One of the graduation requirements in the College of Arts and Sciences is participation in Mandatory Outcomes Assessment conducted by the major program. This requirement can be found in the Arts and Sciences section of the Undergraduate Catalog, under General Graduation Requirements, and is listed on the Major Requirement Sheets for the Mathematics B.A., Mathematics B.S., and Applied Mathematics B.S. degrees.
This assessment is part of the Academic Assessment and Continuous Improvement efforts of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. The purpose of the assessment is evaluation of the Department's major programs and it is not used in the evaluation of individual students or instructors.
One component of the Outcomes Assessment in the Department of Mathematical Sciences is participation in a Senior Colloquium, which is conducted near the end of each spring semester. In the Senior Colloquium, graduating seniors with majors in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics give 15 minute presentations on mathematical topics that interest them. They then submit write-ups of their presentations to the Undergraduate Studies Committee as part of the Graduation Portfolio. The presentations and write-ups are evaluated by faculty in the Department of Mathematical Sciences for program assessment purposes only. At the time of the Senior Colloquium, students are also asked to complete a Senior Exit Survey to be included in the portfolio.
For information on colloquia from previous years, see the following documents:
The 2008 Senior Colloquium will be scheduled for late in spring semester, between April 14 and April 25. Each student with a major in mathematical sciences who plans to graduate spring, summer, or fall 2008 is asked to give a short (15 minute) presentation on a topic of his or her choice, subject to criteria described below, and to submit a careful write-up of the presentation. In addition, each graduating senior will be asked to respond to an anonymous Senior Exit Survey on various aspects of the program.
If you are a Mathematics or Applied Mathematics major and plan to graduate during 2008, please download the contact information form and return the completed form to Dr. Davidson as soon as possible in Spring Semester 2008, but no later than FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2008. Further information about this requirement and various deadlines are given below.
For your Senior Colloquium presentation, you may choose a topic from any area of Pure or Applied Mathematics, but we recommend that Mathematics majors choose a topic in Pure Mathematics and Applied Mathematics majors choose a topic in Applied Mathematics.
A topic in Pure Mathematics should be from an upper division Mathematics course. The presentation should include at least one definition and one theorem, along with a proof of the theorem.
A topic in Applied Mathematics should either be from an upper division Applied Mathematics course or an application of upper division Mathematics to a related area. The presentation should include a precise statement of the problem or model and your assumptions, a discussion of the methods used to solve the problem, and an interpretation of the results relative to the model and assumptions.
You are also asked to submit a careful write-up of your presentation. The written version of the presentation will be due FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008. In most cases, this will be the final sample of your written work. As such, it should represent your best work and conform to high standards of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and neatness. It should be in a final polished form and not in draft form.
The oral presentation will be evaluated by the faculty members present and the written presentation will be evaluated sometime later by an assessment committee. The rubrics that were used in 2007 for both the oral and written presentations are available and help give an indication of our expectations. Rubrics to be used in 2008 will be posted after updating. Please keep in mind that the evaluations are to be used only in the assessment of our programs, and will not affect you in any way.
In order to schedule the sessions for the Senior Colloquium, we will need to know at which times you will be available during the weeks of April 14 and April 21. Please download the scheduling form and return the completed form to Dr. Davidson no later than 5:00 PM, FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2008. Please be as flexible as possible in listing the times available.
Your presentation topic will require prior approval by a Mathematics faculty member. We suggest that you discuss your proposed topic with and obtain approval from your advisor, the professor from whose course the topic is taken, or the Undergraduate Coordinator (Dr. Davidson).
The topic of your presentation and the signature of a faculty member indicating approval of your topic should be included on the scheduling form. If your presentation will require any special equipment (laptop, computer projector, etc.) please list these requirements on the form as well.
Once we have received all of the forms, we will schedule the presentations. You will be informed of the time and date of your presentation and you will receive the Senior Exit Survey to be completed.
Please keep in mind that we consider this assessment to be an assessment of the Department's programs, and not an assessment of you. It is in no way to be considered a "final exam." The survey is an opportunity for you to let us know what we are doing well and what aspects of our programs need to be improved. The colloquium is an opportunity for you to tell us something about what you have learned and found interesting, as well as to celebrate the completion of your degree.
If you have any questions about the Outcomes Assessment or if you want to discuss possible Colloquium topics you have in mind, please feel free to contact Dr. Davidson in his office (219 MSB), by phone at (330)672-9040, or by e-mail at davidson@math.kent.edu.