Mathematical Science
Dr. Valerie Plaus, chair
Dr. Tyler Brown
Dr. David Burton
Dr. John Coleman
Dr. Bartosz Langowski
Dr. Rachel Perrier
Dr. Christina Safranski
Mission
The purpose of the Department of Mathematics is to contribute to the liberal education of the students at the University by providing college-level instruction in mathematics, one of the classic liberal arts. The Department of Mathematics instructs students who are pursuing different courses of study and recognizes that the instruction must be adapted as much as possible to the needs of these students. For the arts and science students, the objective of the department is to train students in the basic and necessary skills of mathematics that will be required in nontechnical pursuits and to bring out the cultural and applied values of mathematics. In addition, in the instruction of engineering and science students for whom mathematics is a tool subject, the objectives of the department are twofold: (1) to develop skill and accuracy in mathematical operations and (2) to familiarize students with the methods of mathematical analysis. Finally for those students who show special aptitude for mathematics, the department seeks to prepare them for advanced work in this field.
Assessment Learning Goals
- The student should have excellent quantitative reasoning skills.
- The student should be able to learn non-trivial mathematics on his own.
- The student should be able to express his knowledge of mathematics orally and in writing.
- A math student should value truth and accuracy.
- If the student is an education major, he should have knowledge of geometry and the history of mathematics.
- The student should be prepared for graduate studies.
Mathematics Course Descriptions