The department primarily provides support for all other departments of the College by offering a broad range of developmental, entry level, and general education mathematics courses that are prerequisite to courses in other college fields, including nursing, science, business, occupational and technical, elementary education, applied science, and integrative and professional studies. Courses are also offered as integral parts of the general education requirements for each of GBC’s associate and bachelor’s degrees. The Mathematics Department continues to be successful in providing courses that meet the agreed-upon state standards, but because of limited student interest and limited staff, it is not possible to offer such highly specialized courses as are offered by the colleges in densely populated areas of the state.

Mathematics courses at GBC are further classified as developmental, college-level non-transfer, and college-level transfer courses. Statewide, the departments of mathematics have agreed that any course with a level of rigor/complexity less than or equal to that of Intermediate Algebra is to be classified as developmental. The college-level non-transfer courses consist of a few specialized classes, taught occasionally, and a Special Topics course. Each of these courses is numbered with a “B” suffix and is
not intended for transfer, although all college-level courses exceed the level of complexity found in Intermediate Algebra (MATH 096). College-level transfer courses are numbered 116 and higher; these courses satisfy the statewide agreed-upon definition of college level course material. (See Exhibit 2.32 for Mathematics Department Catalog of Exhibits.)

Faculty
There are two full-time math faculty in Elko, one in Ely, and one in Winnemucca. The Winnemucca instructor is, technically speaking, a member of the COT faculty, but he teaches more mathematics than computers. The Ely and Winnemucca instructors also regularly teach other courses. In addition, there are three regular adjunct faculty in Elko and three outside of Elko. Four members of other departments teach mathematics as well. Three of the four full-time faculty were hired in the mid-1990s, and one has been at GBC since 1991. Three have master’s degrees, and one has a doctorate.

In order to teach developmental mathematics classes, an instructor must have an earned bachelor’s degree in mathematics or a master’s degree in a science field. In order to teach college level mathematics classes, an instructor must possess an earned master’s degree in mathematics or a doctorate in a science field. In Fall 2001, ten sections were taught by adjuncts or by persons outside the department.

Resources. Members of the mathematics faculty use computers, calculators, or graphing calculators in the classroom. Computer classrooms are available in Elko, Battle Mountain, Ely, Winnemucca, and Wells. Some faculty use online computer-centered technologies to instruct their classes, while several teach via interactive video. In Elko, the department shares a support staff with the science, fine arts, and humanities departments.

Significant Changes
New courses and course revisions. Due largely to the development of the baccalaureate degrees and to the common course numbering process, there have been several major developments over the past five years. Developmental course outcomes have been streamlined, with related textbooks chosen for each course. Two courses for elementary education students were given prominence (MATH 122-123), now being offered annually via distance education and every semester in Elko. Online, web-based versions of nine courses from MATH 091 to MATH 283 have been developed and conducted; these courses are also updated as the need arises. Introduction to Statistics (MATH 152) is now offered annually via interactive video, in conjunction with its importance in the Bachelor of Integrative and Professional Studies degree. For the Bachelor of Applied Science degree, a new course (AMS 310) was developed and is being revamped with the direct involvement of the program’s director. Following the decision of the statewide Mathematics Subcommittee on Common Course Numbering, Technical Mathematics (MATH 116) was redesigned to meet state requirements Finally, the Integrative Mathematics Seminar was created, with upper-division general education requirements in mind. With two specialized courses for Elementary Education, one for Applied Science, one for the occupational/technical degrees, one used almost exclusively by Integrative and Professional Studies students, and an integrative seminar, the scope of mathematics instruction has broadened greatly from its position five years ago.

General education. Two of the department’s courses—MATH 120 and INT 359—meet the
college’s general education requirements.

Distance education. Because of GBC’s broad service area, the department has a commitment to offer courses through several modes of transmission: face-to-face courses (wherever possible), interactive video, and online and hybrid courses. A departmental study of telecourses (classes involving the watching of videotapes) revealed their drawbacks, and so these have been phased out in preference to interactive and online courses. These alternative modes are not expected to replace live instruction; instead, they serve to make classes available and attractive to those who would otherwise be unable to enroll due to time or distance constraints.

The department has pioneered web-based online mathematics instruction, up through Calculus III, and one departmental goal is to put online every lower-division course for which there is significant demand. Originally, these courses were free-standing, but now each of them employs WebCT software as a front door.

Placement. A departmental in-house study conducted in 1999 revealed a need for a single, reliable placement exam for developmental and entry-tier college level courses. Data further indicated that without enforcing placement, students frequently self-placed into courses above their ability. After testing several methods of placement, the Accuplacer(r) system became mandatory in Spring 2000. Preliminary results appear to demonstrate that there has been a slight decrease in drop/fail rates overall and a moderate decrease for MATH 096/112, indicating that those students who did not accept advisement are now being correctly placed. Grade distributions and informal student surveys indicate that students ought not to be placed higher than Accuplacer(r) has placed them.

The mathematics lab. The Math Lab in Elko has seen a remarkable increase in successful usage over the past five years. Eight students daily on average now seek assistance, and during peak hours, the new (larger) room is filled. Previously, an average of three students per day had been noted. The need exists for more tutors to cover a broader range of hours, but this is indicative of a steady rise in usage. (See earlier section in this Standard on “Developmental and Remedial Work.”)

Computer-assisted developmental courses. Three full-time instructors are currently piloting a computer-aided developmental program that would allow certain advanced students to move more quickly through elements of the developmental sequence. First year results on a few students are encouraging. Plans call for expanding the program.

Analysis
Assessment of goals and learning outcomes. The forms of assessment of departmental goals and student learning outcomes in the Mathematics Departments vary, overlap, and reinforce one another. The department makes use of Accuplacer(r) test scores, as mentioned, and subsequent grades in GBC math classes, although initial placement may be accomplished via the SAT, ACT, or through the completion of a prerequisite at another college. Several forms and levels of testing, including papers, presentations, quizzes, tests, and comprehensive final exams, are used in GBC mathematics courses. Data on completion rates have been recently analyzed by the department. Coupled with the institutional graduation rate, these data indicate conclusively that the average GBC student is successful in navigating the mathematics sequence necessary for his/her degree. Furthermore, completion rates are also discussed in departmental meetings and regular informal discussions. Consistency is established by a common textbook policy, and the department has discussed implementing common exams in certain classes. However, we have so far been unable to assess the success of students transferring from GBC to other colleges, due to the lack of availability of transfer data. The department is currently involved in a detailed, course-by-course and student-by-student report that will assist with program assessment.

Enrollment trends and staffing. Long term trends show that comparatively more students are taking college level mathematics courses at GBC now than in the past. What had been a ratio of developmental students to college-level students of between 4:1 and 6:1 now ranges between 3:2 and 3:1, while the actual number of students in each category has increased. This clearly demonstrates that the strengthening of the associates’ degrees and addition of the baccalaureate degrees have both had a significant impact on the pool of mathematics students at Great Basin College. By far, the greatest growth in the number of students has occurred at the college level. In turn, courses that are at least one level above the minimum requirement for an associate’s degree have marked significant increases over the past few years.

A cumulative, unduplicated headcount of students enrolled in mathematics courses indicates a steady rise, even during periods of economic slowdown. That increase, coupled with the introduction of new courses, has necessitated the call for a third full-time instructor in Elko. Currently, adjuncts in Elko and departmental employees from outside Elko have adjusted to temporarily take on the additional coursework necessary to ensure the department’s progress. Members of the department cannot continue to regularly schedule themselves in overload, however, and the College will surely welcome a permanent addition to the Elko mathematics faculty.

Cooperation with other institutions. With the advent of common course numbering throughout the Nevada state system (UCCSN), the Great Basin College Mathematics Department has pledged to offer an educational experience at every level that is equivalent to the quality of instruction offered at any other college in the state. While the quality at GBC has always been high, the pledge ensures transferability of all lower-division degree courses to any other college in the state. So far, the data indicate that the department is meeting that goal while continuing to expand our offerings.

Compressed programs. Often, students planning to enter the 48-week technical arts program are deficient in English and/or math skills. It has proven impossible to provide one or two full courses of remediation for these students during their tenure in the program and have them still complete the program in 48 weeks. We have recommended that these students complete their remediation or place into MATH 116 prior to entering the compressed program. Ideally, cooperation with the Elko-area high schools would produce high school graduates who are prepared for college-level English and math courses.

Online course retention. While the online mode of transmission has demonstrated general improvement over the levels of retention found in telecourses, the technology itself poses a challenge to many students, hindering some of them from focusing on the course content. Perhaps the majority of drops in higher courses and “F” grades in developmental courses are attributable directly to a lack of student focus. Students sometimes suffer if WebCT experiences difficulties and appear not to read the strong statements about suitability and preparation for online courses that appear in each semester’s course schedule booklet. Many students also skip their online orientations and remain lost for a few weeks prior to dropping the class or ceasing to attend. Better efforts should be made (and are being made) together with GBC’s Curriculum Development Specialist to improve students’ technical knowledge. Ideally, the level of drops/fails in an online course could improve to rival that of
interactive video or hybrid courses.

STRENGTHS
• A leader in distance education delivery.
• Larger percentages of students taking college level mathematics, without diminution of developmental course mission.
• Superior placement techniques.
• Use of common textbooks, which demonstrate a traditional rigor, college-wide.
• Effective adjunct instructor orientation.

CHALLENGES
• Insufficient full-time mathematics faculty in Elko.

RECOMMENDATIONS/ACTION ITEMS
• Hire additional mathematics faculty for Elko.
• Continue departmental discussion of using common finals and/or exams for certain courses, in order to further ensure competency.
• In concert with the Technical Art Departments, continue to develop Technical Mathematics (MATH 116) modules for the students in these departments.
• Fill the requests of other departments without relying on specialized math courses.
• Ensure academic integrity in distance education courses.