The Center will provide tutoring for mathematics and statistics classes offered by the Math/Stat department
Objective
The Department Will Maintain A Tutoring Lab For Mathematics And Statistics.
Students receiving tutoring will report increased competence in their mathematics or statistics courses at SHSU.
Indicator
Lab Utilization
A computerized log book will be kept in the tutoring lab as a record of students attending the tutoring center.
Criterion
Utilization Target
At least 10 students per day will visit the tutoring center during the academic year.
Finding
Utilization Findings For 2012/13
The Math Center is extremely popular. For example, in Fall 2012, an average of 262 students per week visited the center. In Spring 2013 that average dropped to 192 students per week. These numbers are well above our target.
Indicator
Center Assessment
There will be a two-pronged assessment
Students visiting the center will fill out an assessment form when their tutoring session is finished.
Tutors will also fill out a separate assessment form when the tutoring session is completed.
Criterion
Tutor Session Criterion
Tutor session evaluations will average at least a 4 (on a 5-point scale) for all students tutored.
Finding
Update On Evaluations
We are waiting on TutorTrack to be installed by our IT department. Once this computerized evaluation system is installed, we will be able to evaluate our utilization targets.
In the meantime, we are using unsolicited comment cards filled out by some students that wish to share their opinions. Hardly a representative sample of users of the lab, this assessment tool provides severely limited information that we can use for improvement of our services. We enthusiastically await the implementation of TutorTrack. We were informed in September 2013 that implementation would be complete by Spring semester 2014.
Criterion
Student Session Criterion
At least 75% of students who have been tutored will be able successfully demonstrate competence in the area or problem in which they received tutoring.
Finding
Competency Findings
We are waiting on TutorTrack to be installed by our IT department. Once this computerized evaluation system is installed, we will be able to evaluate competency of students post-tutoring.
We hope to be able to send an email through TutorTrack asking a random sample of users of the lab in a previous week whether or not they felt as though they are competent in the content area in which they received help. Our goal is for at least 75% of respondents to answer in the affirmative.
Action
TutorTrack Monitoring
We will continue to monitor the progess of the Tutor Track installation.
Goal
The Center Will Provide Effective Communication With Internal And External Constituencies.
The Center will insure that appropriate communication channels are maintained with students, the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, the SAM Center and administrative units at Sam Houston State University.
Objective
Reports On Center
The Department chair will provide reports on the Center at appropriate times during department meetings and College chair's meetings.
KPI
Reporting Dates
Reports to the department and College chairs given during the fall semester.
Result
Reports To Chair
The director of the Math Center is in regular (at least weekly, often daily) contact with the department chair.
Action
Meeting With Dr. Eglsaer
The director of the Math Center will continue to meet monthly with Dr. Eglsaer. In addition, an item will be added to the agenda of every department meeting updating the faculty on the services and issues with the math center. This will also allow the director of the center to receive input from faculty about the quality of the services the center provides to their students.
Goal
Improving Quality Of Developmental Instruction.
Developmental instructors will be provided with avenues of professional development so as to improve the quality of their instruction.
Objective
Orientation Meetings
The Mathematics and Statistics Center will hold orientation meetings for instructors and teaching assistants.
KPI
Scheduled Orientation Meetings
The Center will schedule orientation meetings prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters.
Result
Orientation Meetings
Mandatory orientation meetings have been held at he beginning of each semester. All tutors for the following semester have attended the orientation sessions.
Action
Improvement Of Implementation Of Software.
There were some issues with tutors and graduate TAs using the MyMathLab software, mainly regarding changes to curriculum. In order to make sure all tutors are comfortable with this software, mid-semester training updates will be held for those tutors not completely comfortable with the full utilization of the MyMathLab software package.