COSAM News Articles 2019 October Message from Dean Giordano – October 2019

Message from Dean Giordano – October 2019

Published: 10/01/2019

This fall semester, the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM) welcomed almost 700 incoming freshman. University enrollment included more than 4,800 freshman and 30,460 total students in both undergraduate and graduate studies.

COSAM is dedicated to continually finding new ways to help our students learn. The Engaged and Active Student Learning (EASL) classroom in the Sciences Center Classrooms Building offers an interactive learning experience for students with opportunities to collaborate in addition to a standard lecture. In the Office of Student Services, Peer Advisors and Undergraduate Research Ambassadors help students navigate questions and gain insight from seasoned students. The Department of Mathematics and Statistics has a free tutoring center for students to get help from the start of the semester. The Office of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity provides a drop-in center for students to study and work together throughout the day, evening and even weekends. The new Leach Science Center was designed with welcoming areas for students to study plus areas for professors to conveniently meet with students before or after classes.

This summer, almost 100 students participated in the university’s Plainsmen’s Prep Program. The intensive math bootcamp helps students have a solid foundation of math concepts and applications. Of the participants, 31 moved up one math level, 10 moved up two levels and six moved up three levels saving students both time and tuition.

COSAM continues to elevate the student experience with an active learning approach for its core classes. In these important classes COSAM recruits undergraduates (typically juniors and seniors) to act as learning assistants, who help students deal with challenging concepts and provide guidance during problem-solving activities. One goal is to make students more active participants in the learning process making the course more stimulating, and helping them learn teamwork and develop problem-solving skills.

By offering numerous ways to engage our students, we can help students excel in COSAM courses, prepare them for graduate or professional school, find a proven path for successful careers, and become lifelong learners.