SAINT PETER'S COLLEGE MAA ASSESSMENT PROJECT

PROSPECTUS OF THE CASE STUDY

 

The goals of the Saint Peter's College project revolve around assessing the outcomes (in terms of career paths and other relevant factors) that our mathematics majors have experienced and applying the results to strengthen the major and attract more students to the field, noting the need to attract underrepresented groups.  Data on mathematics majors and dual majors are being analyzed for the classes of 1978 through the present.  The academic tracks within the major that these graduates followed are also being examined.

 

The project also looks at strategies by which the Mathematics Department and the College can support its majors in the classroom, in the residence halls, and in other ways.  Feedback from employers of our mathematics graduates will provide additional enlightening evidence of program effectiveness and suggestions for improvement. Embellishing our existing survey of majors will provide firsthand information on how well our programs prepare students for their first position and with the flexibility to adapt to emerging opportunities in the workforce.

 

The project itself offers the Department the opportunity to build on its existing ways for collecting reactions to the major as well as to forge camaraderie among its members in order to improve the departmental offerings and collaborations with other departments.

 

The Mathematics Department of Saint Peter's College is grateful for the

support of the Mathematical Association of America to participate in this

project.

 

Eileen L. Poiani

Professor of Mathematics

Saint Peter's College

 

If you would like any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Project Participants:  Prof. Brian Hopkins, Prof. Eileen Poiani, Prof. Katherine Safford-Ramus

 

 

The Department of Mathematics at Saint Peter’s College is developing a program to assess student learning in its major sequence with the ultimate goal of reviewing the program.  We started by having the entire faculty review the department’s mission and discuss goals for majors and means of assessment.  This reflection helped both to develop other parts of our plan and provide a framework for all of us to analyze our teaching in individual classes. Initial work is underway with additional projects: transcript analysis, portfolios, and alumni surveys.

 

Goals: All instructors for major courses will reflect on which of the 15 student learning goals and 11 means of assessment were used in that particular class.  The goal and means of assessment lists are fluid, and may well change as we go through cycles of assessment reflection.

 

Transcripts: Student records for the past 25 years will be analyzed with several questions in mind: What are the ethnic and gender demographics of our majors?  Several SPC students double-major; what is math coupled with?  Are there particular courses with atypically high or low grades?  At what points do students drop out of the major? Etc.

 

Surveys: The department has a long tradition of being in touch with its alumni and has a detailed vocational history for many former students.  The survey is being expanded to collect more information, such as what material is particularly helpful vocationally and suggestions for course offerings.

 

Portfolios: One long-term means of assessment is collecting samples of student work from all major classes into a portfolio.  In addition to highlights of student work over the course of the major, this also allows a view of developing mathematical maturity.  This program is starting this year with sophomore majors, and will expand as these students begin upper division work.