Mission Statement

The mission of the Mathematics Department is to meet the mathematics needs of all Butte College students by offering quality mathematics instruction. Our department serves three primary groups of students: non-transfer, transfer, and STEM majors. Through our commitment to excellent teaching in a supportive environment, our students develop mathematical expertise, comprehension, and confidence.

A corollary to our mission is to accelerate transfer-bound students through preparatory math classes, enabling them to earn a passing grade in a transfer-level math class as quickly as possible.

Program Description

The Mathematics Department offers a comprehensive two-year program leading to an Associate of Science Degree in Mathematics. The AS-T degree in Mathematics is designed for students who will transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a degree in mathematics. The program allows the students to transfer with all of their freshman and sophomore requirements completed. The mathematics department also offers courses designed as general education for other majors (complete list available) and preparatory classes for those who want these classes.

Student Learning/Administrative Unit Outcomes

We broke up into small groups in break out rooms over Zoom.  We had breakout rooms dedicated to discussing Math 18 (Intro to Stats) since that makes up approximately half of our student population since AB-705 and one breakout room dedicated to discuss the STEM classes.
Interestingly, all the Math 18 breakout rooms ended up coming to the same conclusion as to what SLO’s students struggle with. A topic that confuses students is the Normal curve and whether they are finding area or a z-score. As well as, calculating the probabilities associated with the area under the curve. All instructors use the TI-84 commands of normalcdf and invNorm. We suggest that instructors expose students to the z-table. Seeing how to answer those two questions using the table may provide additional insight for students. We also suggest that whenever possible, all questions/answers related to area and z-score must include a visual of the normal curve, labeled with area and z-score. For some students, it is a lack of foundation / general understanding of ratios, fraction operations, and probability that is causing them to be unsuccessful in this area.
Some ideas that came up to combat this lack of foundation were:

Creating a Stat’s Bootcamp to take place at the end of summer right before the Fall semester to help students fill in the gaps in their understanding.
We also talked about promoting our Math 118 class for the students who have significant gaps.
Possibly creating a late start Math 118 for students who discover that they may not be ready for Math 18 after beginning the class. If we could offer those students who aren’t passing a place to go to that will help them prepare for the next semester I think we will do a better job of retaining those students, many who in the past, drop and we never see them again. Hopefully, it will help them to realize that they are, in fact college material and we are here to support them and provide them with the foundational knowledge that they need. The below are the Math 118 SLO’s that would help support the Math 18 SLO’s that students are struggling with.

G. Identify a variety of sampling techniques and apply basic concepts of sample space and probability.
H. Demonstrate proficiency in working with numerical information: ordering decimals, order of operations, operations with fractions and percentages, converting fractions to decimals and percentages, representing numbers, intervals, and inequalities on the number line.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (Instruction Departments)

A review of our success data shows that there was approximately a 4% decrease in overall success from the fall of 2016 to the fall of 2017. Fall 2016 had an overall success rate of about 63-64% and was a typical semester, with a success rate not much different than the previous fall. However, in fall 2017 when students were placed into their math classes using the higher of two measurements, one being the assessment test and the other their self-reported high school grades, the overall success rate fell to 59.7%. The overall success rate increased again in fall 2018 by approximately 7%, which is likely due to the leniency students were given in dropping their classes near the end of the semester due to the Camp Fire. In fall 2019 we saw a rather dramatic decrease in overall success rate back down to 59.4% (virtually the same as the fall 2017 numbers). This was the first semester where we implemented the placement standards set by AB 705. Fall 2020 seems to be following the new post AB-705 success rate pattern with a little dip due to the Covid-19 pandemic and converting all classes to online.  It is challenging to look at overall success rates now, given that our department is receiving the message that success within a year should be the new measure, rather than success in a given semester. Our department will need new reports in order to see whether we are meeting the new state standards.
 
One of the huge disappointments has been the decrease in success rates in Math 11 from 71% in fall 2015 to 54% in fall 2019, and in Math 18 from 73% in fall 2015 to 58% in fall 2019. Math 26 is another concern, since it is now an entry level class for our STEM majors with a success rate that decreased from 67% in fall 2015 to 56% in fall 2019, as well as Math 30 which fell from 68% success in fall 2015 to 62% in fall 2019. We are worried that our STEM majors are not prepared for the classes they are enrolling in and should possibly be in a prerequisite class first or demonstrate proficiency in preparatory material, since this was the case for students taking these classes in fall 2015.

It is encouraging to see that the total number of Math Degrees we provide has been increasing steadily since the 2015-16 academic year. During that year, we awarded 12 degrees in Math, and in the 2018-19 academic year, we awarded 20. This data includes AA/AS degrees as well as AA-T/AS-T degrees. We have increased our outreach to Math Majors in recent years, creating a bulletin board for them, getting together with them at least once per semester, and giving them access to information about the various Math Degrees at CSUC. One class that we don’t offer, but which CSUC Math Majors take in their sophomore year, is Methods of Proof. Many of our students cross enroll in their sophomore year to avoid getting behind once they transfer, as this class is a prerequisite for many of their upper division math classes. This may be a class we should consider adding to our course offerings.
We still have concerns for Math 11, 18 and 26 due to the implementation of AB-705.  We will continue to ask for resources to keep the Math Lab and the Stats Lounge running to support increasing student success.  With that said, starting with the changes made in fall 2017, the fire in fall 2018, the inplementation of AB 705 in fall 2019, and now the Covid-19 pandemic (SP 20 - SP 21) our department has been in such a state of flux that it is difficult to draw any conclusions or know what plans to make at this point.

Standards/Goals for Student Achievement (All Other Departments)

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Strategic Direction

The Math Department continues to support the implementation of AB-705 by offering increased number of transfer level math classes, while keeping a minimum number of below transfer level offerings reserved for those students who are aiming for an Associate's Degree or Certificate of Achievement, rather than to transfer.  Or for those students who choose to take a preparatory class due to being out of school for several years and having forgotten their math skills.
We have increased the number of Math 11 and Math 18 classes as these seem to be the classes chosen by most transfer students. Our STEM transfer math classes have only increased by one or two sections. We have also worked with Supplemental Instruction to provide help for our students outside of class, and have increased the number of units for Math 18 from 3 to 4, allowing time in class for "just-in-time" remediation. We developed a preparatory class for Math 11 and Math 18 called Pre-SLAM (Math 118), which provides students the opportunity to take a class specifically designed to prepare them for success in Math 11 and 18; we have been told by the Respiratory Therapy Program that it is the perfect class for their students. We also developed a Math 18 with Support class, Math 17, which is 6 hours of class per week total, but only 4 units. This class provides ample opportunity for in-class assignments and activities to give students plenty of practice on material learned before beginning their homework. All of this work has also helped to support the following Strategic Directions:
3. Closing Equity Gaps
4. Meeting enrollment targets
5. Meeting student achievement goals
6. Fostering a Culture of Inclusiveness

Program Review

Mainly due to the implementaion of AB 705, we have not had a new Program Review since the last time we reported.
The 13 recommendations from our validation report dated March 2014 are:
1. The Technology building renovation is currently in the planning stages and should begin within the next two years.
2. When our building renovation is completed, our building will be renamed.
3. We were able to increase the number of full-time faculty members to 19. We still continue to see a decrease in our associate faculty pool, but are less concerned than in the past due to the decreased number of course offerings overall.
4. All of our rooms in the Technology building (except 105B) were fitted with up-to-date equipment and other than the occasional glitch, it is working well.
5. We have developed a combined beginning and intermediate algebra course.
6. This remains a challenge in our STEM classes, Math 20, 26, and 30 due to using self-reporting of high school performance by students and a lack of understanding about the nature of Precalculus.
7. We have been given access to evening classroom space in Chico both at the Chico and Skyway Centers. This has eliminated our courses held on Chico State's campus and the many problems associated with that location.
8. We continue to have a difficult time finding tutors for the Chico and Glenn Centers, but are making progress due to the hiring of interns from Chico State, and instructors being able to hold office hours between their classes.
9. In our Unit Plan, we continue to ask for district funding for the Math Lab. However, since money continues to come to us from Grant Funding, there is little incentive for the district to contribute.
10. This recommendation suggests that we look at our data for classes below transfer all together under the title "Developmental Math." This would group 200 level classes with 100 level classes. Currently, Math 217 and Math 216 are the only classes contributing to our data reports. This has not been resolved and is no longer an issue due to the elimination of Math 216 and Math 217.
11. The change in timing on Institute Day (from evening to afternoon) contributed to our Associate Faculty feeling marginalized and unimportant. Our recent meetings have included an hour to an hour and a half in break-out sessions where we specifically sought the contributions of ALL our faculty members. There will likely be several department meetings this spring where all will be invited to attend similar to the meetings that have been held in Chico for the last few semesters. However, since we offer classes from 7:20 am to 9:50 pm, the only time we can hope to all get together is on a Friday evening. The most convenient place for the vast majority would be at the Chico Center, which closes early on Fridays. It remains a challenge to find a common time when all can meet.
12. We continue to praise and heavily use the Print Shop and are supportive of it being fully funded and fully functioning. We are in support of increasing the number of employees in the Print Shop.
13. We are happy to have our department secretary back to a 12 month position and ask that she not be required to relocate during summer and winter. We suggest scheduling classes in the Tech building during summer so that we can keep the air on and have her available to support both faculty and students. It is inconvenient and a waste of time and resources to continually pack up and move two to three times per year.

Department Goals

Our goals are to increase students’ success rates, and provide the opportunity for non-STEM students to complete their math requirements for an Associate’s Degree or Transfer within one year and for our STEM students to enter the Calculus sequence as soon as possible. We attempt to meet those goals by providing increased support to our students through the use of Supplemental Instructors, EOPS Math Project, and tutors, offering accelerated and online options, as well as making maximum use of our facilities and personnel. We are also applying the new placement model of AB 705 to maximize the probablilty that students are not placed in classes that are simply a repeat of their high school classes, provided that they were successful in those classes.

Future Development Strategies

Requested Non-Financial Resources

Current Financial Resources