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News 3 Oct. 13, 2010 Nathaniel Kelly The Broadside Change is in store for students here at COCC. The math department is redesigning Math 60 through 95 courses to help students. “We would be able to service a lot more students so that we could minimize wait lists,” said Elizabeth Coleman, a mathematics professor at the college. Wait listed students now have a chance to get into a math course. Students and staff members have seen wait lists skyrocket this year due to an influx of students tak- ing mathematics courses. To combat this problem, the math department decided summer term that it is time to redesign the math department to bet- ter meet the needs of students. Math is a necessity required for most majors and considering the wait lists, students might not achieve their goals. Therefore, to meet students needs, more courses will be available to students. This is possible be- cause a conversion of the math 60 course will take place winter term, 2010. This conversion means that instead if having lectures take place two to three days a week for 200 minutes, lectures will be one day a week for 100 minutes, and students will at- tend a computer lab session four hours a week, giv- ing students the flexibility of attending a lab session any day and time of the week. “The benefit,” according to Doug Nelson, the head of the mathematics department, “is that this gives faculty members and administrative staff the ability to offer more sections.” Students will be utilizing an interactive math- ematics software program. If students need help, tutors and part-time faculty members will be available. “Computer lab helps augment time...and offers flexibility,” said Nelson. The computer lab will be located in the Mazama building once construction is complete in the win- ter. There will be two classroom labs that will be available beginning winter term. Nelson instituted this system because he had goals in mind: student success and the improvement of the percentage of student completion rate. He had one challenge when trying to improve that student suc- cess ratio: how can we handle large amounts of students? The pres- ent format only allows for lim- ited space and professors are not meeting the course out- comes accord- ing to Nelson. “Many of the course out- comes are not degree specific” said Nelson. “We are now in course drift,” said Nelson, mean- ing that COCC is drifting away from what a math course is. “By converting to this form, we hope to improve student success,” said Nelson. COCC students can expect this conversion to go into effect winter term 2010 beginning with the Math 60 course. Math 65 will follow, utilizing this system in spring term. Also in spring term 2010, this system will expand into the Redmond Campus, which will offer the Math 60 course. “Students will be more efficient with their time and be more successful, which is what we hope to improve,” said Nelson. You may contact Nathaniel Kelly at [email protected]. “We would be able to service a lot more stu- dents so that we could minimize wait-lists.” -Elizabeth Coleman Math Professor - Continued from Page 1 While some of the ASCOCC members arrived three days be- fore the conference hoping to meet Oregon Senators Jeff Merk- ley and Ron Wyden, and Oregon Congressman Greg Walden in Washington, they were unable to do so. “We (ASCOCC members) tried to meet with them … but weren’t able to,” said Pierce. “We had a list of all the things we wanted to do, not necessarily all the things we could do.” Underdal said that while Pierce had scheduled appoint- ments, it was not very surprising that the members weren’t able to meet the elected officials. “It was a lot out of their (ASCOCC members) hands … given the political climate in D.C.,” said Underdal. The ASCOCC members however did get to meet with Walden’s people when they vis- ited his office, said Pierce. The members also went on tours of the Capitol, the Kennedy Center, and the Supreme Court during their days in Washington preceding the conference. “It was cool seeing how dif- ferent campuses ran things,” said Coito about the conference. “I was surprised by how orga- nized we are … compared to some of the other student gov- ernments there.” Pierce also commented on how ASCOCC impressed some of the other student govern- ments attending the conference. “A lot of the people there were amazed that we only have a group of six … that have ac- complished what we’ve accom- plished,” said Pierce. “And we got a lot of praise for The Voice.” Underdal said although tir- ing, the conference was very informative and she learned a lot about advising a student government. You may contact Tobey Veen- stra at [email protected] WASHINGTON “It was cool seeing how different campuses ran things,” - Matt Coito What is an ASGA Conference? According to the ASCOCC press release, the ASGA conference “teaches students how to become more effective, well-known, and influential on their campuses, and promotes the vital importance of an effective and autonomous student governance organization. The National Conference allows students to network with professionals and student peers, attend intensive workshops, and receive one-on-one consultation on how to improve their student government.” To learn more about the ASGA, visit http://asgaonline.com/ Derek Oldham | The Broadside “Along the Deschutes” by Joe Bellacera is a new art piece that has been installed in the Campus Center. Math gets a make over

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“We would be able to service a lot more stu- dents so that we could minimize wait-lists.” You may contact Tobey Veen- stra at [email protected] While some of the ASCOCC members arrived three days be- fore the conference hoping to meet Oregon Senators Jeff Merk- ley and Ron Wyden, and Oregon Congressman Greg Walden in Washington, they were unable to do so. “We (ASCOCC members) tried to meet with them … but weren’t able to,” said Pierce. Nathaniel Kelly The Broadside

Transcript of Pg 3

News 3Oct. 13, 2010

Nathaniel KellyThe Broadside

Change is in store for students here at COCC. The math department is redesigning Math 60 through 95 courses to help students.

“We would be able to service a lot more students so that we could minimize wait lists,” said Elizabeth Coleman, a mathematics professor at the college.

Wait listed students now have a chance to get into a math course.

Students and staff members have seen wait lists skyrocket this year due to an influx of students tak-ing mathematics courses. To combat this problem, the math department decided summer term that it is time to redesign the math department to bet-ter meet the needs of students. Math is a necessity required for most majors and considering the wait lists, students might not achieve their goals.

Therefore, to meet students needs, more courses will be available to students. This is possible be-cause a conversion of the math 60 course will take place winter term, 2010. This conversion means that instead if having lectures take place two to three days a week for 200 minutes, lectures will be one day a week for 100 minutes, and students will at-tend a computer lab session four hours a week, giv-ing students the flexibility of attending a lab session any day and time of the week.

“The benefit,” according to Doug Nelson, the head of the mathematics department, “is that this gives faculty members and administrative staff the ability to offer more sections.”

Students will be utilizing an interactive math-ematics software program. If students need help, tutors and part-time faculty members will be available.

“Computer lab helps augment time...and offers flexibility,” said Nelson.

The computer lab will be located in the Mazama building once construction is complete in the win-ter. There will be two classroom labs that will be available beginning winter term. Nelson instituted this system because he had goals in mind: student success and the improvement of the percentage of student completion rate. He had one challenge when trying to improve that student suc-cess ratio: how can we handle large amounts of students?

The pres-ent format only allows for lim-ited space and professors are not meeting the course out-comes accord-ing to Nelson.

“Many of the course out-comes are not degree specific” said Nelson.

“We are now in course drift,” said Nelson, mean-ing that COCC is drifting away from what a math course is.

“By converting to this form, we hope to improve student success,” said Nelson.

COCC students can expect this conversion to go into effect winter term 2010 beginning with the Math 60 course. Math 65 will follow, utilizing this system in spring term. Also in spring term 2010, this system will expand into the Redmond Campus, which will offer the Math 60 course.

“Students will be more efficient with their time and be more successful, which is what we hope to improve,” said Nelson.

You may contact Nathaniel Kelly at [email protected].

“We would be able to service a lot more stu-dents so that we could minimize wait-lists.”

-Elizabeth Coleman Math Professor

- Continued from Page 1

While some of the ASCOCC members arrived three days be-fore the conference hoping to meet Oregon Senators Jeff Merk-ley and Ron Wyden, and Oregon Congressman Greg Walden in Washington, they were unable to do so.

“We (ASCOCC members) tried to meet with them … but weren’t able to,” said Pierce.

“We had a list of all the things we wanted to do, not necessarily all the things we could do.”

Underdal said that while Pierce had scheduled appoint-ments, it was not very surprising that the members weren’t able to meet the elected officials.

“It was a lot out of their (ASCOCC members) hands … given the political climate in D.C.,” said Underdal.

The ASCOCC members however did get to meet with Walden’s people when they vis-ited his office, said Pierce.

The members also went on tours of the Capitol, the Kennedy Center, and the Supreme Court during their days in Washington preceding the conference.

“It was cool seeing how dif-ferent campuses ran things,”

said Coito about the conference. “I was surprised by how orga-nized we are … compared to some of the other student gov-ernments there.”

Pierce also commented on how ASCOCC impressed some of the other student govern-ments attending the conference.

“A lot of the people there were amazed that we only have a group of six … that have ac-complished what we’ve accom-plished,” said Pierce. “And we got a lot of praise for The Voice.”

Underdal said although tir-ing, the conference was very informative and she learned a lot about advising a student government.

You may contact Tobey Veen-stra at [email protected]

WASHINGTON

“It was cool seeing how different campuses ran things,”

- Matt Coito

What is an ASGA Conference?According to the ASCOCC press release, the ASGA conference “teaches students how to become more

effective, well-known, and influential on their campuses, and promotes the vital importance of an effective and autonomous student governance organization. The National Conference allows students to network with professionals and student peers, attend intensive workshops, and receive one-on-one consultation on how to improve their student government.”

To learn more about the ASGA, visit http://asgaonline.com/

Derek Oldham | The Broadside“Along the Deschutes” by Joe Bellacera is a new art piece that has been installed in the Campus Center.

Math gets a make over