The Math Minor Initiative CSC 290 INTERNSHIP FALL 2017 SAM RESNICK - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
The Math Minor Initiative CSC 290 INTERNSHIP FALL 2017 SAM RESNICK About Me I am OpSTEM Intern. I am currently studying Chemistry at CSU. I also work at Target in the electronics department. My beard is naturally 3 different
CSC 290 INTERNSHIP FALL 2017 SAM RESNICK
I am OpSTEM Intern. I am currently studying Chemistry at CSU. I also work at Target in the electronics department. My beard is naturally 3 different colors.
CSU Mathematics professor, Dr. Carol Phillips-Bey, realized that the required
math courses for engineers could easily apply toward a minor in Math.
Dr. Phillips-Bey also saw student lack of knowledge regarding how to obtain the
Math minor and informed Dr. Susan Carver.
Internship position created to educate engineering students on what they
could achieve.
Increase the number of engineering students with Math Minors by at least 100
by end of Fall 2017.
Reach out by data sorting, personalized emails, Degree Maps, Math Minor flier
and class visits.
Document steps taken in order to replicate procedures, communication
method and results.
Evaluate approach and return on investment.
49 Math Minors as of February 13, 2017 142 as of August 16th
195 as of October 13th - My direct contact began 251 as of November 27th
Decided on a plan of attack to get the information out to the students. Started with sorting tables of data describing students’ majors and tailoring emails for each
engineering major.
Established focus of Earn a Math
Minor email and its contents.
Sent personalized emails via mail
merge to each student based on course and engineering major.
Emailed all Fall 2017 Calculus I and
Calculus II engineers (N= 243)
For each class, personalized CSU
Degree Maps and the document to the right were distributed to each engineering major.
Using these documents and
OpSTEM kindles, Dr. Carver and I visited Calculus I and II OpSTEM sections to explain how to earn a math minor.
Initial # of Math Minors Final # of Math Minors Gain Time Frame Possible Reasons of Increase 49
(2/13/17)
142
(8/16/17)
93 28 weeks Educated First Year and OpSTEM Advisors and OpSTEM Summer Calculus I Students 143
(8/16/17)
194
(10/13/16)
51 8 weeks First Year Advisors, 2017 OpSTEM Summer Institute Scholars, Word of Mouth 195
(10/13/17)
251
(11/27/17)
56 6 weeks Math Minor Initiative In-class Presentations and Emails, First Year and OpSTEM Advisors Advocates, Word of Mouth
Setting small scale goals makes a larger goal
much more approachable and creates clear separation of work.
Constant communication with a supervisor or
peer in the program will offer new ideas on how to tackle problems.
Weekly assessment meetings make it easy to stay
Branching out to other classes may require involving more people. Answering students’ questions before they sign-up is time
Finding more efficient ways to educate and reach out to students.
Acquiring more people to help personally reach out to all engineering math
courses and Calculus III.
Explaining to advisors about math minor and communicate frequently, i.e.,
provide updates.
Setting up a table at the Engineering Career Fair, post fliers around campus
especially throughout the engineering buildings, continue to educate the First Year and enigineering advisors.
Follow-up with students who have received information, yet haven’t acted. Continuing with class visits until we find a more efficient way to get students’
attention to act.
Branching out to higher level math classes and engineering equivalents. Ensuring math classes have enough sections to accommodate the influx of
new Math Minors.
I would like to dedicate this slide as thanks to following people:
Dr. Susan Carver for her guidance and insight into how-to of this project. Juan Amador, who gave technical advice and helped create multiple
materials for the Initiative.
Hyacinthe Raven who is in charge of the course and who provided
excellent soft skills activities.
Everyone who attended this presentation and listened.