DATE: February 6, 2002
TO: General Education Committee, George Cronk (chair)
FROM: Math and CIS Department, Sandi Silverberg (department head)
SUBJECT: Revisions of the General Education Requirements in Math and CIS
The Math and CIS department has undertaken several initiatives designed to review the current status of departmental course offerings, program requirements, and placement mechanisms. A departmental committee was formed, chaired by Kaat Higham. The purpose of the committee is to review departmental positions on various issues and make recommendations for action.
Earlier in the 2001-2002
academic year, a proposal was sent from the department, through curriculum
committee, to the senate, which called for the elimination of the algebra
portion of the basic skills test for students enrolled in certain certificate
programs. Although the proposal was withdrawn, and was subsequently determined
to be unnecessary, the effort on the part of the Math and CIS faculty to review
and revise policies so as to be more responsive to the changing needs of
students was at the origin of this effort.
The Math department, in conjunction with the English department, is presently reviewing various products that might replace the current placement tools. The Math department is committed to maintaining its high standards for mathematics placement and education. We believe that in a world of ever increasing technology and information, we do students a disservice if we do not insist that they have competencies in computation, and basic understandings of mathematical reasoning. The student body is generally underprepared upon entrance to the college, and we would fail in our mission if we did not hold to our obligation to equip students mathematically to meet the challenges they face daily for which a basic knowledge of this subject area is paramount. Students should not leave this institution illiterate or innumerate.
We do recognize that, beyond certain fundamental competencies, the needs of students are diverse. In an effort to better meet these needs, and to broaden the scope of the offerings, the Math department is engaged in creating a new general education mathematics course. This course is intended to widen the course choices for liberal arts and professional studies majors. Along with the rest of the college community, we will engage in a systematic review of outcomes assessment.
As part of our effort to
actively seek to enhance students' educational experience, and with our firm belief
in the benefits of exposure to the content and learning outcomes that can
result from the study of mathematics, we are proposing a reform to the current
general education requirements in mathematics. Currently, most transfer
programs in liberal arts and professional studies list 6 credits of college
level mathematics and/or computer information science to fulfill the degree
requirements. Presently, the semester breakdown, as listed in the catalogue,
contains a note that directs students to choose, during the first semester,
from among the following courses: MAT-150 (statistics), MAT-180 (Pre-Calculus),
MAT-223 (Calculus for Managerial Science), MAT-280 (Calculus I). They are then
directed to choose a second course from the general education list.
While it might seem that
students are being directed to a broad choice the first semester, the actual
choice is quite limited. MAT-180, 223, and 280 are all calculus related courses
for which there are pre-requisites. Most incoming liberal arts students and professional
studies students simply do not have sufficient background to test out of the
pre-requisites. If they wish to pursue these courses, students generally have
to take 3 levels of remediation in mathematics before they even start their
college-level courses. Therefore, most Bergen Community College students,
pursuing the AA degree programs and AS degree programs in professional studies,
in practice, are really restricted to MAT-150.
Transfer programs in Fine and Performing Arts have no such restriction. All AS degree programs in natural science and mathematics are not restricted to statistics, but the programs specify "upper level" math courses. The AS degree program in engineering science stipules 4-credit math courses. Exercise Science specifically stipulates Statistics as a requirement of the program, but we believe this to be a clerical error in the current catalogue.
The Mathematics and
Computer Information Science Department proposes that the general education
requirement in mathematics for all transfer AA programs (in liberal arts,
communication, fine and performing arts) and all transfer AS programs in
professional studies (listed on page 81 ff. of the current catalogue and
exercise science) be changed to eliminate the current notation that restricts
students to specific courses the first semester. Instead, these students should
be directed to choose any two general education courses listed for Mathematics
and Computer Information Science.
There are some program areas that might wish to include a footnote to suggest or highly recommend that their students take statistics, but this decision would be left to the individual program areas. Statistics would reasonably be appropriate in concentrations such as economics, history, political science, psychology, social sciences, sociology, and many business related studies.
This proposal was discussed by the Mathematics and CIS department at its regularly scheduled meeting, February 5, 2002. The Department voted for the proposal and instructed its representatives, Dr. Corinne Kallman and Prof. Sandi Silverberg, to proceed.
Proposal approved on
2/26/02 by the BCC Committee on General Education: 18-0-0