program review - university of illinois springfield

UNIVERSITY: University of Illinois Springfield COLLEGE: Liberal Arts and Sciences PROGRAM: Mathematical Sciences, B.A. CIPS Classification Code: 27.0101 Submitted for: Result Report 2010 Date: 04112/2010

I. Program Objectives and Structure

Date of Initiation: 1970

Conceptual Design:

The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences degree is designed to prepare students with the knowledge, skills, and experience that lead to productive careers requiring strong background of mathematics, operations research, or statistics in both private and public sectors such as teaching, research, industry, insurance, management, and graduate study in mathematical sciences or related areas.

The Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Sciences degree has two clusters: mathematics and statistics. By making different choices from technical electives, students can tailor their degrees to prepare for various careers. Those who plan to teach mathematics or work in engineering or the physical sciences should choose mathematics courses. Those who wish to apply mathematical methods to life sciences, social sciences, or business fields should choose operations research or statistics courses. Any of these choices provide excellent preparation for graduate work in fields that need quantitative skills.

The program provides an educational environment in which students can acquire an intelligent appreciation for the discipline of mathematics and a practical preparation for career goals. The program also strives to enable students in critical thinking and logical reasoning, and to provide them with lifelong learning skills, effective communication skills, and a sound basis for better citizenship.

With all upper-division courses are offered online, the program supports UIS' s missions in being the leader in online education and classroom technology, in offering students an intellectually vital and flexible learning environment with high academic standards beyond the boundaries of the campus.

The program also offers a minor in mathematical sciences (see Appendix A). The minor degree is designed to augment a student's background in mathematics. It helps increase the knowledge of mathematics, operations research, or statistics that is useful in careers relating to teaching, research, industry, or management.

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Program Objectives:

Department of Mathematical Sciences expects its graduates to demonstrate critical thinking and logical reasoning, to acquire lifelong learning skills and effective communication skills, and to have all the necessary quantitative skills to acquire an intelligent appreciation for the discipline ofmathematics. In particular, the Department ofMathematical Sciences will

• Prepare students for mathematics related professions such as teaching, engineering, physical sciences, industry.

• Prepare students for operations research or statistics related professions such as actuary, management.

• Prepare students for post-graduate study in mathematics/statistics and/or other research/educational organizations which require mathematical/statistical knowledge such as hospitals, applied industries, government organizations and other areas involving applications ofmathematics.

The Department of Mathematical Sciences also supports UIS general education requirement by offering general education courses.

Curricular Requirements and Coherence:

Course Requirements:

After taking MAT 330 Entrance Assessment, all students must complete eight courses for a total of 32 credit hours. All courses must be taken for letter grades. There are two Clusters (Cluster A and Cluster B) students can choose from. The two clusters provide students with a greater choice in their selection of courses to match their career goals. Mathematical offerings are occasionally enhanced by tutorials or special topics courses in areas of faculty expertise. Most math majors who opt to take an Applied Study Term as part of their university requirements do so with insurance companies, state agencies or in the private sector. Students from the Teacher Education program have their internships as student teachers. The degree requirements are designed to meet the first three of the program's objectives (see Program Objectives section above). Both full-time and part-time students have flexibility in taking courses because all courses are offered online. All core courses and all elective courses are offered every year to accommodate the needs of students. The curricular requirement for math majors is in Table 1 below.

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Table 1 Curricular Requirement for Math Majors

Four required mathematics courses (16 credit hours) • 4 hours

MAT 415 Advanced Calculus (4 hours) MAT 332 Linear Algebra (4 hours)

4 hours MAT 431 Mathematical Statistics I (4 hours) 4 hours MA T 444 Operations Research Methods (4 hours) 4 hours

• Two mathematics courses from either Cluster A or Cluster B 8 hours

• Cluster A MAT 403 Abstract Algebra (4 hours) MAT 404 Geometry (4 hours)

• Cluster B MAT 421 Statistical Methods (4 hours) MAT 432 Mathematical Statistics II (4 hours)

Two elective mathematics courses chosen from • 8 hours the following list (8 credit hours):

MAT 336 Introduction to Differential Equations (4 hours) MAT 401 History of Math (4 hours) MAT 405 Introduction to Topology (4 hours) MAT 416 Real Analysis (4 hours)

Ifa student selects Cluster A, one or both ofthe courses in Cluster B may be used to fill the 8 hours ofmath electives, and vice ·versa.

TOTAL 32 hours

Comparison with Similar Programs:

It is quite difficult to compare our program one-on-one with other programs in Illinois because the size of our program is unique compared to other programs. Moreover, our program is an online program while others are on-ground. It is always more challenging to teach math in an online setting than an on-ground setting. Listed below in Table 2 are the sizes, the number of clusters offered, and the number of credit hours required of our program and some other undergraduate programs in Illinois.

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Table 2 Comparison with Similar Programs

# of full-time faculty # of clusters offered # of credit hours required Eastern Illinois 20 2 34-43 Governors State 2 1 26 Illinois State 27 4 28 SIU Edwardsville 20 3 35-45 U of I Springfield 7 2 32

II. Assessment of Learning Outcomes and Curricular Revisions

Assessment:

The curricu~s designed so that upon graduation, a math major is

• able to apply an algorithm, check the reasonableness of the solution, and communicate the reasoning and result in coherent English.

• able to formulate a mathematical model, check the reasonableness of a solution, and communicate the reasoning and the results in coherent English.

• able to apply mathematical reasoning to test conjectures and judge the validity of arguments.

• able to i~ress the random phenomenon in mathematical models and make statistical decisi~

To assess the effectiveness of the curriculum, the Department of Mathematical Sciences has implemented the assessment for the four skills mentioned above since Fall 1992. There are two parts of the assessment: entrance assessment (MAT 330) and exit assessment:

• The entrance assessment consists of tests on five topics: College Algebra, Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III, and the Writing Skills. It is given to incoming students in the fourth week of the semester. The results, summarized in Table 3 below, are used to categorize incoming students into three groups: "Inadequately Prepared", "Adequately Prepared", and "Well Prepared". Students falling into the category "Inadequately prepared" are advised to retake the Calculus series. Unfortunately, most of these students refuse to do so.

Table 3 Entrance Assessment Results

(Source: Math Department, based on 285 participants)

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• The grades of core math courses (MAT 332 Linear Algebra, MAT 415 Advanced Calculus, MAT 431 Mathematical Statistics I, and MAT 444 Operations Research Methods) are used as the exit assessment. The results are summarized in the following Table 4.

Table 4 Exit Assessment Results

(Source: Math Department, based on 62 participants)

Excellent erformanceerformance 46.7%9.7%

The exit assessment result shows that we did a good job in helping math majors to develop the intended learning math skills listed on page 4. There is a strong correlation between the result of the entrance assessment and the retention rate of our program. This will be discussed in-depth (see Retention section on page 15).

The overall assessment has been used to determine the effectiveness of our curriculum, and several curriculum changes have been made since our last review (see Curricular Revisions the Review Period section below). We plan to expand our curriculum further ~ in near future.

Curricular Revisions during the Review Period:

Since the last review, the program has stopped offering several courses and replaced them with other courses to provide students more flexibility in completing their degrees and orienting their future career goals. Another important change is to offer all upper-division courses in online format. This is to support UIS's mission in being the leader in online education and classroom technology and to offer students a flexible learning environment at high academic standards beyond the boundaries of the campus. New courses added are MAT 336 Introduction to Differential Equations, MAT 405 Introduction to Topology, and MAT 416 Real Analysis. It should be noted that MAT 416 Real Analysis was discontinued and reoffered later because there

............ is still demand for this course. Other courses which have been discontinued are MAT 423 Statistical Computation, MAT 434 Applied Regression Analysis, MAT 436 Applied Multivariate Analysis, and MAT 439 Applied Time Series Analysis.

To support the university's general education curriculum, the department of Mathematical Sciences designed and has been offering 5 new courses: MAT 111 Quantitative Reasoning, MAT 112 Mathematics in Daily Life, MAT 114 Finite Mathematics and Its Applications, MAT 121 Applied Statistics, and MAT 122 Contemporary Statistics.

The department also designed three remedial math courses (MAT 092 Arithmetic Review, MAT 094 Beginning Algebra, and MAT 096 Intermediate Algebra) in Summer 08 and has been offering them since Fall 2008. These remedial math courses are intended to improve student's foundation math skills to take college-level courses. This helps boost the success rate of non

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major students in completing their general education requirement and also helps improve the retention rate as a whole.

Career Objectives and Job Placement:

Listed below is the alumni survey of Mathematical Sciences graduates obtained from the Survey Research Office. There were 11 math majors who graduated from 2001-2007 who responded to the survey as shown in the following Table 5.

Table 5 Survey Participants by Year of Graduation

(Source: Survey Research Office)

Years of Graduation Percent 2001 1 9.1% 2002 0 0.0% 2003 2 18.2% 2004 0 0.0% 2005 1 9.1% 2006 1 9.1% 2007 6 54.5%

Total 11 100%

The survey results disclose that

• 81.8% obtained jobs within nine months after graduation.

_Table 6 Jobs after Graduation

(Source: Survey Research Office, based on 11 respondents)

While Enrolled 3 (27.3%)

Had jobs within 9 months of Graduation

By the Time ofGraduation Less than 1 Month after Graduation 1-3 Months after Graduation 3-6 Months after Graduation

1 (9.1%) 0(0.0%) 1 (9.1%) 1 (9.1 %)

9 (81.8%)

6-9 Months after Graduation 3 (27.3%) Not had job within 9 months ofGraduation

, ;

2 (18.2%)

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• 66.7% obtained work related to math or unrelated to math by choice,

Table 7 , Relation ofMath to Job

(Source: Survey Research Office, based on 9 respondents with jobs)

Percent Closely Related 2 22.2% Related 3 33.3% Unrelated by Choice 1 11.1% Unrelated Not by Choice 3 I 33.3%

• 77.8% are very satisfied, satisfied, or somewhat satisfied with their current jobs.

Table 8 Satisfaction with Current Job

(Source: Survey Research Office, based on 9 respondents with jobs)

11.1% 11.1%

Ve Satisfied Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Neutral Dissatisfied Ver Dissatisfied

The survey results also indicate that 55.6% of respondents are employed by Elementary/Secondary Schools, 33.3% in Business. 11.1 % of the respondents are employed by F ederallState/Local Government.

Table 9 Type ofEmployers

(Source: Survey Research Office, based on 9 graduates with jobs)

Frequency Percent Business 3 33.3% Elementary/Secondary Schools 5 55.6% Federal/StatelLocal Government 1 11.1%

Total 9 100%

We do not have the figures on those students that went on to graduate schools.

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Student Satisfaction:

The survey results from math majors who graduated from 2001-2007 reveal that

• 46% were satisfied, 36% were somewhat satisfied, 9% were neutral, and 9% were somewhat dissatisfied with the quality of education in their major.

Table 10 Quality ofEducation in Math Major


Frequency Percent. Very Satisfied 5 45.5% Somewhat Satisfied 4 36.4% Neutral 1 9.1% Somewhat Dissatisfied 1 9.1%

Total 11 100%

• 45.5% were satisfied, 45.5% were somewhat satisfied, and 9.1 % were neutral with the competency of math instructors. There was no respondent dissatisfied with the competency of math instructors.

Table 11 Competency of Math Instructors


Frequency Percent! Very Satisfied 5 45.5% Somewhat Satisfied 5 45.5% Neutral 1 9.1%

Total 11 100%

Student Achievements:

During the review period, 79% (source: Math Department +TEP) of math majors who were with the TEP program have successfully acquired the State of Illinois's teaching certificate. Several ofour graduates were admitted to highly selective graduate programs in the nation, such as Carnegie Mellon, Columbia University, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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III. Student Characteristics and Academic Support

Students Demographics:

There were about 56.3% of math majors attending full-time.

Table 12 Undergraduate Majors by Part-timelFull-time Status

(Source: Institutional Research Website)

I

I

I

I

!

I • I

Semester part-TimR-t Full-Time Total Fall 2002 7 33. 21 66.7% 21 (100%) Fall 2003 9 29.0% 31 71.0% 31 (100%) Fal12004 10 27.0% 37 73.0% 37 (100%) Fal12005 38 55.9% 68 44.1% 68 (100%) Fall 2006 57 54.8% 104 45.2% 104 (100%) Fall 2007 56 50.0% 112 50.0% 112 (100%) Fall 2008 72 55.~~ 129 44.2% 129 (100%)

Average Percent 43.7% 56.3% 100%

There were about 49.6% ofmath majors who are female.

Table 13 Undergraduate Majors by Gender


Semester Males Females Total Fall 2002 12 57.1% 9 42.9% 21 (100%) Fall 2003 15 48.4% 16 51.6% 31 (100%) Fal12004 12 32.4% 25 67.6% 37 (100%) Fall 2005 28 41.2% 40 58.8% 68 (100%) Fall 2006 51 49.0% 53 51.0% 104 (100%)

112 (100%) Fal12007 69 61.6% 43 38.4% Fall 2008 81 62.8% 48 37.2%

49.60/0 129 (100%)

100%Average Percent 50.4%

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Among math majors, there were about 3.7% Asian, 6.6% Black; 2.6% Hispanic, 79.5% White, and 7.6% other ethnic groups.

Table 14 Undergraduate Majors by Ethnic Group (Source: Institutional Research Website)

Semester Fall 2002 Fal12003 Fall 2004 Fall 2005 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 Fall 2008

Average Percent

Asian Black Hispanic White 0 0.0% 2 9.5% 1 4.8% 18 85.7% 0 2 6.5% 1 3.2% 0 0.0% 28 90.3% 0 1 2.7% 2 5.4% 0 0.0% 31 83.8% 3 2 2.9% 3 4.4% 1 1.5% 56 82.4% 6 4 3.8% 8 7.7% 3 2.9% 76.9% 9 6 5.4% 9 8.0% 4 3.6% 80 71.4% 13 6 4.7% 10 7.8% 7 5.4%

1 85 65.9% 21

3.7% 6.6% 2.6% 79.5%

Other Total 0.0% 21 (100%) 0.0% 31 (100%) 8.1% 37 (100%) 8.8% 68 (100%) 8.7% 104 (100%) i

11.6% 112 (100%) 16.2% 129 (100%) 7.6% 100%

There were about 28.1% ofmath majors in 18-21 age range, 32.1% in 22-29 age range, 24.8% in 30-39 age range, 10.4% in 40-49 age range, and 4.6% in 50-64 age range.

Table 15 Undergraduate Majors by Age


Semester Fall 2002 9 Fall 2003 13 Fall 2004 15 Fall 2005 12 Fall 2006 20 Fall 2007 19 Fall 2008 23

Average Percent

18-21 22-29 30-39 40-49 42.9% 8 38.1% 4 19.0% 0 0.0% 41.9% 7 22.6% 7 22.6% 1 3.2% 40.5% 10 27.0% 7 18.9% 3 8.1% 17.6%t¥ 38.2% 16 23.5% 11 16.2% 19.2% 36 34.6% 32 30.8% 13 12.5% 17.0% 38 33.9% 33 29.5% 116 14.3% 17.8% 39 30.2% 37 28.7% 24 118.6% 28.1% 32.1% 24.8% 10.4%

50-64 Total 0 0.0% 21 3 9.7% 31 2 5.4% 37 3 4.5% 68 3 2.9% 104 6 5.3% 112 6 4.7%~

4.6%

Transfer CharacteristicslFeeder Institutions:

Our majors are transfer students from non-Illinois schools (about 49.7%), from Illinois Public Community Colleges (25.2%), from Illinois Public Universities (5%), and from other Illinois Schools (5%). Capital Scholars students account for the remaining 15.1 %. Listed below are the schools which our majors come from. The data from Fa112002 and Fall 2003 are not available.

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Table 16 Math Feeders


Fall Fall Fall Fall 04 05 06 07

ital Seholars 4 2 3 4 ublie Community Collee:es (Transfer

ckhawk 0 0 0 0 upal!e 0 0 0 0

1 0 0 0 - Olney Central 0 0 I 2

is Eastern - Wabash 0 1 0 0 Illinois Valley 0 I 0 0 Kankakee Community CollelZe 0 1 0 0 Lake County 0 1 0 0 Lake Land 0 0 1 I Lewis and Clark 1 0 0 0 Lincoln Land 2 3 3 4 Parkland 1 0 1 2 Rend Lake 0 0 0 I Richland 1 I 0 0 0 South Surburban 0 I 0 0 0 Southwestern 1 I 0 0 0 Triton 0 1 0

Subtotal 7 8 6 IL Public Universities (Transfer) Eastern Illinois ~=i 0 I 0 Northern

ale 0 I 0 0 of Illinois - Chica1l;o 0 1

Wof Illinois - UrbanalChampai1l;n 0 0 1 0

Subtotal 1 2 chools (Transfer)

Blackburn 0 0 0 0 Depaul 0 0 0 0 Illinois Collel!e 0 0 0 1 Lincoln CollelZe 0 0 0 1 Lincoln Christian College 0 0 0 0 McKendree Colle1l;e 0 0 0 I Mundelein Colle1l;e 0 I 0 0

. Quincy University 0 1 0 0 Robert Morris 0 0 I 0 SCIlBenedictine Universitv- SorinlZfield 0 1 I 0

Subtotal 0 3 2 3 Non-Illinois Schools (Transfer) 1 18 16 16

Total 13 33 28 35

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Fall Total Percent08 I1 24 15.1%

0 0 I 1 0 1 0 3 0 I 0 I 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 5 17 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 3

25.2%

0 1 1

0 I 0 2 1 1 I 2 3 8 5.0%

0 0 0 0 0 1 !

0 1 0 0 0 I 0 1 0 I 0 1 0 2 0 8 5.0%

28 79 49.7% 50 159 100.0%

Pie Chart for Table 16

IL Public Community

Non-lllinois Schools 49.7% IL Public Universities

(Transfer) 25.2%

(Transfer) 5.0%

Colleges (Transfer) 15.1%

Other lllinois Schools

The following Pie chart gives us the graphical view ofTable 16.

N on-lllinois Schools (Transfer) 5.0%

Shown in Table 17 is the trend ofmath feeders from each group of schools from Fall 2004 to Fall 2008.

Table 17 Math Feeders Trend


Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Capital Scholars 4 30.8% 2 6.1% 3 10.7% 4 11.4% 11 22.0% IL Public Community Colleges (Transfer) 7 53.8% 8 24.2% 6 21.4% 11 31.4% 8 16.0% IL Public Universities (Transfer) 1 7.7% 2 6.1% 1 3.6% 1 2.9% 3 6.0% Other Illinois Schools (Transfer) 0 0.0% 3 9.1% 2 7.1% 3 8.6% 0 0.0% Non-Illinois Schools (Transfer) 1 7.7% 18 54.5% 16 57.1% 16 45.7% 28 56.0%

Total 13 100.0% 33 100.0% 28 100.0% 35 100.0% 50 100.0%

A graphical view ofTable 17 is given next.

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Trend ofMath Feeders

20.0%

FaD 04 FaTI08Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07

-. - Capital SchoJars """"",G,,,,,,,,,,,,, IL Public Conmunity Colleges (Transfer)

~ ~.- ~ IL Public Universities (Transfer)

)I( Other Illinois Schools (Transfer)

• Non-Illinois Schools (Transfer)

There were no specific efforts made to recruit students from work force and/or professional positions. Based on the fact that our degree is an online degree, the above pattern will probably persist through the next eight years.

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Recruitment Activities:

Recruiting more majors is our top priority. The department always has a faculty member representative at all UIS preview days. The detailed requirements for admission and completion of a UIS math major or minor are posted and kept up-to-date on the department's website. The fact that all upper-division math courses are offered entirely on-line also helps attract more students. Our online coordinator does a good job of responding to inquiries and to applicants. He answers emails that come in from recruitment sources such as University of Illinois Online, or from our own department's website, which he keeps updated so that they are searchable through ordinary search engines. He also develops and maintains an F AQ page for applicants.

We also aim to recruit students that had not thought of majoring in mathematics by offering quality teaching in general education math courses. When students have positive experiences while taking these courses, they may decide to become math majors or minors.

While the department of Mathematical Sciences, as a whole, is small, we are hopeful that with our flexibility in scheduling and dedicated faculty we are a prime choice for those students that feel comfortable in an atmosphere like ours and see the benefits of a major in mathematics.

Admissions Criteria:

Admission to the program requires successful completion of three semesters of study in Calculus (or equivalence) and one semester of study in a structured programming language such as Visual Basic, C++, or Java which is a training of fundamental math skills. Students with

. deficiencies may enter the program but are required to complete all prerequisites for courses that demand these competencies. Students may begin to work toward the degree before being accepted into the program, but must complete the admission to the program requirement before the last 16 semester hours of MAT courses needed for graduation.

Advising and Other Communication to/with Students:

Every new math major is assigned to the chair as hislher temporary advisee. Within the first semester, student needs to select one of the tenured/tenure-track faculty members to be their permanent advisor with whom the student is able to discuss the study plan as well as ask questions/advice. On average, each advisor is assigned to about 30 students. Advisors' overal1 knowledge of math is also helpful for students in selecting cluster/courses which benefit their future goals.

Communication with students occurs in on-campus meetings, by telephone, or by emails.

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Retention:

We consider our faculty's commitment to high quality teaching and advising to be the best practice for improving the retention rate. The program's retention rates after two, three, four, and five years during the review period were 63.3%, 53.6%, 52.7%, and 50%, respectively. Retention rate is defined as the sum of the graduation rate and the rate of students who have not graduated but are still with us.

With the 39.8% of incoming math majors who were categorized as "Inadequately Prepared" and recommended to retake Calculus series but were unlikely to do so (see Assessment section on page 4), 63.3% is an excellent retention rate after two years. The 53.6% retention rate after three years probably indicates that we lost a small portion of the groups "Adequately Prepared" and "Well Prepared". The subsequent changes in retention rates after four and five years were not significant. The details of retention rates are shown in Table 18.

Table 18 Retention Rates of Math Majors


Fiscal Year Entering Number in Cohort Year of Enrollment

2 3 4 5 2003 12 75.0 66.7 33.3 8.3 2004 19 57.9 15.8 15.8 10.5 2005 25 72.0 48.0 28.0 16.0 2006 56 57.1 32.1 10.7 2007 71 54.9 26.8 2008 68 52.9 Enrolled

Not graduated 2009 72 2003 12 0.0 0.0 25.0 41.7 2004 19 0.0 15.8 15.8 15.8 2005 25 4.0 28.0 48.0 52.0 2006 56 10.7 26.8 37.5 2007 71 5.6 18.3 2008 68 4.4 2009 72 Graduated 2003 12 75.0 66.7 58.3 50.0 2004 19 57.9 31.6 31.6 26.3 2005 25 76.0 76.0 76.0 68.0 2006 56 67.9 58.9 48.2 2007 71 60.6 45.1 2008 68 57.4 2009 72 Retained Math

Average Retention 63.3 53.6 52.7 50.0 15

IV. Faculty

Demographics:

Eight full-time faculty members are currently appointed to the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Two of the faculty members have only administrative duties. Since the last program review, due to the growth of the program, there were five new positions opened: four were tenure-track assistant professor positions and one was clinical instructor position. All five searches were national searches. Four positions were filled. The position which was not filled is a tenure-track assistant professor position in statistics. A female candidate was offered this position but took a job at another institution. At this time, five of the faculty members are tenured, one is on tenure-track, one is clinical instructor, and one is on terminal grace period. One faculty member is full professor, four are associate professors, two are assistant professors, and one is clinical instructor. Among the eight faculty members, there is one black female, two white males, and five Asian males. Seven of the faculty members have Ph.D. degrees and one has a Master's degree. The faculty members are:

Table 19 Math Faculty

Faculty Rank and Degree First semester at UIS

Hei-Chi Chan Associate Professor, Ph.D. Physics, Yale University

Fall 2000

Yuichi Iwashita Associate Professor, Ph.D. Mathematics, University of Illinois

Fall 2002

Mahdi Majidi-Zolbanin Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Mathematics, City University of New York

Fall 2004

Tung Nguyen Assistant Professor, Ph.D. Mathematics, Auburn University

Fa112006

Richard Ringeisen Professor, Ph.D. Mathematics, Michigan State University

Fall 2001

Carol Saltsgaver Clinical Instructor, M.S. Mathematics, University of Oklahoma

Fall 2004

Larry Stonecipher Associate Professor, Ph.D. Mathematics, Southern Illinois University

Spring 1987

Chung-Hsien Sung Associate Professor, Ph.D. Statistics, Oklahoma State University

Fa111987

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In all of our searches, we have always made the best effort to attract qualified candidates from underrepresented groups by posting advertisements on different websites/newspapers as well as sending the advertisement to all universities offering the qualified degree. One out of four positions filled is female faculty.

A significant problem when we try to recruit candidates from underrepresented groups is the percentage of female Ph.D.s and minority groups are quite low in Mathematics. Approximately 30% are female and 8% are members of underrepresented ethnic and racial minority groups according to the public data at the American Institute of Mathematics http://www.aimath.org/news/postdoc/data.html.This results in a very competitive environment in recruiting candidates from underrepresented groups where DIS's math department salaries are disadvantageous.

Fit with Program:

All current faculty members fit the department's needs well. Faculty members who are teaching upper-division math courses have Ph.D. degrees in major branches of Mathematics and related fields.

• Dr. Chan is currently teaching MAT 217 Calculus III, MAT 401 History of Math, MAT 415 Advanced Calculus, and MAT 416 Real Analysis.

• Dr. Iwashita is currently teaching MAT 332 Linear Algebra and MAT 403 Abstract Algebra.

• Dr. Majidi is currently teaching MAT 115 Calculus I, MAT 404 Geometry, and MAT 405 Introduction to Topology.

• Dr. Nguyen is currently teaching MAT 113 Business Calculus, MAT 114 Finite Math, MAT 116 Calculus II, MAT 121 Applied Statistics, and MAT 336 Introduction to Differential Equations.

• Dr. Sung is currently teaching MAT 421 Statistical Methods, MAT 431 Mathematical Statistics I, MAT 432 Mathematical Statistics II, and MAT 444 Operations Research Methods.

One faculty member with a Master's degree is responsible for teaching statistic math courses:

• Mrs. Saltsgaver is currently teaching MAT 121 Applied Statistics, and MAT 122 Contemporary Statistics.

Four faculty members have joined the program since the last review. The addition of the new faculty allows us to broaden our upper-division course offering which in turn benefits our students as they have the opportunity to be introduced to many important branches of Mathematics.

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http://www.aimath.org/news/postdoc/data.html.This

Faculty Achievements:

The following is the summary of scholarly achievement of Mathematical Sciences faculty during the review period:

• Dr. Hei-Chi Chan had 17 peer-reviewed papers published/accepted for publication. He also gave more than a dozen presentations at various conferences. including an invited talk at the Fourth World Congress ofNonlinear Analysis in Orlando, Florida.

• Dr. Yuichi Iwashita wrote a textbook on Linear Algebra, and gave a presentation in Algebraic K-theory at the American Mathematical Society conference at Indiana University.

• Dr. Mahdi Majidi-Zolbanin had a peer-review paper published.

• Dr. Tung Nguyen had 1 extended abstract published. He also gave an invited talk at the Fifth World Congress ofNonlinear Analysis in Orlando, Florida.

• Dr. Chung-Hsien Sung had 14 peer-reviewed papers published.

Technology:

All faculty use Blackboard extensively for teaching upper division math courses which are all online courses. Other applications used include Microsoft PowerPoint, Elluminate, and Virtual Classroom. Specialty software are used to enrich the teaching/lectures qUality. To list a few:

• Maple, Mathematica, Matlab: professional software used in modeling and simulations. • Latex, Pdffex: professional math editing software. • S.A.S.: professional statistic software. • T.O.R.A.: professional software used in operation research. • MathGV: graphing software.

Projectors and graphic calculators are used on a daily-basis on ground classes.

Lab computers are used as an integral part of teaching some math courses. Students can practice problems on the lab's computers with the help of teaching assistants from The Center of Teaching and Learning until they can master the required mathematical skills.

Faculty Development:

During the review period, no faculty member was awarded a sabbatical. Each new faculty member always receives 113 release time (NIA) in the first year to work on hislher research projects. Faculty members also receive support with travel needs to attend conferences to present their research.

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v. Learning Environment and Support Services

Student Involvement with Program Activities

Students are contributing to the remedial math programs as tutors in the math lab. The department always has a student representative in each of the search committees for new faculty.

General Curricular Support

The UIS holdings and services serve as an important resource for our faculty's teaching and researches. The library has a relatively good collection of mathematical sciences related books, professional journals, and periodicals. The interlibrary loan service is very helpful for faculty members in acquiring specialized teaching/research documents which are not available at the DIS library. The Center for Teaching and Learning is providing teaching assistants for the remedial math classes. These teaching assistants help students on their lab assignments. The Office ofTechnology Enhanced Learning seems to provide enough helps for our online students.

Computer Technology

All faculty and staff members have modern computers and peripherals with necessary software for daily use. The Office of Technology Enhanced Learning and the Information Technology Services are providing adequate support for the program's instructional and administrative needs.

Future Needs

With all online math classes at or exceeding the cap, each faculty teaching fulltime (3 classes per semester), and the current expansion of the program to offer Remedial Math courses in an effort to improve the university retention rate, the math department's greatest needs are more faculty members and new computer equipment/software.

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VI. Student Demand and Program Productivity

Student Enrollment

The numbers of math majors, credit hours generated, and degrees granted have been increasing tremendously since the last program review. The number of math majors increased by 514% from 21 to 129, the number of credit hours generated increased by 166% from 1,511 to 4,023, and the degrees awarded increased by 567% from 3 to 20 as showed in Table 20 below. These increases were possible due to the fact that all upper division math courses are offered online, and more general education math courses are needed.

Table 20 Program Majors, Credit Hours 'Generated, and Degrees Granted


Program Majors FY Credit Hours Generated Degrees Granted FY03 (A Y02-03) 21 1,511 3 FY04 (AY03-04) 31 1,779 3 FY05 (A Y04-05) 37 1,885 1 FY06 (A Y05-06) 68 2,120 10 FY07 (AY06-07) 104 3,831 13 FY08 (AY07-08) 112 3,594 20 FY09 (A Y08-09) 129 4,023 20

In parallel with fully supporting the UIS general education curriculum (the number of credit houts generated by service courses increased by 109%), the Department of Mathematical Sciences has excelled with our program major. The number of credit hours generated by math major courses has increased by 522% from 209 to 1067, and filled up 32% of tota} crediyhours generated in FY 2009 compared to 14% of total hours generated in FY 2003 as show~ in the Table 21 below.

Table 21 Percentages ofCredit Hours Generated by Math Major Courses and Service Courses (Source: Institutional Research Website)

Math maior courses Service courses Total . FY03 (AY02-03) 209 (14%) 1,302 (86%) 1,511 (100%)

FY04 (AY03-04) 330 (19%) 1,449 (81%) 1,779 (100%) FY05 (A Y04-05) 456 (24%) 1,429 (76%) 1,885(100%) FY06 (AY05-06) 620 (29%) 1,500 (71%) 2,120 (100%) FY07 (A Y06-07) 1,067 (28%) 2,764 (72%) 3,831 (100%) FY08 (A Y07-08) 1,259 (35%) 2,335 (65o/~ 3,594 (100%) FY09 (AY08-09) 1,300 (32%) 2,723 (68%) 4,023 (100%)

20

Since all math major classes are either near or exceeding cap level, and most of service classes are at or near full capacity, we expect the credit hours generated will increase modestly in the future.

Program Productivity Data and Analysis

_ With all upper-division courses offered online, the program has been attracting a lot of math majors throughout the review period. Despite of the addition of four new faculty during the review period, the ratio of majors to FTE full-time faculty in Mathematics kept increasing during the review period from 8.4 in Fall 2002 to 21.5 in Fall 2008 as showed below.

Table 22 Math majors to FTE of full-time departmental faculty Ratios


Fall 02 Fall 03 8.4 8.9

The average class room size for all math major courses was 21.00 and the average class room size for service courses was 22.02 (Source: Math Department).

The number of credit hours generated has been increased from 1,511 in FY 2003 (ranked 24th

, based on 42 course prefixes) to 4,023 in FY 2009 (ranked 11 t\ based on 40 course prefixes). The ranking of Credit Hours Generated in Prefix Courses is provided next.

21

Table 23 Ranked Credit Hours Generated in Prefix Courses


I

Rank FY03 1 BUS 6,619 2 CSC 5,774 3 PAC 5528 4 PSY 5516 5 COM 4453 6 EDL 4430 7 MGT 14151 8 TEP 13499 9 CAP 3488 10 ACC ~11 CRJ 12 MIS 3176 13 ENG 2876 14 POS 2700

i 15 HIS 2631 16 PAD 2274

• 17 SWK 2140

FY04 FYOS FVOIl FY07 FYOR BUS 6623 CSC 6454 CSC 7,763 CSC 9795 CSC 7722 CSC 6307 EDL 6436 EDL 7,244 EDL 6967 EDL 6542 PAC 5950 BUS 5678 PAC 5,780 PAC 5313 BUS 4968 PSY 5863 PSY 5658 PSY 4,864 BUS 4506 ENG 4892 EDL 5155 PAC 5624 BUS 4,527 ENG 4245 PAC 4338 COM 4344 COM 3606 COM 3,909 PSY 3945 COM 4135 MGT 3623 ACC 3418 CAP 3,803 COM 3900 PSY 4025 ACC 13,479 CRJ 3261 ACC 3,534 ACC 3856 POS 3956 HIS 3344 ENG 3256 CRJ 3,467 MAT 3831 ACC 3616 CAP 3286 CAP 3219 MIS 3,398 MIS 3766 MAT 3594 CRJ 3285 MIS 3065 POS 3,223 POS 3511 MIS 3457 MIS 3100 TEP 2973 HIS 3,191 HIS 3362 HIS 3190 TEP 2906 POS 2928 ENG 2,903 CRJ 3360 MGT 3061 ENG 2887 HIS 2870 TEP 2,881 MGT 2782 CRJ 2975 POS 2819 MGT 2769 MGT 2,447 CAP 2667 PAD 2912 AST 2360 2236 AST BIO 2675 BIO 2156 2167 BIO 2,321 AD 12560 TEP 2579

FY09 CSC 7664 BUS 5405 EDL 5386 ENG 4967 ACC ~ COM 4415 PSY 4342 MIS 4074 HIS 4066 PSC 4041

MAT 4023· MGT 3606 1

CRJ 3247 BIO 2966 PAD 2815 MPH 2811 TEP 12671 i

18 HMS 21331 SWK 2087 ti 2108 SWK

2,380 ~EP 2622

2dm: SWK 2393 AST 2478 SWK 12479 1 19 BIO 2080 PAD 1963 BIO 1978 PAD 2 A.ST 12278 LSC 2124 CAP 2412 I 20 AST 1930 MAT 1779 MAT 1885 MAT 2,120 BIO .2246 SWK 2097 AST 2331

21 LSC 1752 LSC 1760 PAD 1845 LSC 1,752 LSC 2040 ENS 19~0 2080 22 HDC 1643 HMS 1740 HMS 1693 HMS 1,648 ECO 1795 CAP 1953 S 1971 23 ECO 1563 ECO 1502 ECO 1423 PHI 1,579 ENS 1759 ECO 1881 SOA 1897 24 MAT ISH HDC 1473 LNG 1420 LES 1,564 PHI 1708 PHI 1787 PHI 1894 25 LES I 1318 LES 1398 LES 1367 LNG 1,542 HMS

l6~llr~ CHE 1787

26 CHE 11051 CHE 1248 ART 13221cHE 1,534 ART 161 HE 1744 ART 1768 27 ~ 1016 LNG 1240 CHE l30l :! 1,528 CHE 159 1630 LES 1762 28 930 ART 1229 HDC 1300 1,468 LNG 1492 1626 HMS 1482 29 LIS 909 ENS 14 PHI 1087 1,255 LES 1334 LES 1534 LNG 1202 30 ART 863 LIS 915 ENS 1002 ENS 1,207 :SUA 1190 LNG 1442 UNI 1108 31 MPH 743 SOA 896 SOA 971 MPH 884 HDC 1171 MPH 1232 HDC 1086 32 SOA 666 MPH 774 LIS 947 SOA 874 LIS 779 HDC 1100 LIS 861 33 PAR 540 PHI 544 MPH 805 LIS 829 MPH 709 LIS 819 WMS 612 34 PHI 521 CLS 536 PAR 620 CLS 548 CLS 690 PAR 536 CLS 576

1 35 INO 365 PAR 536 CLS 423 PAR 542 PAR 544 UNI 515 PAR 544 . 36 CLS 338 ~~AS 416 WMS 392 WMS 394 CLS 484 I AAS 535

~ 300 ASP WMS 344WP 365 ASP 330 WMS 469 I THE 221 38 188 INO 301 ASP 249 0 257 UNI 286 ASP 351 ASP 211 39 I UNI 137 UNI 120 INO 244 AS 256 INO 213 AAS 215 MUS 179 40 I AAS 92 AAS 84 UNI 164 UNI 180 AAS 212 MUS 184 INO 165 41 LAR 52 LAR 84 LAR 48 MUS 34 MUS 142 INO 175 42 HSA 4 MUS 22 MUS 25 LAR 16 LAR 0

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Statewide comparison: Following is the comparison of enrollment and degrees granted between our program and other Bachelor programs in Illinois. The data for Fall 2002 is not available.

Table 24 Bachelor's Programs Fall Enrollments


Fall Fall Fall Fall Percent 03 04 05 08 IncreasedlDecreased* 79 76 70 35 -56%

• Eastern Illinois 143 133 18% Governors State 0 0 5 36 Illinois State 383 445 413 381 -1% Northeastern 128 141 158 08 -16% Northern 220 227 273 253 15% SIU Carbondale 95 86 69 85 -11% SIU Edwardsville 79 107 108 79 0% U of I Chica 0 102 112 106 160 57%

31 37 68 129 316% 433 423 393 6%

estern Illinois 138 109 71 -52%

Table 25 Bachelor's Programs Degrees Granted


Fall Fall Fall Fall Fall Percent 03 04 05 06 08 IncreasedlDecreased*

State 3 15 1 19 217% 18 11 24 20%

Governors State 0 0 0 1 Illinois State 34 54 60 79 132% Northeastern 13 15 12 24 85% Northern 32 32 34 51 59% SIU Carbondale 13 19 17 15 15% SIU Edwardsville 8 9 19 19 138% U of I Chica 0 12 20 22 19 58%

3 3 20 567% 91 88 98 8%

Western Illinois 9 13 18 100%

* The percents increased/decreased are calculated using the data ofFall 2003 and Fall 2008.

23

Based on the data in Table 24 and Table 25, from Fall 2004 to Fall 2008, our program was the fastest growing program in the state of Illinois in both categories: enrollment and degrees granted. Many other larger programs in the state saw a reduction in enrollment.

Demand for Concentrations

With the ratio of majorslFTE continuing to grow throughout the review period, at 21.50 in Fall 2008, it is clear that the bachelor's program with the two clusters offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences is very appealing to students nationwide. All courses were filled quickly, and either near or exceeding cap level. During the review period, the department did not hire part-time faculty to teach upper division math courses.

The demand outlook nationwide for mathematics related careers also looks good. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2008-2009:

• Mathematician Employment:

"Employment of mathematicians is expected to increase by 10 percent during the 2006-16 decade, as fast as the average for all occupations.

• Operations Research Analyst Employment:

"Employment of operations research analysts is expected to grow 11 percent, as fast as the average for all occupations between 2006 and 2016. Demand for operations research analysis should continue to grow". '

• Statistician Employment:

"Employment of statisticians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2006 to 2016, about as fast as the average for all occupations. The demand for individuals with a background is statistics is expected to grow, although some jobs will be in occupations with titles other than "statistician."

• Teacher Employment:

"Employment of school teachers is expected to grow by 12 percent between 2006 and 2016, about as fast as the average for all occupations. However, because of the size of the occupations in this group, this growth will create 479,000 additional teacher positions."

Minors

The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers an undergraduate minor in Mathematics. Review of the minor is detailed in Appendix A.

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VII. Centrality to Campus Mission

Support of the Campus Vision:

Mathematics is the very life-line of all academic pursuits. Most research activities, be they in science, business or the arts, base their conclusions on statistical analysis. For the majority of world societies, mathematics is an indispensable tool, which sharpens critical thinking and improves logical reasoning and problem solving ability.

For many workers, mathematics improves quantitative skills and increases employment opportunities in the ever-changing technological society. The Work Force' Preparation Task Force emphasizes the need for technologically trained people. The Illinois Occupation Information Coordinating Committee indicated that in addition to other life science courses, a broad background in mathematics and chemistry is essential.

The baccalaureate program in mathematical sciences is clearly an essential component of the program/service mix described in the University's strategic plan. In its mission and scope statement, University of Illinois at Springfield also emphasizes the role of the University in meeting state and national needs. The Board of Higher Education Task Force on Employment Needs of the Future highlighted the need for a work force with technical skills and the people to teach them. The curriculum of the baccalaureate program in mathematical sciences is designed to address these needs.

Relationship to Other Campus Instructional Programs:

By offering general education mathematics courses, the Mathematical Sciences program has close ties with all instructional programs. In particular, we have a close relationship with Computer Science program by offering one of their required courses, MAT 302 Discrete Mathematics, and with the College of Business and Management by offering MAT 113 Business Calculus and MAT 114 Finite Mathematics. We also have a close connection with the Teacher Education program by offering various mathematics courses to their TEP/Math on-line students.

Service to Non-Majors:

The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers many math courses to non-majors. Listed below are the service courses offered by the Department of Mathematical Sciences. All courses except MAT 116 are offered in both Spring and Fall semesters. MAT 116 is offered in Spring semester.

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Table 26 Service Courses Offered by The Mathematical Department

MAT 092 Arithmetic Review MAT 114 Finite Math and Its Applications ! MAT 094 Beginning Algebra MAT 115 Calculus I

MAT 096 Intermediate Algebra MAT 116 Calculus II I MAT 101 College Algebra & Trigonometry MAT 121 Applied Statistics

MAT 111 Quantitative Reasoning MAT 122 Contemporary Statistics. MAT 112 Mathematics in Daily Life MAT 302 Discrete Math MAT 113 Business Calculus

The detailed enrollment of service courses is provided graphically and in the Table 27 below. The number in the parentheses is the number of sections of the same course.

Table 27 Enrollment Statistics for service courses

(Source: Math department)

AY 02-03 AY 03-04 AY 04-05 AY 05-06 AY 06-07 AY 07-08 AY 08-09 MAT 092 33(3) 26(1)

T094 74(5) 101(4)

MAT 096 59(5) 68(4)

MAT 101 17(1) 14(1) 29(1) 44(1) 62(2) 79(2)

MAT 111 21(1) 14(1) 31(2) 164(5) 160(6) 106(5) 102(5)

MAT 112 60(2) 50(2) 17(1) 17(1)

MAT 113 65(2) 76(3) 78(3) I 130(5) 59(2) 55(2) 55(2) !MAT 114 5(1) 8(1)

MAT 115 82(4) 39(3) 92(4) 116(5) 57(3) 85(4) 71(3) I MAT 116 24(1) 35(2) 15(1 ) 21(1) 20(1) 12(1) 14(1) MAT 121 106(4) 89(4) 55(3) 109(4) 110(4) 114(4) 156(5) MAT 122 8(1) 29(1) 34(2) 10(1) MAT 302 46(2) 48(2) 48(2) 83(3) 53(3) 48(2) 35(2)

Total 357(15) 327(17) 345(17) 725(28) 598(24) 725(38) 760(33)

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Support for General Education:

The program has a large role in supporting the VIS general education curriculum by offering general education math courses. The service courses for non-majors are MAT 092 Arithmetic Review, MAT 094 Beginning Algebra, MAT 096 Intermediate Algebra, MAT 101 College Algebra & Trigonometry, MAT 111 Quantitative Reasoning, MAT 112 Mathematics in Daily Life, MAT 113 Business Calculus, MAT 114 Finite Math and Its Applications, MAT 115 Calculus I, MAT 116 Calculus II, MAT 121 Applied Statistics, MAT 122 Contemporary Statistics, and MAT 302 Discrete Math. Table 7 gives the number of credit hours generated by non-majors during the review period.

Table 28 FY Credit Hours Generated


Non-major FY03 (A Y02-03) 1,302 FY04 (AY03-04) 1,449 FY05 (AY04-05) 1,429 FY06 (A Y05-06) 1,500 FY07 (AY06-07) 2,764 FY08 (AY07-08) 2,335 FY09 (AY08-09) 2,723

Support for campus initiatives:

The Department of Mathematics offers all upper-division math courses online.

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VIII. Costs

Analysis of Costs:

The average cost per credit hour to offer the UIS math major, inclusive of all courses required, was $280.37, which was higher than the state's average during the review period.

Table 29 Math Major Cost per Credit Hour

Undergraduate Level (Upper Division) (Source: Institutional Research Website)

UIS Cost State Average UIS/State Average I FY03 (AY02.03) $265.86 $239.91 111% I FY04 (A Y03-04) $276.84 $249.33 111% FY05 (A Y04-05) $251.01 $268.25 94% FY06 (A Y05-06) $260.73 $276.15 94% FY07 (AY06-07) FY08 (AY07-08)

$299.37 $328.43

$292.29Fn:$309.36 102% 106%

FY09 (A Y08·09) not available not available not available Average $280.37 $272.55

The average cost per credit hour to offer the upper-division math courses alone was $216.45, which was lower than the state's average during the review period.

Table 30 Cost per Upper Division Math Credit Hour


FY UIS Cost State Average UIS/State Average FY03 (A Y02-03) $204.19 $189.31

202.31 108%

FY04 (A Y03·04) $197.35 = $ 98% FY05 (A Y04-05) $204.91 $218.77 94% FY06 (AY05-06) $205.56 $221.74 93% FY07 (A Y06-07) $229.61 $237.97 96% FY08 (AY07-08) $257.10 $246.48 104% FY09 (A Y08-09) not available not available not available

Average $216.45 $219.43

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IX. Summary and Recommendations

Previous Program Review Recommendations:

Recommendation 1. The program needs to develop and implement a comprehensive assessment process within the major.

Response 1. The program has implemented a comprehensive assessment process within the major since the last review. There are two parts of assessment: entrance assessment (MAT 330) and exit assessment. The entrance assessment is given to incoming students in the fourth week of each semester, and consists of tests on five topics: College Algebra, Calculus I, Calculus II, Calculus III, and the Writing Skills. The grades of core math courses (MAT 332 Linear Algebra, MAT 415 Advanced Calculus, MAT 431 Mathematical Statistics I, and MAT 444 Operations Research Method) are used as the exit assessment. The entrance assessment result has been used for advising purpose. The overall assessment has been used to determine the effectiveness of our curriculum, and several curriculum changes have been made since last review.

Recommendation 2. The movement towards the lower division gives the program opportunity to expand its service base. As the role ofthe program changes, so will its staffing needs. It would be helpful for the program to develop recommendations on issues such as: How many tenure track faculty should the program have? To what extent should instructors or graduate assistants be used for lower division courses? What pattern ofcourse caps is appropriate for lower division courses?

Response 2. The Department of Mathematical Sciences has expanded its service role. This is indicated by the number of hours generated for services courses which was increased by 109% during the review period. We are using clinical instructors to teach the Quantitative Reasoning series and the Applied Statistics series. The Calculus series is taught by tenure-track faculty. An enrollment cap of 35 is too high for math classes without teaching assistants. A cap of 25 is reasonable for math classes without teaching assistants. For classes with a cap of 35, one teaching assistant is needed per three classes.

Recommendation 3. Delivery ofthe major online seems a viable option to build the historically low enrollment of majors in this program. Funding from the Sloan Foundation and potential federal funding related to the need for mathematics teachers provide excellent opportunities to increase the number ofmajors. The program should be encouraged to follow through with plans to deliver online beginning in the fall semester of2004.

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Response 3. All upper division courses are now offered online. Our online program has attracted a large number of students nationwide with the number of math majors increased by 514%, the number of credit hours generated upper-division math courses increased by 522%, and the degrees awarded increased by 567% since the last review.

Re,commendation 4. As UIS moves more fully into lower division offerings, it would be helpful to have clear agreement on the curricular role ofthis program in the lower division.

Response 4. We fully support the new general education requirement by offering 22 general education math classes and 13 remedial math classes per year.

Current Program Strengths: Our online degree, expanding course offerings, and the commitment to high quality teaching of our faculty are our strength. We have been successfully recruiting online students nationwide.

Areas of concern: We are not competitive in attracting new faculty because of salary. We also need to consider developing the Master's program. This would help attract more undergraduate students and also provide us quality teaching assistants.

Program's Recommendations for the Current Review:

• We hope that the cap level for on ground classes is reduced. A cap of 35 is too high for math classes without teaching assistants. A cap of 25 is reasonable for math classes without teaching assistants. For classes with a cap of 35, one teaching assistant is needed per three classes.

• To expand the program, we need more tenure-track faculty lines because at this point, we have reached full capacity ofonline math courses.

• We also need to consider developing the Master's program. There are many reasons for this expansion:

• Many of our math majors have asked for the Master's program to continue their education.

• There is a need to take Master-level math courses for high school teachers to be recertified.

• The Master's program will help us to attract more undergraduate majors. Many potential math undergraduate math majors prefer schools offering both Bachelor and Master degrees because it provides the stability in continuing their education.

• There are not many online Master's programs offered in mathematics at this time. • The Master program will also provide us quality teaching assistants.

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Appendix A Review of the Undergraduate Minor

I. Program Description and Objectives

A. Date of Initiation: Fall 1990

B. Conceptual Design:

The Mathematical Sciences Minor is designed to prepare students for careers using mathematics, operations research, and statistics in their major's fields, research, industry, insurance, and management. By making different choices for technical electives, students can prepare for a variety of careers. Those who plan to work in engineering or the physical sciences can focus on theoretical mathematics courses. Those who wish to . apply mathematical methods to life sciences, social sciences or business fields can emphasize statistics or operations research courses. Any of these emphases provide excellent preparation for graduate work in fields using quantitative methods (e.g., accountancy, biology, business, economics, education, environmental science, health sciences, physics, psychology, and sociology).

C. Program Objectives:

• Provide an educational environment in which students can acquire an intelligent appreciation for the discipline of mathematics and a practical preparation for career goals.

• Enable students to engage in critical thinking and logical reasoning. • Provide students with lifelong learning skills, effective communication skills, and a

sound basis for better citizenship.

II. Curriculum

To earn a minor in mathematical sciences, students must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours, at least 12 hours of which must be upper-division course work taken at VIS. Transfer credit for lower-division course work and for upper-division mathematics courses is evaluated on a case-by-case basis through the student petition process. Required courses include

• MAT 115 Calculus I • MAT 116 Calculus II • MAT 332 Linear Algebra

In addition to the above courses, students must select an area of cluster in (mathematics, operations research, or statistics) and complete 12 semester hours as follows:

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A. Mathematics specialization requires: Abstract Algebra (MAT 403), Geometry (MAT 404) and one elective from B or C.

B. Operation Research specialization requires: MAT 442, Operations Research Methods (MAT 444), and one elective from A.

C. Statistics specialization requires: Statistical Methods (MAT 421), Mathematical Statistics I (MAT 431), and one elective from A.

III.Students

The characteristics of students who enrolled in Mathematical Sciences Program as minor are: 60.6% are full-time; 39.2% female; 8.9% Asian, 7.9% Black; 0.7% Hispanic, and 71.2% White.

Table 31 Undergraduate Minors by Part-time/Full-time Status


Semester Part-Time Full-Time Total Fall 2002 11 68.7% 5 31.3% 16 (100%) Fall 2003 3 18.7% 13 81.3% 16 (100%) Fall 2004 5 29.4% 12 70.6% 17 (100%) Fa112005 5 38.5% 8 61.5% 13 (100%) Fa112006 8 50.0% 8 50.0% 16 (100%) Fall 2007 5 35.7% 9 64.3% 14 (100%) Fall 2008 7 35.0% 13 65.0% 20 (100%)

Average Percent 39.4% 60.6% 100%

Table 32 Undergraduate Minors by Gender


Semester Males Females Total Fal12002 8 50.0% 8 50.0% 16 (100%) Fall 2003 8 50.0% 8 50.0% 16 (100%) Fal12004 8 47.1% 9 52.9% 17 (100%) Fal12005 8 61.5% 5 38.5% 13 (100%) Fall 2006 9 56.2% 7 43.8% 16 (100%) Fall 2007 ! 12 85.7% 2 14.3% 14 (100%) Fall 2008 : 15 75.0% 5 25.0% 20 (100%) Average Percent 60.8% 39.2% 100%

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Table 33 Undergraduate Minors by Ethnic Group (Source: Institutional Research Website)

Semester Asian Black Hispanic I White Other Total

Fa112002 2 12.5% 1 6.2% o O. 11 68.8% 2 12.5% 16 (100%) Fall 2003 2 12.5% 1 6.2% o 0.0% 11 68.8% 2 12.5% 16 (100%) Fall 2004 1

1 5.9% 7.7%

1 0

5.9% 0.0%

0 0

0.0% 14 82.3% 1 5.9% 17 (100%) 0.0% 11 84.6% 1 7.7% 13 (100%)Fall 2005

Fall 2006 1 6.3% 2 12.5% 0 0.0% 10 62.5% 3 18.2% 16 (100%) Fall 2007 1 7.2% 2 14.3% 0 0.0% 10 71.4% 1 7.1% 14 (100%) Fall 2008 2 10.0% 2 10.0% 1 5.0% 12 60.0% 3 15.0% 20 (100%)

Average Percent 8.9% 7.9% 0.7% 71.2% 11.3% 100%

There were about 52.0% ofmath minors in 18-21 age range, 33.6% in 22-29 age range, 8.2% in 30-39 age range, 4.4% in 40-49 age range, and 1.8% in 50-64 age range.

Table 34 Undergraduate Minors by Age


Semester ! Fa112002 12

Fall 2003 9 Fall 2004 11 Fall 2005 3 Fall 2006 Fall 2007 8 Fall 2008 10

Average Percent

18-21 22-29 30-39 40-49 75.0% 2 12.4% 1 6.3% 0 0.0% 56.2% 5 31.2% 1 6.3% 0 0.0% 64.7% 3 17.6% 1 5.9% 2 11.8% 23.1% 8 61.5% 1 7.7%~ 37.5% 7 43.7% 2 12.5% Yo 57.1% 4 28.6% 2 14.3% 0 0.0% 50.0% 8 40.0% 1 5.0% 1 5.0% 52.0% 33.6% 8.2% 4.4%

50-64 Total 1 6.3% 16 (100%) 1 6.3% 16 (100%) 0 0.0% 17 (100%) 0 0.0% 13(~~0 0.0% 16 (1 0 0.0% 14 (100%) 0 0.0% 20 (100%)

1.8% 100%

IV. Faculty

Five faculty members devoted to teaching the courses in the minor. They are Dr. Chan Rei-Chi, Dr.Yuichi Iwashita, Dr. Mahdi Majidi-Zolbanin, Dr. Tung Nguyen, and Dr. ChungRsien Sung.

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V. Student Demand

During the review period, there were 16 students enrolled to the Mathematical Sciences Program as minor each academic year. There is no information on the credit hours generated by the minors.

Table 35 Credit Hours Generated by MA T Minors


Credit Hours 237 218 243 170 189 178 237

There is no data on the number of students graduating with the minor during the review period.

VI. Costs

The cost for the minor is not available.

VII. Quality and Productivity

The program has an active faculty, a rich and diverse curriculum, and modem computer equipment. The Mathematical Sciences program is comparable in terms of the size of its faculty and the number ofgraduates to other programs at state institutions within Illinois.

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Dean's Recommendations for the Current Review (To Be Written and Appended by the Dean).

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program review - university of illinois springfield

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