SACS Reaffirmation
| Objective | The Department Will Create A 12 Hour Core Of Classes For The MS Degree | |
| Having a set of core courses agreed-upon by the department will bring some consistency to the MS program Associated Goals: Consistent And Standardized Courses In The MS Program |
| Indicator | Creation Of MS Core Commitee The committee will propose a 12-hour MS core. |
| Criteria | A 12-hour MS core will be developed. The MS Core committee will present the results of its discussions to the faculty. |
| Finding | Departmental decision The MS Core committee proposed the following core courses: analysis, algebra, topology, and applied mathematics. The department approved the first three courses. |
| Action | Implementation of MS core The new MS core will begin to be implemented this fall with abstract algebra. Additional fine-tuning is needed for the type of applied mathematics course. |
| Objective | Critical Mass Of Students | |
| We will have 6-12 entering students each year, guaranteeing a critical mass of new students. Associated Goals: Critical Mass Of Students |
| Indicator | Number Of Graduate Assistants Number of graduate assistants |
| Indicator | Number Of Students The number of students entering and graduating from the program. |
| Criteria | Critical mass entering There are at least eight new students entering the program each fall. |
| Finding | Critical mass entering Eight new graduate assistants started this fall. |
| Criteria | Critical mass graduating There are at least five students graduating each spring |
| Finding | Number of students Three of the five students who were scheduled to graduate in the spring did so. |
| Criteria | Regional diversity At least half of incoming students will be from an institution other than SHSU. |
| Finding | Diversity of students Two of the eight incoming students did not have bachelor''s degrees from Sam Houston State. Two were also international students. |
| Action | Critical mass entering The department continues to recruit for its MS program. Faculty members make recruiting trips to neighboring universities. |
| Action | Critical mass graduating Continued advising of graduate students should ensure a greater completion rate. |
| Action | Regional diversity Five new MS students have been admitted, three are from an institution other than SHSU. Two are international students. |
| Objective | The Department Will Provide Support To Faculty For Research And Scholarly Activity | |
| The support will enable the Department to grow. Associated Goals: Increased Support For Faculty Research And Scholarly Activity |
| Indicator | Research Workshops Will Be Held. |
| Criteria | Number of workshops held There will be at least three research-based workshops held. |
| Finding | Number of workshops. There were four research workshops held during the 2007-2008 academic year. |
| Indicator | Travel Allocations. Travel money beyond the normal departmental support is essential. |
| Criteria | Travel allocations The Department will secure at least an additional $20,000 in travel funds from outside the department. |
| Finding | Travel allocations The Department was able to find $30,000 in outside funds to support faculty travel. |
| Action | Research workshops The research workshops were a success. An equal number are planned for next year. |
| Action | Travel allocations External grants secured by faculty will provide additional revenue to support travel. |
| Objective | GA Stipends | |
| Grad assistantship stipends will be significant enough to allow the recruitment of students from other Texas institutions. Associated Goals: MS Assistantships |
| Indicator | Graduate Stipend Amount of graduate stipend |
| Criteria | Assistantship stipends Assistantship stipends will at least match those as Lamar State University and other regional institutions. |
| Finding | Increased GA stipends Three of the 16 assistants were able to receive an increased stipend. |
| Action | GA stipends The Department will continue to push for additional money for GA stipends. |
| Objective | Consistent Curriculum | |
| The MS curriculum will be well-defined and courses will be offered with a clear cycle structure. Associated Goals: Professional Development Of Grad Students |
| Indicator | MS Curriculum The MS Curriculum consists of the courses required for the MS degree in math, along with acceptable electives. |
| Criteria | Consistency with catalog Courses offered will be in agreement with well-defined courses in the graduate catalog. |
| Criteria | MS curriculum The MS curriculum will consist of 12 courses, well-defined and cycled consistently. |
| Action | Consistent curriculum New cycle of MS courses to start this fall. Work will continue on applied math course. |
| Objective | GA Mentoring | |
| Graduate assistants will be mentored by faculty. Associated Goals: Professional Development Of Grad Students |
| Indicator | Mentoring Program Activities which provide mentoring or community development among graduate students. |
| Criteria | Preparation for teaching Grad students will participate in a short course each August, in preparation for entering the classroom. |
| Finding | GA mentoring Teaching workshop held the week before the start of classes. |
| Action | GA mentoring Assessment of GA workshop this fall will be ongoing. GAs will be monitored by faculty and by staff in new Mathematics tutoring center. |