Undergraduate Education

Faculty in the University of Arizona Mathematics Department are actively engaged in activities to improve the quality of undergraduate mathematics education, both in the mathematics community at large and at the University of Arizona.

• The Department was a leader in developing and disseminating calculus reform through its membership in the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard University and its regional workshops for college and community college faculty.
• Faculty from this Department and from the Finance Department developed electronic texts for a two semester sequence of mathematics courses, Mathematics for Business Decisions, in which student teams use mathematical and computer tools to analyze project data from major interdisciplinary business decision projects and then present final oral and written reports.
• The Department, along with about 10 other colleges and universities, is participating in the Mathematical Association of America's NSF funded College Algebra Renewal project, studying the effectiveness of a modeling-oriented, application-based approach to teaching college algebra, with less emphasis on traditional algebraic and computational skills and more emphasis on the use of computer technology and long-term projects. As part of this study, the Department is offering annually about 15 sections of MATH 109, College Algebra with Data Analysis. For more information about the MAA proposal for this project, see the CRAFTY college algebra proposal.
• Under the leadership of Professor Joceline Lega, a new version of the Department's Mathematical Modeling course (MATH 485/585) is being developed, which combines lectures, computer labs and teamwork on a semester-long modeling project.
• Mathematics Professor William McCallum is the Director of the newly established Institute for Mathematics and Education, created with support from the University of Arizona, the College of Science, the College of Education, and the Udall Center for Public Policy. The Institute aims to provide a home for disciplined collaborative work among different professional communities with a stake in mathematics education.
• The Department strongly encourages its majors to participate in undergraduate research projects, offering students salary or academic credit for their participation. Students can work with math department faculty, post-docs and graduate students, or on mathematical projects with faculty from outside our department. In the past, students have worked with faculty from Physics, EEB, Finance, SIE, and MCB, as well as our own faculty.
• The Department provides talented students interested in teaching with the opportunity to work with a faculty member on an undergraduate course. Student activities include leading discussion sections or exam reviews, tutoring in the Mathematics Tutoring Room, helping with in-class activities, and grading or writing solutions for homework assignments. Past participants have worked in courses spanning the range of our curriculum, from the introductory precalculus and calculus courses to advanced courses in the mathematics major. For more information, see the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant program.
• The Department offers for its instructors several seminars, colloquia, and training programs focusing on teaching at the undergraduate level, including a course for new Graduate Teaching Assistants. It has a teaching postdoctoral program and a large group of adjunct faculty (most of whom are full-time) who, along with GTAs and regular faculty, teach the Department's entry level courses.