Students are responding well to the large-scale changes the department is making in College Algebra classes. The past few semesters we have been teaching a limited number of experimental sections of math 10A and math 10B and have found that our students do much better on tests and finish the course with a more positive attitude toward mathematics.
By fall, all 45 sections of the 10A and 10B algebra sections will be taught with the help of graphing calculators and will require classes to meet five days a week, an extra two hours weekly.
Math 10A is designed for students who plan to take a calculus course such as math 61, which is primarily for business majors, or math 108, directed at students in the life sciences.
In contrast, math 10B targets students who do not anticipate taking calculus. Although the 10A sections provide better preparation for calculus, we cover enough algebra in these sections to allow students who do well in 10B to take a calculus course.
Teaching methods in the 10B sections emphasize an applications approach to algebra rather than the more traditional approach. Students learn how to use spread sheets and graphing calculators while they study the usual topics covered in College Algebra.
Several exceptionally strong students graduated from the department the past year. Five students graduated with departmental honors. Students graduating with Latin honors included five who earned the summa cum laude designation with a grade point average of 3.9 or better and four students who graduated magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.8 to 3.9.
The department has again awarded one-year scholarships and/or awards to the following outstanding juniors: Laura Clinkingbeard, April Kohlhaas, Polly Meadows, Baron Peters, Jeannette Simino, Christine Talbot and William Tyler. Many students who graduated in 1997 were recipients of these awards during their junior year. Honored students from the past year include Keith S. Mersman, Paul M. Baugher, Daniel C. Madison and Erin R. Terwilleger.
Several undergraduate mathematics majors received scholarship awards during Arts and Science Week in February. Those honorees are April Kohlhaas, Baron Peters, Christine Talbot and Arron Kirk. In addition, Christine Talbot and Christopher Dignam received A&S summer mentorships.
Several department individuals have received teaching awards. The past year we reported that Nigel Kalton earned a Gold Chalk award. This year, Nakhle Asmar earned the Purple Chalk award, and Ghazi Asmar received a Green Chalk award for outstanding teaching by a teaching assistant. Also winning a Green Chalk award is Brock Bukowsky.
See the separate stories in this issue on the department's 1997 Kemper award-winner, Peter Casazza, and on one of our newest faculty members, Dan Lieman, who earned the Outstanding Teaching Award from the University of Missouri Men of Engineering.
