SACSCOC Fifth Year Interim Report
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Assessment : 2013 - 2014 : Educational Programs :
Mathematics MS
Mathematics MS
3 Goals 3 Objectives 2 Indicators 2 Criteria 2 Findings 1 Action
| GOAL: Develop Research Skills |
| Objective |
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| Students completing the MS with a thesis will demonstrate skills in completing original research. |
| Indicator |
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The attached rubric will be used to rate student research during the thesis defense. |
| Criterion |
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MS students choosing to complete a thesis will score either a "fail", "pass" or "high pass" on their thesis based on the given rubric. |
| Finding |
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Only two students (of approx. 10 graduating) completed a thesis. The thesis and thesis defense for these two were excellent. |
Actions for Objective:
There are no actions for this objective.
There are no actions for this objective.
| GOAL: Emphasize Written Communication Skills |
| Objective |
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| Students will be able to write rigorous proofs of mathematical statements, read mathematical research manuscripts, write formal mathematical papers, and use critical thinking skills to solve research problems. |
| Indicator |
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| Students in the MS program will take a written comprehensive examination in the areas of abstract algebra, analysis, and topology. The examination will be scored by a committee of faculty. |
| Criterion |
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| All candidates will receive a mark of either "High Pass" or "Pass" for the Mathematical Statistics component of the comprehensive oral exam. |
| Finding |
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| This criterion is out of place and should be under the MS-Statistics program |
Actions for Objective:
There are no actions for this objective.
There are no actions for this objective.
| GOAL: Consistent Cohort Size And Cohort Support |
| Objective |
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| We will support ten new graduate students each year, as many as twenty in the two years of our program. Support should be such that fulltime students are supported by at least $10,000 more than the cost of tuition and fees. |
Actions for Objective:
| Action |
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Soaring tuition, fees and insurance but fixed TA stipends hamper student recruitment. Faculty plan to meet with the administration to discuss recent tuition and fees in excess of $7000 for in-state tuition international students. Since TA stipends are only $13000/yr, this only leaves students less than $6000/year (less than $500/month) to live on. |
| Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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Plans for 2013-14 include: improved (and more) office space for graduate students, standardized syllabi for core MS mathematics courses, and an evaluation of decreasing the number of comprehensive mathematics exams from three to two.
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| Update on Previous Cycle's "Plan for Continuous Improvement" |
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We have implemented consistent syllabi for both the algebra and analysis sequences. The comprehensive exams for these two subjects are created and graded by 2 committees, each committee chaired by the most recent instructor in the sequence. We have eliminated the third comprehensive exam and are currently focusing on strengthening the level and consistency of the algebra and analysis exams. |
| Plan for Continuous Improvement |
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Comprehensive exams and exam sequences are more consistent and more rigorous. We will continue to improve these sequences with with graduate faculty active on each of the Algebra Committee and the Analysis Committees.
We are in the process of increaing the number of courses offered each semester to five (plus research/thesis), allowing more diversity in the elective courses and encouraging students to specialize in applied mathematics or preparation for doctoral studies. We continue to work on raising both the stipends (using a variety of scholarships and grant monies) and also raising the number of assistantships offered. |