CAS CONNECT 2018

STORY JACOB LONGAN | | PHOTOS PH I L SHOCKLEY W hile most people express doubt about their math skills, Christopher Francisco —who was recently promoted to head of the Department of Mathematics — believes that nearly every college student can succeed in math classes with the right support. He has been proving it for years, benefiting students across the entire OSU system. His work has even been recognized by other universities. The National Resource Center for the First- Year Experience and Students in Transition at the University of South Carolina and Cengage Learning recently honored Francisco as one of 10 Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate Award recipients. He was nominated for his work with the Success in Undergraduate MathematicS (SUMS) initiative, which is designed to help students pass entry-level classes. Since the program started in 2012, OSU has seen a double-digit decrease in the percentage of students failing or dropping those courses. “The Mathematics Initiative is one of many programs at Oklahoma State University focused on the academic success of students,” OSU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Gary Sandefur said. “Math can be a difficult subject for some students, and creating opportunities that help them complete classes required by a majority of our academic programs enhances each student’s academic experience and moves them closer to their goal of earning a degree.” Francisco said the award recognizes the efforts frommany people across campus. “Our faculty, lecturers and teaching assistants worked really hard,” he said. “However, we wouldn’t have been able to do it without partners across campus, including at each of the colleges, advising staff, Academic Affairs and the list goes on. Everyone has been on the same page, determined to help students succeed.” The Department of Mathematics implemented a co-requisite instruction model, allowing students who would have enrolled in remedial courses to take standard first-year courses with additional support. These students attend the regular classes onMondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and go to special sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where an undergraduate learning assistant reviews lessons from the last class and previews upcoming material. Nationally, less than 20 percent of students who enroll in remedial courses go on to pass college- level math courses within two years. With the co-requisite model, more than two-thirds of OSU students who would have previously taken remedial courses now pass the credit course in one semester. “The biggest impediment to student retention is that first math class,” Francisco said. “Once we get the students into the class, the only two factors that matter are going to class and doing your homework. We now have thousands of extra students who are succeeding in math so they don’t have to change their degree plans or get behind on sequencing. That has big impacts for their careers.” He noted two other benefits: This system removes the stigma for those students, and their transcripts show that they passed the same class as their peers. “Graduate schools and employers should know that these students took the same exams and did the same homework as everyone else,” Francisco said. The department is adding more co-requisite classes and building classrooms that can be easily rearranged to host both lectures and smaller groups. Facilities have been key to the department’s success. The Math Learning Success Center, established in 1985, allows students to learn from other students, tutors, coordinators and math faculty. In 2013, it expanded and relocated to the Edmon Low Library. Now, more than 85 percent of students in lower-division math courses visit at least once per semester. Last fall, it exceeded 36,000 student visits. “They build a sense of community there,” Francisco said. “They hang out and do their “Polls show 90 percent of people think they are above-average drivers. You have the opposite issue with math.” — CHRISTOPHER FRANCISCO ( ) OSU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SC I ENCES 9