OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Mathematics And Statistics, Department Of

Goal
Deliver Current, Rigorous Curricula
The department will insure that all curricula meet current professional standards and will insure that the rigor of these curricula are monitored and modified appropriately

Objective
State Board Of Educator Certification (SBEC) Standards
The department will align its curriculum with the SBEC curriculum standards for MATH 3381

KPI
SBEC Standards
The department will offer MATH 3381 in alignment with the State Board of Educator Standards.  There will be a one-to-one correspondence with at least two of the SBEC standards for a mathematics generalist.

Goal
Procure Appropriate Resources To Facilitate The Academic Mission Of The Department
The department will monitor the classroom, laboratory, research, and out-reach (service) needs of the unit. Budget requests will reflect these needs.

Objective
Procurement Of Technology
The department will procure hardware and software relevant to the research and instructional needs of its faculty.

KPI
Requests For Equipment
The department will submit budget requests for new technology equipment.

Action
Sage Server Installed For Faculty Use
With generous funding an assistance from IT@Sam, two racks of servers running Sage were installed for student and faculty use.  One server is solely for research, while one is for use by faculty in classroom settings.  While use is now restriced to on-campus sites, hopfully in Fall 2013 this restriction will be lifted.

Goal
Provide Appropriate Personnel Resources For The Unit
The department will assess the personnel (staff and faculty) needs of the unit on an annual basis. Annual funding requests will reflect these needs and hiring decisions will be based on these needs. The department office will provide appropriate resources and encourage faculty and staff to participate in development opportunities.

Objective
Procurement Of Personnel
The department will maintain personnel to effectively manage all three areas:  mathematics, mathematics education, and statistics.

KPI
New Hires
The department will submit Preliminary Budget Request forms requesting hires for the department's personnel needs.

Action
New Faculty Lines
A request in the 2013-14 budget was made for 4 additional tenure-track lines -- two statisticians and two mathematicians.  The university administration granted the department one tenure-track line.  It will be filled in Spring 2014 with a statistician.

Goal
Provide Support Of Faculty Activities
The department will insure that the faculty have sufficient input in issues related to teaching schedules and professional development opportunities.

Objective
Faculty Travel
The Department will increase the amount of money allocated for faculty travel in 2010-2011.

KPI
Travel Allocation
The Department will increase the amount of money allocated for faculty travel to conferences. Our goal is to raise travel stipends by 20%.


Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement Departmental administration has changed hands, with a new Chair (Brian Loft, a mathematician) and Assistant Chair (Melinda Holt, a statistician).

Travel funds did increase, with signifigant increases to student travel as well.  

Federal funding has also increased, with NSF-funded projects ECO-IMPACS and our new REU program.  Fall 2013 will see 4 active NSF-funded programs, amounting to more than 2 million dollars. 

Plan for continuous improvement More federally funded programs will be submitted, including a long-term colalborative undergraduate research project through the NSF.

Our already prolific faculty will continue to contribute outstanding research.  Three of the six College of Science Excellence Awards were presented to faculty in our department.  We hope to win at least two of these awards next year, demonstrating our commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and service.