget Request
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Budget Narrative
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Key Performance Indicators
Mathematics and Statistics Department / Action Plan 2003 – 2004
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Linkage to
Year-end Status and Accomplishments
Other Plans
Goal 1: Centralize Offices, Labs, Classrooms
Centralize offices and classrooms. We are
Department committee developed proposal, brought it to Dean, VP,
developing a plan to reconfigure our current
and Manager. Having a proposal in mind, greatly assisted the
space so as to centrally locate offices and
forwarding of specific needs to the architects for the facilities master
labs near most classrooms.
planning.
Due mostly to the large size of the department, and also to the
inefficiency of the spread of office locations, a committee structure
has improved the department effectiveness in addressing the needs of
the faculty, staff and students. Email has been another tool that has
increased communication. Having the department folder in the
Public Folders has provided a location and improved access to
Improve department organization by
needed references and lists for faculty and staff. Seven meetings per
including committees, lists of members,
semester increased communication and reporting. Development of a
reporting, and develop other strategies.
department calendar assisted in meeting deadlines, effectiveness of
meetings and accomplishment of goals. Lists of committee
memberships and reports from the department representatives
increase our awareness of issues and facilitate input. We identified
specific individuals to act as liaisons to departments and service areas
for which mathematics is profoundly connected.
Attendance at conferences and workshops has been a source of
valuable information about software and websites. Faculty share
Establish a process for evaluating and
information about software. Faculty report student use of software
updating software for faculty and classroom
available in the Math and Mesa Labs. A department technology
use.
committee started a website with reports about software, freeware,
and websites. This evaluation process will be formally added to next
year's calendar.
Goal 2: Increase Retention and Success Rates
Study correlation between prerequisite
Faculty members are collecting data of success by prerequisite
categories and success
categories: college coursework or assessment.
Action Item
Mathematics and Statistics Department / Action Plan 2003 – 2004
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Action Item
2b
Integrate technology into the mathematics
classrooms and curriculum
2c
Explore textbook alternatives to provide an
affordable education.
2d
Explore strategies and track their
effectiveness.
2e
Persist with Research Office, to establish
key performance indicators and expand to
others to validate needs and changes.
3a
Seek external funding through grants or
other avenues
Linkage to
Other Plans
Year-end Status and Accomplishments
Some faculty have course syllabus and course information on
websites. Several faculty use the smart classrooms for web searches,
presentations, specific software: Mathematica, Excel and will be
expanding to others: Geometer's Sketchpad. On-line and hybrid
courses are now being offered: Math 100, Math 120
The costs of textbooks is now a major focus among faculty and
faculty committees when making text choices and text
recommendations. Alternatives such as paperback, no text, and outof-print versions.
Data collected in conjunction with Pathways in Algebra of
traditional approaches as a baseline and compared to experimental
approaches. Presentations made at flex activities focus on hands-on
techniques and experienced instructors present their successes with
special topics
The main focus is currently on success rates of Math 100s and Math
120s. This focus will be expanded to Math 400 and retention will
also be studied.
Goal 3: Research
Particular areas of interest have been identified. The first approach
will be to focus on grant-writing for these areas.
Three-Year Plan
Math & Statistics Department
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Long Range Plan
Improve department efficiency by centralizing
offices and classrooms.
Study correlation between prerequisite
categories (assessment or passing course(s)) to
student success.
Increase professional growth and social
interaction among the department faculty and
staff.
Continue to integrate technology into the
mathematics classrooms and curriculum.
Establish a process for evaluating and
updating software for faculty and classroom
use.
Explore textbook alternatives to provide an
affordable education.
Explore strategies (and track their
effectiveness) to improve course retention and
completion rates.
Research key performance indicators currently
available, investigate expansion to others and
find appropriate applications.
Improve relationships with other departments,
especially Physics, Biology, Economics,
Psychology.
Develop additional support and establish
funding priorities for faculty development
which will include reassigned time for
technology training.
Replace desks with tables in one classroom to
create a group-work friendly environment in a
classroom.
Develop an on-going lecture series for faculty
and advanced students.
2005-2006
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Three-Year Plan
Math & Statistics Department
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Explore use and implementation of
standardization of course finals.
Increase access to mathematics instruction
through distance learning and broaden course
offerings.
Establish a rotational review of curriculum
which includes research and assessment.
Increase the number of Math AA degrees
obtained.
Research available assessment tools and
determine whether a more appropriate tool is
available, especially one that includes the
assessment of Geometry and improve the
assessment of trigonometry.
Increase dialog with Mathematics/Statistics
faculty at nearby community colleges, CSUS
and UCD
Improve dialog between full-time and adjunct
faculty.
Increase presentations, informal observations,
and sharing of effective teaching strategies
among department faculty
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Mathematics and Statistics Department / Action Plan 2004 – 2005
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Linkage to
Year-end Status and Accomplishments
Other Plans
Goal 1: Increase Retention and Success Rates
Establish a diagnostic process to better place our
students.
Study correlation between prerequisite categories
and success.
Explore textbook alternatives to provide an
affordable education.
Persist with Research Office, to establish key
performance indicators and expand to others to
validate needs and changes.
Explore use and implementation of standardization
of course finals.
Establish a rotational review of curriculum, which
includes research and assessment.
Increase the number of Math AA degrees obtained.
Goal 2: Appropriate Use of Technology
Integrate technology into the mathematics
classrooms and curriculum.
Establish a process for evaluating and updating
software for faculty and classroom use.
Seek external funding through grants or other
avenues.
Increase access to mathematics instruction through
distance learning and broaden course offerings.
Obtain laptop computers for all permanent full-time
faculty members.
Establish wireless environments in office and
classroom areas.
Inventory and eliminate outdated equipment.
Action Item
Mathematics and Statistics Department / Action Plan 2004 – 2005
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3a
3b
3c
3d
3e
Linkage to
Year-end Status and Accomplishments
Other Plans
Goal 3: Expanding the Scope of Professionalism
Write textbooks for departmental use.
Increase professional growth and social interaction
among the department faculty and staff.
Improve relationships with other departments,
especially Physics, Biology, Economics,
Psychology.
Develop an on-going lecture series for faculty and
advanced students.
Establish a rotational review of curriculum which
includes research and assessment.
Action Item
Budget Narrative 2005 – 2006
Mathematics and Statistics Department
Line
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Description
1
Assessment Exams
2
Release-time: study student success
3
Total
Amount
Priority
Rank
3000
1
.333 FTE
8
Release-time: develop standard
course finals
.2 FTE
3
4
Grant writing: technology
.2 FTE
6
5
Department Development
6
Classroom of tables and chairs
7
4000
9
Justification
Our current assessments do not predict well for certain level
students and we have no assessment that includes geometry. We
want to research the tools available and the successes of other
colleges. There is a need to align prerequisites to specific
courses such as Math 300 with CSUS Math 1.
One of the department's highest goals is to improve student
success. A study of this topic requires a commitment of many
hours of attention, it is much too large a task to add to any one
person's regular load.
One of the department's goals is to guarantee consistency
among all sections of any particular course. Developing a
standard course final for each course would enhance our ability
to not only be sure to deliver the same basic course content to
each student, but to also have an indicator for each instructor's
effectiveness. This gives the faculty a means to monitor itself,
yet maintain academic freedom.
The department is in need of a feasible solution to maintaining
professionalism in the classroom. We are in need of portable
technological devices for each faculty member.
Since the department faculty offices are spread out on campus,
there is a need for setting aside funds for events to bring us
together. We need more time than a department meeting can
provide, time that is more flexible than our current Math Day
Flex activities.
The math department wishes to convert one classroom to tables
and chairs to accommodate flexibility in class structure to allow
for such techniques as productive group activities, etc.
Budget Narrative 2005 – 2006
Mathematics and Statistics Department
Line
#
Description
Total
Amount
Priority
Rank
7
Lecture Series: 4 colloquia per year
1000
5
8
Conference Funding
5200
2
9
Supplies/books
2600
4
10
Student Assistants/Tutors, Graders
16380
10
Justification
We would like to bring guest speakers to SCC. This will
encourage more mathematics interest among students. Funds
will cover modest honorariums.
Staff development funds are quite limited. Mathematics has
been undergoing more and more changes in the last several
years. There are many conference options available. This level
of funding would enable faculty to attend national conferences
about every other year.
For faculty to remain current in the field, equipment, books,
journals or memberships are some of the many ways to keep
abreast and keep content relevant to students.
Faculty are interested in hiring UCD or CSUS students or others
as assistants and graders. A similar practice is currently in place
at Grossmont College. It is beyond the abilities of most current
students to assist in our college level classes. The lack of
obtaining assistance beyond current students makes it difficult to
acquire help.
Key Performance Indictors for Math & Statistics Department
Math 100 – Fall 2003
4th
week
24
27
28
29
35
37
39
39
39
40
40
40
40
40
40
41
41
42
42
43
44
59
totals
849
means 38.591
Passed
4
12
5
5
18
9
14
25
12
11
13
24
16
20
15
8
21
16
19
17
20
40
344
15.636
Number
on
grade
roster
9
19
13
17
27
13
19
32
23
29
21
28
24
33
22
25
31
31
28
26
30
47
547
24.864
4th week
dropped
15
8
15
12
8
24
20
7
16
11
19
12
16
7
18
16
10
11
14
17
14
12
302
13.727
Final
Pass % Pass %
16.67
44.44
17.86
17.24
51.43
24.32
35.90
64.10
30.77
27.50
32.50
60.00
40.00
50.00
37.50
19.51
51.22
38.10
45.24
39.53
45.45
67.80
44.44
63.16
38.46
29.41
66.67
69.23
73.68
78.13
52.17
37.93
61.90
85.71
66.67
60.61
68.18
32.00
67.74
51.61
67.86
65.38
66.67
85.11
40.52
62.89
Math 120 Fall 2003 Number on
4th Week
Passed grade roster dropped
29
5
13
16
34
11
18
16
35
20
24
11
37
7
15
22
38
7
16
22
38
8
15
23
38
12
16
22
39
11
24
15
39
13
28
11
40
17
30
10
40
7
13
27
40
28
33
7
41
29
36
5
41
7
10
31
42
7
17
25
42
8
15
27
43
6
18
25
43
20
26
17
44
23
37
7
45
20
24
21
45
22
30
15
47
16
25
22
49
24
28
21
totals
929
328
511
418
means 40.391
14.261
22.217
18.174
4th week
Pass %
17.24
32.35
57.14
18.92
18.42
21.05
31.58
28.21
33.33
42.50
17.50
70.00
70.73
17.07
16.67
19.05
13.95
46.51
52.27
44.44
48.89
34.04
48.98
35.31
Final
Pass %
38.46
61.11
83.33
46.67
43.75
53.33
75.00
45.83
46.43
56.67
53.85
84.85
80.56
70.00
41.18
53.33
33.33
76.92
62.16
83.33
73.33
64.00
85.71
64.19
The overall pass rates for these two key courses, Math 100, Elementary Algebra and Math 120,
Intermediate Algebra indicates a need for improvement. The department takes the data seriously and
have goals aligned to address improvement areas. These two courses are the lowest pass rates of the
department. If improvements can be made to these courses, the other courses will benefit from some
of the general changes. Some specific course reviews will be necessary to improve each course we
offer.