Advising the Mathematics Component of the General Education Core
Information for Faculty/Staff Advisors
As an aid to advising a particular student, please print and complete the Student's Advising Questionnaire for General Education (Core) Mathematics.
Objectives
- To appropriately place our students in empowering, mainstream mathematics courses.
- To assist faculty/staff advisors in understanding general placement criteria, and in applying these criteria.
- To welcome faculty/staff/student participation in the evolution of these of recommendations.
Notes: Timing
All of the Core Mathematics courses require demonstrated minimal "Mathematics Proficiency" before entry into these courses.
For some students this will require remediation, either through MATH-090 "Elementary Algebra" or MATH-105 "Intermediate Algebra". Students who opt for the latter will be better equipped to succeed in the Core courses; some students may need both courses.
According to the structure of the General Education Core, students must enroll in a Core Mathematics course in either the first or second year of university. Should MATH-090 or 105 be needed, it would seem reasonable to schedule these in the first year.
In general, the Mathematics Department believes that the earlier the better is appropriate timing for mathematics courses.
An Important Consideration
Mathematics courses are truly part of a student's "core education". Like other course areas, the skill set required to do well in mathematics courses are "core skills", including critical thinking abilities, exploration and problem-solving abilities, language abilities, and abilities related to verbal and written communication.
Faculty: In some measure, you should assess this student's mathematical abilities based upon your perception of how well this student will fare in mainstream courses in your own discipline.
Core Mathematics Courses: Overview
In the decade of the 1990's, in central Indiana, "traditional" high-school graduates (including those who have graduated from high school during the last decade) are normally ready for university-level mathematics.
Indeed, the pre-university mathematics curriculum is highly sequenced and structured, and intended to carefully prepare students for the next level. Students are accustomed to, and comfortable with, the idea of proceeding to the next level in mathematics. For the record, the standard university-level entry point is Calculus I, MATH-190.
Some students will have a terrific Calculus background from High School (or post-secondary courses) and will be prepared to enter the Calculus sequence (MATH-190, Calculus I; MATH-191, Calculus II; MATH-270, Calculus III) at a more advanced point (probably at Calculus II). Please discuss this with students who already have some background in Calculus; students who are interested in beginning the Calculus sequence with Calculus II or Calculus III should probably be placed in one of these advanced courses.
Other entry points are possible, but to some extent these are all remedial in nature. Alternative first courses include
- MATH-108, "Discovery in Mathematics"
- MATH-150, "Finite Mathematics"
- MATH-180, "College Algebra and Trigonometry".
There is an important exception... the MATH-208 & MATH-210 sequence for Elementary Education majors. These provide good professional training for future teachers (but should not be advised for other students). Elementary Education majors should be advised to take the MATH-208 & MATH-210 sequence.
Discipline-Independent Criteria
In general, the following guidelines are applicable:
- Students who clearly should take Calculus as Core Mathematics. This includes students who meet one or more of the following criteria (please use this as a checklist):
- has 550 or better Math SAT (equivalently, 26 or better ACT)
- has 500 or better Math SAT (equivalently, 24 or better ACT), combined with good SAT Verbal score (500 or better... equivalently, 24 or better ACT)
- is a "distinguished scholar". Evidence includes: "distinguished admit" (AD), a Presidential Scholarship, or a Dean's Scholarship
- has taken Calculus before (even if this resulted in a poor or failing grade... the student has been previously identified as "Calculus ready").
- has "exercised an option" and taken a course other than Calculus in High School. Such students are numerous; they've been identified by their High Schools as ready for Calculus, but chosen other course work (typically in the Senior Year) for a variety of reasons (including the notion that "Universities would prefer students to begin Calculus there"). Often, such students have taken a course in Trigonometry before grade 12
- feels "comfortable" with High School mathematics preparation through Trigonometry (some discomfort with Trigonometry is normal), and has performed well (A's and B's). Courses with names like "pre-calculus", "math analysis", "senior math", "integrated math", "advanced math" are courses which substitute for Trigonometry, as Calculus preparation. (These courses typically have strong trigonometry components.)
- "likes mathematics", in combination with good preparation and average or better SAT scores (400 or better SAT in math or 20 or better ACT)
- Students who should take Math-108 as Core Mathematics. This includes students who have background deficiencies in Mathematics, AND whose likely careers will not require systematic critical thinking skills. Additionally, the student's major/minor programs do not require an additional Mathematics course. Typical evidence includes (please use this as a checklist):
- has 350 or lower Math SAT (equivalently, 17 ACT) and similar Verbal SAT or ACT
- believes that remediation in mathematics is essential
- is/was required to take MATH-090 or MATH-105 to obtain minimal Mathematics Proficiency. (However... this is not an absolute criterion. The Proficiency Test measures "retention" of basic mathematical skills, not aptitude to perform in mathematics courses. An "A" in one of these courses suggests good aptitude.)
- has a poor pre-university background in mathematics
- is open to a variety of basic mathematical experiences, and is willing to explore and exercise creativity in problem-solving (aspects of MATH-108's design)
- Students who "fall between" the two cases outlined above. These students will need the advisor's attention and special expertise to help in appropriate placement.
- Students who appear to be generally "above average", should in most cases be advised to take Calculus I (MATH-190). Again, some of these students have already taken Calculus, and so they should already be placed in MATH-190 by the criteria outlined in (a).
- Many students have been "streamed" by a sequenced High School mathematics curriculum, and are placed by the course sequence right at the threshold of Calculus.
In the student questionnaire, we requested the student to report
"In your High School, if you had taken one additional mathematics course, what would that course be?"
If the student answered Calculus, then the student should be placed in Calculus I (MATH-190). Many "average" students will answer the above question with "Calculus"... or its equivalent. Please place such a student in MATH-190. (You might wish to exercise some caution here, for students with below-average grades... C or poorer... in some High School mathematics courses.)
(What High School course would put a student on the "threshold of Calculus"? Trigonometry... or a course in which trigonometry is a major component, like "pre-calculus", "math analysis", "senior math", "integrated math", "advanced math".)
Students of all kinds, who have a High School mathematics background which includes good grades (mostly A's and B's) though Trigonometry, should be placed in MATH-190. (By the way, many students do very well in Calculus, even with modest experience in Trigonometry.)
Students with no Trigonometry background (or a very poor grade in Trigonometry or a trigonometry-inclusive course), normally should be placed either in MATH-180, "College Algebra and Trigonometry", or in MATH-150, "Finite Mathematics" or in MATH-108, "Discovery in Mathematics".
- If the student's major/minor program(s) require(s) Calculus at some point, and you think that the student is not ready for Calculus, it would be appropriate to place the student in MATH-180. Please note: students with a high school or university transcript record of a Calculus course will not be admitted into MATH-180.
- A student whose major does not require Calculus, but does require another Mathematics course (such as Statistics) should nonetheless be placed in a Calculus course if ready. (Calculus really is the best preparation for other university-level math courses.)
Alternatives: MATH-150 or MATH-180. MATH-150 has been the alternative most often selected in the past, and (after Calculus) is the Math Department's recommendation for preparation for Statistics.
MATH-180 is appropriate, but only for students who realistically may take Calculus.
- Again, students who have no Trigonometry in their background, whose major/minor/career pattern does not require another mathematics course, who will never again need to demonstrate mathematics proficiency, who will not proceed either to Graduate School nor to postgraduate professional studies... Appropriate advising in most cases is MATH-108.
