| Originator: | Clifford, Laurel Status: Approved Department: MAT Mathematics |
| Date Created: | 10/25/2019 Submitted: 10/25/2019 Completed: 11/12/2019 |
| ATF (Program or Discipline): | Mathematics |
| Date of the ATF: | October 11, 2019 |
| Statewide Update: | Clarifications of processes for new courses: New courses are entered in ASSETS, which then go through faculty review then the CEG. If 80% of the course overlaps, usually the course receives direct equivalency. With co-requisite courses which have 4 credits math + 2 credit co-rerequisite (?just in time? content), the universities match the math credit units with the remaining units as elective. The co-requisite credits are transferred as college-level elective (even if they are not college-level math) due to system issues.
Intermediate Algebra is still accepted for transfer credit at UA, and for placement (not credit) at NAU. Statistic quoted on the Math Degree report page (1,918 total UA, NAU, ASU graduates, 425 total new transfer graduates, 22.2% percentage of new transfer graduates) refers only to undergraduate students and ?within the discipline.? |
| University Curricular updates: | Arizona State University (ASU): ASU?s new Data Science degree should be ready for Fall 2020. They have hired a coordinator and are working on hiring people to teach the classes. The degree is granted from within the Mathematics and Statistics school rather than part of a department on its own.
Their use of ALEKS in MAT 117 (College Algebra) and MAT 142 (College Math) is going well, with 80% pass rates last year. This success may be due to improved placement testing, but ?we are seeing encouraging trends that we believe play a direct role in better pass rates for students at this level.? Overall student numbers continue to grow, both on ground and online. In online, they?re seeing tremendous growth, 15% - 20% per year (although it can?t continue this growth forever, it seems to be popular at the moment). University of Arizona (UA): UA Math is expanding their Math 107 course (like most of your College Math courses) and offering fewer Math 105 sections (old College math, still covers graph theory, voting methods). Tina provided syllabi for these courses (attached). Right now, all Arizona College Math courses transfer to UA as Math 107. UA requests that Math 107 be changed to the College Math sun number, SUN 1142, which is currently assigned to UA Math 105 (thanks to Steve Roark for the idea). Tina has contacted the UA Articulation Office to help process this. UA has 2 new Math courses: Northern Arizona University (NAU): The business degrees require MAT 121 (Finite Math with Calculus) to be taken at NAU. The course MAT 131 (Topics in Calculus) is usually the course that articulates with the Business Calculus courses at the CCs. Currently NAU?s MAT 121 does not articulate with other schools, but they are working on that, and are currently accepting MAT 121 in lieu of 121. They are phasing out MAT 119 (Finite Mathematics). Precalculus is not transferable as Calculus. If a student takes Calculus I (the STEM majors? course), they will still need to take the business calculus course (this is different than at other institutions where Calculus I can be used in lieu of the business calculus course). Discussion ensued from this update about the role of Finite Math and Business Calculus at the various institutions (see discussion further in this document). NAU is now offering (this fall) its new Data Science BS degree through the Mathematics and Statistics Department. Grand Canyon University (GCU): GCU continues to grow, and will be hosting the Spring ArizMATYC/MAA and ATF meeting. |
| Community college Curricular Updates: | Business Calculus/Finite Math courses: After NAU discussed the change in what math courses their business programs will accept, further discussion ensued among the colleges about what to do with Finite/Business Calculus. At NAU, Calculus I doesn?t apply for the business calculus courses as mentioned earlier in the notes. Students should take the SUN courses. At UA, Business Calculus and Finite Math transfer as MAT 113 (Elements of Calculus) and MAT 114 (Finite Math) respectively, although they are discontinuing Finite Math. At ASU, students take a two semester sequence of MAT 210 Brief Calculus (business calculus) and MAT 211 Mathematics for Business Analysis, which is a course that includes more calculus (multivariable) along with topics from Finite Math. Students who transfer in with Brief Calculus and Finite Math may still need to take MAT 211.
AWC has its MAT 215 Math Analysis for Business course for transfer to NAU, which also transfers to ASU as MAT 211 (it is math elective credit at UA). EAC has used Calculus I in lieu of Business Calculus, but this would not work for NAU?s programs. The question arising from this discussion: has the sun set on Finite Math as a course? Should the community colleges follow AWC?s lead and create the second semester Business Calculus course that incorporates parts of Finite Math to insure transfer to the university business programs? Data Science Associate Degree programs: Since the universities are introducing Data Science degrees, it makes sense for the community colleges to be looking at Data Science AA degrees. What math with be involved? Kate Kozak shared her review of NAU?s degree and the math courses are an Intro to Data Science course, Calculus-based Statistics (although an algebra-based statistics would suffice), Calculus through Calculus II, Linear Algebra (although NAU?s course is 1 credit?basically the math of matrices), Discrete Mathematics, and a Language/programming course. The other universities (UA, ASU) have different programs, so CCs interested in creating Data Science AAs should consider what school they are most likely to feed into in order to design appropriate degrees. Quantitative Reasoning/College Math (MAT 142) competencies: On May 3, 2019 (hosted by Jeff Thies in Tucson), college and university reps met and discussed content for College Math as well as prerequisite or co-requisite courses. ASU was not able to attend the meeting. Their College Math still has Set Theory in it, but UA, NAU?s courses do not. ASU was reported as supporting the common competencies agreed on as long as the course remains a liberal arts survey course, and not an Intermediate Algebra course. Maricopa met in the summer and discussed/created a prerequisite course based on what is needed to be successful in MAT 142. Some CCs use co-requisite model, like Coconino, putting what content from Intermediate Algebra they feel is necessary to be successful in 142. Maricopa has two paths: College Math Prep (MAT 103) vs. MAT 145, College Math with co-requisite content. Students can place via different methods, such as GPA, GED, SAT, ACT. Maricopa also approved MAT 114 or MAT 115 College Algebra prep as a new prerequisite to MAT 15X College Algebra, and updated their competencies and outline of MAT 15X College Algebra. GCU asks the question about whether students get locked into pathways? The main content from the course includes probability, statistics, modeling, finance, with competencies below: Competencies Competencies were agreed on rather than just content with the goal of expressing the level/depth of coverage, along with freedom of what content can meet the competencies. It was noted that UA doesn?t include finance in their courses (so their course does not transfer to NAU), but CCs can always do more content than what is expressed. Motion was made to vote on the competencies, motion was seconded. A vote on the competencies was unanimous among those present to accept: AWC, CAC, Cochise, Coconino, EAC, Maricopa, Mohave, NAU, Pima, UA, Yavapai (ASU was in absentia based on feedback from Fabio Milner, NPCC was in absentia but was represented in the summer discussion as was TOCC). College Algebra/Precalculus course content: Pima noted that they have not had a lot of success with a 4 credit Precalculus course. Yavapai has two different models, MAT 152 College Algebra and MAT 181 Trigonometry vs. MAT 187 Precalculus (this is also similar at other CCs). Maricopa is considering putting Precalculus as a course between College Algebra and Calculus instead of Trigonometry, with appropriate trigonometry content in the Precalculus course. At ASU, students can take College Algebra, then Precalculus, then Calculus, or College Algebra followed by Brief Calculus. Question was posed: What content do students need for MAT 22X Calculus I? Discussion about the role of Precalculus, College Algebra + Trigonometry courses resulted in the motion to continue the discussion in a spring meeting similar to the quantitative reasoning meeting done for College Math. Laura Watkins volunteered to help set up such a meeting in Maricopa. Ideally this meeting would occur prior to the spring ATF meeting. Statistics content: Continued discussion on what content is appropriate for statistics course as confidence intervals seem to be the more accepted tool as opposed to hypothesis testing and p-values. The concern also was raised that we are often a service department for other areas and need to include what the other areas want. Also concern was expressed on what foundations course students take prior to statistics; whether Statistics follows College Algebra, College Math or other prerequisites and the need for a ?foundations course? (college-level math) as a prerequisite. Note that UA?s statistics requires College Algebra mainly because the students have to take College Algebra anyway, not because they feel College Algebra has to be the prerequisite. In the spring ATF meeting, we can discuss what content will be in the course. The helpful information would also include what majors are taking the statistics class, and what foundations class they have. Coconino is bringing Math for Elementary Teachers courses back after removing them previously. Pima?s questions: As the meeting time ended, Pima didn?t get a chance to vet their proposed changed to MAT 151 College Algebra. Attached is their proposed revisions for MAT 151. They plan to: 1. Eliminate operations on complex numbers They would like to know if these changes will affect transferability of the course. CAC update via email: Central is piloting two new Dev Ed Foundations courses. Foundations I is 6 credit hours with review of basic math and soft skills needed to be successful in College Mathematics. Foundation II is also a 6 credit hour course with soft skills embedded in the learning outcomes. The Foundations II course is for STEM and Business students heading to College Algebra. |
| Suggested changes to matricies: | No change to CEGs, Common Course Matrix.
Mohave has already updated our Exam Equivalencies to match last fall's ATF discussion. Community Colleges remain in agreement to follow the lead of the Universities, especially in light of how few students the CCs see with credit via exam. Copies of the credit by test matrices were passed around to various college and university representatives so that updates could be recorded; Alecia Mooney has the copies. Advanced Placement Exams (AP): No changes. Cambridge International Exams (CIE): Changes that were agreed upon last fall have not been made yet for all of the Community colleges to align with the universities? decisions in the Mathematics-A Level exam (except Mohave). Individual college ATF reps need to have their institutional ACETS rep send in the changes. There was agreement that the lower amount of credits would be awarded to allow students to use their credit hours elsewhere.
College Level Exam Program (CLEP): Updates from last fall have been made; no changes necessary. DANTES Subject Standard Test (DSST): Information provided by the testing company for DSST is insufficient to make accurate credit equivalencies. Links in Aztransfer.com to the various tests are broken/lead to an ?oops? page on the DSST website. No changes are made at this time to the current matrices. International Baccalaureate (IB) Last fall, it was proposed that column headings in the exams need to be changed to use a score of 5 or higher (no need for 4 or higher column). This change has yet to be made.
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| Volunteering: | No. |
| Additional Comments: | Math department will update MAT 142 College Math to reflect the approved competencies. Mohave participated in the discussion resulting in these competencies last spring. There also remains support across the state for multiple pathways (MAT 101/142 Liberal Arts and MAT 121/151 STEM pathways).
Math department will also need to send a representative to the planned spring discussion of College Algebra/Precalculus content and competencies TBA, as well as the spring ATF meeting during the ArizMATYC/MAA joint spring conference at GCU. Math department needs to consider the future of MAT 201 Finite Math--possibility of creating the matching course to ASU's Brief Calculus II instead (course includes multivariable calculus and topics from Finite Math). Math department needs to investigate the creation of a Data Science AA program in support of new Data Science programs. |