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| Textbook And Syllabus Review Advocated Before A.S. Senate | ||||||
| David McKay, a mathematics professor here at CSULB, urged the A.S. Senate last Wednesday to consider a textbook and syllabi review that he believes would make it easier for students to excel in their classes. | ||||||
| "I just feel that the math textbooks being used today are too large, are too expensive, and cover too much," McKay said in his presentation to the Senate on course curriculum policies. �"The real problem is that students don't know how to study from textbooks." | ||||||
| McKay continued with analytical examples where he measured different math books from prior years against the texts of today and found some interesting differences.� The math text used in 1968, for example, "covered 52,500 sq. in., while the math book today is over 105,000 sq. in.." | ||||||
| Later in his presentation, McKay introduced another factor contributing to the problem, course syllabi. �According to McKay, "syllabi are a 'junior-partner' to the textbook industry," and at times, have been deciding factors when the department chair evaluates the professor. �Tenure-track professors undergo what is called an RTP, or retention tenure and promotion assessment, which is similar to the one students fill out at the end of the semester grading their teachers. �The RTP evaluation, however, is much more in-depth and decides if teachers get to keep their jobs. | ||||||
| McKay said that previous math department chairs have told him personally that they "gave better evaluations to instructors that had calendars [outlining when subjects would be covered] in their syllabi," because, according to the chairs, "it shows that there is planning." �McKay said that the syllabus is not supposed to be the sole document used for evaluation and noted that the true meaning of the syllabus is "so the university is not sued by the students." | ||||||
| McKay's presentation was met with mixed feelings from the Senate. �Dr. Harvey Morley disagreed with McKay, saying that he finds it to be "completely appropriate" as a source of evaluation. �When McKay asked Morley to elaborate, however, Morley responded by saying, "this is something I would prefer to not discuss in this forum." | ||||||
| Senator Morgan Wheeler also disagreed with McKay. �"In this day and age," Wheeler said, "many students have a busy life and schedule, and I don't think [changing syllabi] should be encroached upon." �He said that the syllabus provides an overview of the course and many students find that helpful. | ||||||
| McKay clarified that he was not urging the abolishment of syllabi, but rather the defeat of the "unspoken rule that if you want to teach here, you have to do it this way."� McKay also believes that cheaper and smaller textbooks, along with syllabi review, would improve students' learning experiences. �He urged creating a student/faculty organization that lobbies for "thinner and less expensive books." | ||||||
| Art Wayman, mathematics and statistics department chair, said, "I would like to see review of the courses at least in math, to provide students with a core knowledge that they can retain."� Syllabi, he believes, should include grading policies and a "macro overview" of the course. �He also made it clear that he does not review a professor solely on syllabi and does not believe in the practice of doing so. | ||||||
| Unfortunately for McKay and Wayman, they believe that syllabi review and the advocating of thinner textbooks is an uphill battle. �It remains uncertain if the Senate plans on voting on this issue. | ||||||
| Copyright Gerry Wachovsky, 2003, and Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. | ||||||
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