What are we doing, Now?Michael EurgubianSanta Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus

California Mathematics Council, Community CollegesDecember 14, 2013

meurgubian@santarosa.edu

WHAT I DID THIS TIME

Scoured College Catalog, Website, Schedule of Classes. Student Services,Online Catalog

Sent out survey to every department chair or division chair

WHAT I DIDN’T DO THIS TIME

DRIVE, FLY, PARK, FIND HOTELS, FIGHT TRAFFIC,EAT CAFETERIA FOOD

DISCLAIMERS

Not a Scientific Study or Census

Alot was based on hearsay

Remainder of schools might paint a different picture

LayoutAccording to most, the perfect layout is one in which the Offices, Classrooms, and Math Lab are all in close proximity.

70% of of schools visited had this set – up in 2011

In 2013

All offices, math tutorials and classrooms in one general location (close) 25%

Offices close but classrooms scattered 30%

DIVISIONS

More than 80% are mixed with Sciences

About 30% are lead by Deans rather than department chairs

From survey, In about 20%, Math is its own division

WHO TEACHES WHAT35% reported that only full time teach Calculus and above

50% reported that all teach all classes

For every one full time person at a campus there are one the average 2 – 3 Adjunct ……. Still holds true

Then……CLASS SIZEAbout 70% of the colleges keep a class size of about 35

About 20% are 40 – 45

The rest have variable class sized per course

Only two were outliers

From surveys : CLASS SIZE < 35 15%

35-45 50%

>45% 8%

Instructor dependent 29%

TRANFER MAJOR / AS-T

Of course, Calc 1,2,3

Group A : Differential Equations or Linear Algebra, Discrete

Group B : One or other latter not chosen> 60% place Physics and Statistics

TEXTBOOK ADOPTION 2011About 40% of the campuses had departmental adoptions on all texts (exceptions often for singletons)

About 40% of the campuses require adoptions on sequence courses only

Only a couple cited complete laissez - faire

TEXTBOOK ADOPTION 201375% of the campuses had departmental adoptions on all texts (exceptions often for singletons)

16% cited sequence courses only

Only a couple cited complete laissez - faire

GRAPHING CALCULATORS AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Last time I learned Graphing calculators in the classroom have fallen off significantly in last 10 years

Integration in classroom activity has also significantly declined

Only about 20% of the schools make some kind of graphing calculator option, from schedules there is a greater undestanding that students are expected to have them.

The TI 83 – 84 is most often used at all levels; the TI – 89 was rarely cited as a requirement

Mathematica is used more than MAPLE

GRAPHING CALCULATORS AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE

16 % Require no Calculators in no classes

20% Require Calculators in Intermediate Algebra and above

20% Require Calculators in Calculus 65% Require Calculators in Statistics

50% be not allow calculators below Intermediate algebra

ONLINE COURSES

90 or more of the at least one course online(pure or hybrid)

More than 25 colleges offer up to 20 sections on online

Overall, online / Hybrid offerings make up far less than 10% of the offerings

Two colleges have the majority of their sections offered online, or hybrid

From Survey, 90% allow only proctored exams

ONLINE HOMEWORK

Among those schools who have sited instructors assigning online homework, 50 – 60% of the faculty did, the numbers haven’t changed

Among those that do, MyMathLab 90% is the online program of choice

Then : SLOSMost mathematics departments found it easy to write course SLO’s and department SLO’s

Variety of opinions on how to assess them

Some departments have teachers imbed department problems in finals (approved)

About a dozen schools give departmental final exams

Most everyone is dead serious, not cynical

Almost all cited accreditation warnings

A few had aggressive longitudinal and diagnostic plans studies based on assessments

Now : SLOS40% cited assessment is per Instructor per class

60% citied assessment in conjunction with others teaching same

Only a couple of schools citied departmental final exams

33% said they were easy and fast to write

33% said they were moderately easy to write

33% said they were moderately difficult to to write

COMMUNICATION

Three noted collegial relationships (inter – district) between schools

San Diego County CollegesSouth Central ValleyNorth Central Valley

REPEATABILITYBack then : Only two schools told me it has no impact, as they had already made the change

10% say students are shifting to other schools

20% say students are sticking it out longer

75% say there is no noticeable affect

Now…

ASSESSMENTAccuplacer…….more than 60 % followed by

MDTP and COMPASS, about 20% eachJust about the same now

Two colleges cited self – assessment , about the same now

Three colleges cited “affective” questions mixed into assessment process

Most cited an appeal process

ASSESSMENT

Some cited a fall back / intervention program

Nearly every college offers practice placement tests

20% of the colleges were looking into having interest an active “MATHJAMS” type program….

Found in less than 10 through websites

The majority of our students place into developmental courses

Virtually all said the department actively reviews cut – off scores

TUTORIAL SERVICES 2011Not counting MESA, DRD, almost every college had both a campus wide tutorial center and a Math lab (exceptions are mostly small campuses)

More than 75% of the colleges reported that instructors frequent tutorial centers

About 30% reported that full time instructors schedule office hours thereAbout 25% of the colleges allow instructors to get (lab) load

Chances that the campus tutorial director has math background – pretty slim

A good Statistics tutor is hard to find

TUTORIAL SERVICES 2013More than 65% of the colleges said there was a single location for math tutoring. But I found many schools that only now housed a department center.

50% said that center is the mathematics department center

1/3 said students can get tutoring at all levels, all locations

1/3 said that students get tutored at different levels at different locations

Chances are still pretty slim that the campus tutorial director has math background

More than half reported that scheduled tutoring is available

AA REQUIREMENT CHANGES IN CURRICULUM-2011

Less than a fourth of the colleges have pondered or have already created an alternative course to meet the new AA requirements

A great proportion of them have failed the enrollment test!

A handful used Geometry as the option

Some use other discipline – based courses already in place to serve that cohort

AA REQUIREMENT CHANGES IN CURRICULUM-2013

About a fourth of the colleges now offer an alternative course to meet the new AA requirements

About 15 colleges are offering a pathways to statistics or STATWAYS

CONFLICTS WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS

from my visits the only conflicts sited, with Behavioral Science, over Statistics

A dozen or so offer Math Anxiety courses with the Math Department

Less than 20 Supplemental Instruction on Websites

Chairs reported BSI money split between tutoring and supplemental instruction, and special developmental classes

Miscellaneous

SPLIT COURSES

Less than 30% of the campuses reported split elementaryand / or intermediate algebra courses in my 2011 visits

From surveys,30% Offer an Elementary Algebra split

option25% Offer an Intermediate Algebra split

option

The Biggest Surprise to me me in 2011 ?

FAST TRACKING !!!

Combination Courses

13 Offer an Pre-Algebra + Arithmetic

15 offer Elementary Algebra + Intermediate Algebra

Overall, equally split 16, 17, 18

Imposed by district for a handful

60% said a success rates have declined

Condensed Calendar

Originally Math / Science / FL Opposition

31% originally embraced the idea

18% growing in favor, once opposed

From Catalogs: CALCULUS SEQUENCE

5 – 5 – 5 50%

5 - 5 – 4 8%

5- 4 - 4 18%

5- 4- 4 19%

From Catalogs: Beyond Calculus,etc

Differential Equations/Linear Algebra Separate 85%

Differential Equation/Linear Algebra Combined 15%

About 5% offer a Logic course in their department

A handful offer Math Programming

20% in combination only

35% offered split or combined

45% Only taught separately

Pre-Calculus/ Trig

GEOMETRY

More than 60% of the colleges offer course

LIBERAL ARTS MATH

More than 75% of the colleges offer course

MATH FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

55-60% of the colleges offer the course

Robust at some campuses, one or two at most

Do you visit your department’s webpage?

Late start courses ? Purpose ? Pressure ?

Do you shy away from online developmental courses?

Load and parity

Does your college have a proctoring center?

Does your department track cohorts?

Other things I would like to know

MY FAVORITES FROM MY TRAVELS

MOST BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS

Cuyamaca College

MOST UNDER CONSTRUCTION COLLEGE

Los Angeles Harbor College

PARKING PRICES

Free…..Lake Tahoe, Redwoods, West Hills

To 50 cents

Most are $1 to $2

Only two were $3

Only one is $4

SINGLE BUILDING CAMPUSES

Berkeley City College

Coastline Community College(*)

MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND GREEN

Berkeley City College

MOST ETHNICALLY UNIQUE

Glendale Community College

About Armenian students 23

COLLEGE WITH THE MOST SATILLITES TEACHING MATH

City College of San Francisco

BEST NAME FOR A TUTORIAL CENTER

The Hard Math Café

Yuba College

MOST APPEALING MATH COURSE LISTED ON A COLLEGE CATALOG

Mathematics of Poker

Lake Tahoe Community College

PLACE I WOULD LIKE TO TEACH THE REST OF MY CAREER

Santa Rosa Junior College (one semester to go)

OTHER COMMENTS

The choices on the radio drastically change when you leave metropolitan regions

“Right down the street” means about two hours in Los Angeles

If a college is surrounded by four parking lots, remember where you parked your car

The vast majority of students, teachers, and support staff are very serious and committed

There’s a construction project of some kind ongoing at about half the colleges

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DOFinish up templates for each school in coming months, following up with contacts questions

Have each department verify templates

Ask for input from other schools I did not visitCreate a grid for each “area of study” for all campuses, with demographics

(Ask questions to ponder, or better, create) a blog of FaceBook page where people can ask questions / post advice

Rest

Get back in the classroom