MATHEMATICS

Both Credit and Non-Credit Math met for this portion of the meeting.

ITEM 1: Greetings: Robert Gingras, Associate dean from Palm Beach Gardens, was welcomed as liaison to the math cluster

The following was read by Nancy Davis:
“This comment is from an email sent by Richard Becker and forwarded by Dr. Sass: In that Clusters make decisions on various topics including the selection of textbooks, these meetings are considered public meetings. As such, we are required to allow any and all interested people (general public) to attend the meetings. This does not give them the right to speak or to in any other way influence the decisions or discussion of the Clusters.”

ITEM 2: Below are proposed changes to the faculty home page.

These proposed changes affect how faculty contact information is presented visually on the page. Please review these proposed changes and recommend if they should be implemented.

Discussion: It was suggested that 1) either the fax number be eliminated or moved below the email, 2) that “supervisor” should be replaced by “Associate Dean”, 3) change the format so that it doesn’t look like the information refers to the supervisor rather than the faculty member, 4) add the times and dates i.e. MW 9:30 to the schedule, and 5) leave room for the picture

Action: The cluster voted unanimously to reject the changes as proposed in the attachment.

ITEM 3. Math Awareness Week

Discussion: Eugenia Cox reported that Boca Raton has started plans for Math Awareness Week for the week of March 30 to April 3. Elaine Martin Gay, author for Pearson, has been scheduled in Boca and hopefully a schedule can be arranged with the other campuses.

ITEM 4: List of Publishers

A list of publishers was requested.

ITEM 5: ALEKS Presentation
McGraw Hill has requested to make a presentation at the Spring Development Day.

Discussion: It was mentioned that FAU uses ALEKS as a placement test and we may want to look at this possibility.

Action: It was decided that ALEKS should contact Kathy Gamble to request a presentation.

ITEM 6: Report on Project Get Ready (ADP-American Diploma Project)

Discussion: ADP is a national project studying what secondary schools should be providing students to prepare them for either entering the workforce or pursuing higher education. It has been noted that 42% of students are unprepared for college work. ADP proposes that all high school graduated have 4 years of math in high school including Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II

At this point the two clusters split into two groups.
Credit Mathematics

ITEM 7: STA 1021 and other 1-credit modules

Discussion:
Some years ago some one-credit courses were offered through the Math Labs as independent study courses. Three of these – MGF 1111, Geometry; MGF 1112, Logic (which included Set Theory); STA 1021, Statistics (which included Probability) – together were equivalent to Liberal Arts Math, MGF 1106. They have not been offered in 5 years. The Statistics, STA 1021, is now a required courses for the new Sugar Institute that was created last year and so will be kept.
Three cluster votes were done by email this August.
The cluster voted to eliminate MGF 1111 and MGF 1112 with 15 Yes votes, 1 No vote, 1 Abstention, and 8 members not voting.
The cluster agreed that the new description for STA 1021 was substantially the same as the previous one with 13 yes votes, 1 No vote, and 11 members not voting.
The cluster agreed that the text currently used for MGF 1106 and MGF 1107 would be listed in the course outline for STA 1021 with 13 Yes votes, 1 Abstention, and 11 members not voting.
Concern has been raised that students taking the one-credit STA 1021 would be spending a disproportionate amount of money to purchase an entire text for just two chapters. Volunteers to search for a less expensive text will be welcome.

ITEM 8: Change to Precalculus learning outcomes home page.

Discussion: In the last cluster meeting, our cluster voted to list as optional in College Algebra the non-graphing material on polynomials. This includes synthetic division, the Remainder and Factor Theorems, listing possible rational zeros, Descartes’ Rule of Signs, boundedness, and the Intermediate Value Theorem.

Action: The cluster voted to add these topics to the Precalculus course outline. This would include Sections 2.4 and 2.5 from our current textbook.

ITEM 9. AMATYC Statistics Traveling Workshops

Discussion: AMATYC and the Consortium for the Advancement of Undergraduate Statistics Education (CAUSE) have partnered to present six AMATYC Traveling Workshops on teaching Introductory Statistics (the first statistics service course).

Janette Campbell has been working with AMATYC to host on of these workshops at PBCC on Friday, March27, 2009. A National Science Foundation grant will fund the travel, lodging and stipend for the facilitator.

Discussion followed regarding whether the workshop should be ½ day, one day, or two days. Janette needs help in organizing this workshop.

ITEM 10: Report from FTYCMA Meeting of Oct 3-4

Discussion: Chris Bush, Eugenia Cox, Janette Campbell and Sue Hitchcock attended this meeting in Tarpon Springs. The purpose of the meeting was to evaluate the state guidelines for MAC 1105, MAC 1140, MAC 2233, STA 2023 and MGF 1106/1107. Each of those attending was able to attend a different course discussion. Although still in the early planning stages, it is encouraging that the state is seeking the input from the community college and university math faculty.

ITEM 11: Reports from textbook committees

Action: Committees will meet and report at the Spring cluster meeting.

Attendance:
Bob Ames, Roy Boulware, Chris Bush, Janette Campbell, Eugenia Cox, Nancy Davis, Jay Domnitch, Allen Hamlin, Laura Heath, Sue Hitchcock, George Jahn, Marie Langston, Whitny Librun, Jessica Lopez, Mike Manesh, Ana Porro, Ira Rosenthal, Barbara Sharp, Tony Siassi, Tim Siniscalchi, Clark Sullivan, Mike Talebi, Gary Thomasson, Pat Toohey