Assessment of Undergraduate Programs

Math Department Mission Statement   

The mission of the Mathematics Department at San Jose State University is to offer undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees in Mathematics that prepare students to pursue continuing graduate study, to work in industry, and to teach in secondary schools or community colleges. We strive to teach our students to communicate mathematical ideas effectively and to use basic computational skills, mathematical models and technology to solve practical problems. The Mathematics Department offers a variety of courses that serve students in other departments, notably engineering, science, and business, to help them use mathematics and quantitative analysis effectively in their chosen field. The Mathematics Department strives to teach well, maintain high standards for student performance, and keep its curriculum up to date. The Department also takes pride in a faculty that is active in scholarship and research, which includes the encouragement and supervision of student research in Center for Applied Mathematics, Computation and Statistics (CAMCOS) projects and graduate student theses. 

BA Math/BS Applied Math Program Learning Objectives

Goal 1 The Ability to Use and Construct Logical Arguments. The ability to reason logically to conclusions, including the ability to use precise definitions and to use various forms of logical argument.

 Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to give direct proofs

2. Ability to give proofs by contradiction

3. Ability to give proofs by mathematical induction

4. Ability to apply definitions to give proofs

5. Ability to give proofs and disproofs involving quantified statements

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to state a problem accurately, articulate assumptions, and describe a method of solution

2. Ability to conduct independent investigation of mathematical concepts at the undergraduate level

3. Ability to give written reports and oral presentations that include mathematical context which is mathematically accurate, yet accessible to classmates

Goal 3 The Ability to Perform Standard Mathematical Computations

 

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to evaluate limits

2. Ability to calculate derivatives and integrals

3. Ability to determine regions of convergence 4. Ability to apply properties of algebraic and transcendental functions

Goal 4 The Ability to Use Technology to Solve Mathematical Problems

 

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to write programs to solve mathematical problems

2. Ability to use a mathematical programming environment such as MATLAB or Maple

3. Ability to interpret numerical results

4. Ability to understand that there are limits to numerical accuracy

Goal 5 The Ability to Use Mathematical Models to Solve Practical Problems

 

Specific Learning Objectives to be assessed:

1. Ability to extract relevant information from a practical problem and give a mathematical formulation of the problem

2. Ability to use numerical results to validate (or modify) a model and to understand the limitation of a model

3. Ability to clearly describe models, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of models and their relationship to the underlying problem 

BA Math/BS Applied Math Assessment/Program Planning Schedule 

	BA Math		BS Applied Math
	Last assessment	Next Assessment	Last Assessment	Next Assessment
Goal 1	Math 108 F10	Math 108  F14	NA	NA
Goal 2	Math 104  S07	Math 104  S13	Math 161B  S07	Math 161B S13
Goal 3	Math 138  S12	Math 138	Math 138  S12	Math 138
Goal 4	Math 143M  F11	Math 143C	Math 143M  F11	Math 143C
Goal 5	NA	NA	Math 178  S11	Math 178  S15
Self-Review	Fall 2008	Spring 2013	Fall 2008	Spring 2013
External Review	Spring 2009	Fall 2013	Spring 2009	Fall 2013

 

Assessment Links 

WASC Rubric for Assessment

Assessment of WASC Rubric for BA/BS Math 

WASC Roadmap for BABS Math                                                                                                                 

Assessment Maps for BABS Math 

Math Dept Assessment Report 20092010 BABS Math

Math Dept Assessment Report 20102011 BABS Math

Math Dept Assessment Report 20112012 BABS Math