| Department News |
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Dr. Kathy Burgis has resigned and so the department welcomes Professor Shari Lewis as her replacement. Professor Lewis has been an adjunct here for five years, doing a great job. She is an Aquinas alumnus who brings energy to her courses and to our department meetings. We’re fortunate to get such a good fit for the department. |
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| Dr. Joseph Spencer became Department Chair on July 1, 2009. He will handle all the Applications for Degree, major and minor declarations, chair all department meetings and attend the department chair meetings for the next three years. He advised Ember Clark during her undergraduate research project on domination numbers of graphs. Professor McDaniel supervised Jillian Russo's hyperbolic geometry project. Both students worked at Aquinas College in the summer of 2009, with funding from the Mohler Summer Research Fund. |
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| Dr. Spencer and Professor Lewis have taken Dr. Burgis’s education courses. That is a big change in course assignments and the whole department appreciates their efforts. Dr. Ghosh taught the seminar course last Spring: Generating Functions. This is an almost magical topic which most undergraduates never get to see. Sr. Ann is in her second consecutive semester of Abstract Algebra, which continues to stretch the brains of our majors. One of our students, Laura Shuman, had a summer internship in Dynamical Systems at Wayne State. She will be our first Math Club speaker, just before she flies to Spain. |
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| Mission Statement |
| The mission of the Mathematics Department
at Aquinas College is directly linked to the mission of
the college in that it provides a program for all students
that is an essential part of a liberal arts education.
It promotes the study of mathematics in depth in preparation
for graduate school or an immediate career, supports the
mathematical needs of other disciplines, and supplies
a curriculum for all students to enhance their understanding
of mathematical thought. |
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| Goals,
Objectives and Outcomes |
| Goal: Provide courses in which
all students will have an opportunity to extend their
study of mathematics. |
| Objectives for this goal: |
- Students will be encouraged to learn mathematics
by doing mathematics, and by solving problems of significant
depth. Techniques to accomplish this may include the
use of technology, group projects, and learning by
discovery.
- Instruction will be provided that will allow students
to understand the connections between mathematics,
other disciplines, and the world around us as well
as between different mathematical topics. They will
be taught to communicate these concepts effectively.
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| Outcome: |
- Outcome #1: Students will be able to communicate
mathematical ideas effectively either orally or in
writing, using mathematical terms correctly and proper
notation.
- Criteria for Outcome #1: Students will show evidence
of this ability to communicate effectively by having
every mathematics class require written papers, written
projects, or oral projects of significant depth. A
sample of these will be collected and kept in the
mathematics department.
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| Goal: Provide students in
our client disciplines with the up to date skills and
problem solving experiences necessary to be successful
in their chosen major and in the future. |
| Objectives for this goal: |
- Learning experiences will be provided which make
clear, to the student in these disciplines, the general
problem solving power of the mathematical sciences.
- Courses will provide students with the mathematical
skills necessary for their current needs as well as
a sound basis for the future.
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| Outcome: |
- Outcome #1: Students will apply the mathematical
techniques required by the client disciplines.
- Criteria for Outcome #1: The faculty of the client
disciplines will be consulted periodically to determine
if the mathematical skills of their students are appropriate
for success in their programs.
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Goal: Provide students
with courses in mathematics education, consistent with
the recommendations of the professional societies in
content and philosophy. |
| Objectives for this goal: |
- Courses will be provided that will allow students
to obtain mastery in mathematics at the appropriate
level in which they will be certified.
- Courses will be provided that will allow students
to understand and use the methodology for teaching
and assessing mathematics while addressing the needs
and learning styles of individual students.
- Courses will be provided that will allow students
to become aware of current research in mathematics
education to gain the ability to evaluate different
methods of teaching mathematics and to develop their
own philosophy of teaching.
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| Outcome: |
- Outcome #1: Students will read journal publications
relating to mathematics education and compare and
contrast a timely topic with his or her own philosophy
for teaching.
- Criteria for Outcome #1: Students will submit or
deliver orally a formal report to document the outcome.
Samples will be maintained in the mathematics department.
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| Goal: Provide the opportunity
for the study of mathematics in depth. |
Objectives for this goal: |
- The mathematics program for majors will emphasize
the nature and philosophy of mathematics so that these
students are adequately prepared for mathematics based
careers, graduate schools, or professional schools.
- Courses will be taught as to emphasize the connections
between mathematics and the real world, and how to
communicate those results effectively.
- Students will be taught to understand mathematics
and not just memorize it. They will be shown how to
develop, know, apply and appreciate mathematics.
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| Outcome: |
- Outcome #1: Students will demonstrate knowledge
of fundamental mathematical concepts.
- Criteria for Outcome #1: Students will complete
a departmental exam covering these fundamental concepts.
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