2014-15 Program Review
Best Practices Form
Instructions: Submit this form as a separate attachment with your completed Program Review. Programs often do something particularly well;
usually they have learned through assessment—sometimes trial and error—what solves a problem or makes their programs work so well. These
are often called Best Practices and can help others. Please share the practices your program has found to be effective. The contact information
lets others know whom to contact for more information. This part of Program Review is linked to the Student Success Strategic Goal: “Become an
exemplary model of student success by developing and implementing best practices.” For examples of Best Practices visit the Program Review
Committee’s website.
Program/Department:
______Math___________________________
Name of Chair/Director/Manager: Regina Hukill
Email Address:_________rhukill@bakersfieldcollege.edu________________________ Phone:
x4331
Best Practice(s): Bernie Scanlon
Every semester I have all the students in all my classes write up an autobiography. Although I give them a handout with a series of specific questions to
answer, that is merely meant as a guide. The students can structure their autobiography in any way they choose.
The principal purpose of the autobio (as I call it) is for me to get to know better every one of my students. I promise them on the first day of class that I
will not share their autobio information with anyone. No one will read any of the autobios except myself.
The students are encouraged to tell me about their previous background in math, starting with grade school or high school, and also talking about any
previous math courses they’ve taken at the college or community college level.
Perhaps more than anything else, I strongly encourage everyone to be brutally honest with me and tell me how they feel about having to learn math. I
can attest that students greatly appreciate the chance to tell me about all the bad experiences they’ve had in math classes and also about instances where
they were “misled” about math or were simply taught incorrect mathematical principles. Not surprisingly, I learn that many students are quite terrified
about having to take math classes as part of their degree. All of this information helps me to be a better and more caring math instructor.
Overall, reading the autobios helps me to somewhat tailor my teaching style to each class. Early in the semester I already am aware of potential rough
spots in students’ understanding of math. It makes it easier to teach the sooner I know of such things.
Revised by: Program Review Committee (June 2, 2014)
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Best Practice(s): For the Math Department

We have assigned an SLO data leader for each math course to be responsible for the ongoing cycle of SLO assessments. This works well since we
have a huge number of course offerings, and some of our courses have as many as 15 to 17 sections. After the SLO data leader sends out the
SLOs to be assessed for that semester, the instructors collect the data and send it to the SLO data leader who writes up a report based on the
assessment results. Those results and any supporting evidence is then forwarded to our curriculum specialist who enters the assessment
information for each course into CurricuNet.

In addition to tutoring students during our office hours, we offer students many opportunities on campus to get extra help through STEM
assistants, drop in tutoring in the Math Lab, and peer tutoring in the Tutoring Center) for free.

We use real world applications in our lesson plans, and technology such as BrightLink, and document cameras, to make learning interesting and
to engage students.
Best Practice(s): Kathleen Rush
MathB60- Study Skills = 1. Weekly Schedule given to students to fill out for time management. 2. Handout asking them to fill out ways they can be
successful on an exam and what things could derail them. 3. Collect homework notebooks on exam day to check for organization and completion of
homework. 4. Homework is done on MyMathLab which offers help and hints so students don’t remain stuck when working alone. 5. Math videos to
keep them interested. 5. Chapter exams and weekly quizzes….frequent assessments which may help them stay focused and up-to-date on the material.
MathB1b – 1. STEM tutor assigned to my class 2. Collect homework notebooks on exam day to check for organization and completion of homework.
3. Encourage students to attend luncheon STEM presentations to motivate them beyond the classroom. 4. Technology in the classroom to illustrate
concepts in a dynamic way.
MathB6A - 1. Encourage students to attend luncheon STEM presentations to motivate them beyond the classroom 2. Math videos to keep them
interested. 3. Homework is done on MyMathLab which offers help and hints so students don’t remain stuck when working alone
4. Chapter exams and weekly quizzes….frequent assessments which may help them stay focused and up-to-date on the material.
Revised by: Program Review Committee (June 2, 2014)
Page 2