Mathematics & Computer Science

Changing Curriculum

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By the end of the seventies, there were several forces shaping the curriculum in ever changing ways:

  • Calculus held a central role, but it had to serve students from other disciplines, students with weaker backgrounds, and students looking for an honors tract.
  • The Block Plan forced concessions here and there while it opened opportunities elsewhere.
  • Finding room for the applied mathematics including computer science remained a difficulty in a small liberal arts department.
  • Turnover in the faculty meant that each new faculty member brought new interests and ideas for shaping the curriculum.

For further details showing how the curriculum responded to these forces, see the Evolution of the Mathematics Curriculum.

The 1978-79 listing of courses shown below includes one particularly unique course.
Number theory (MA 200) was introduced in 1976 at the sophomore level as the first course mathematics took to learn how to construct careful proofs.

  • 110 - Introduction to Number Theory
  • 112 - Finite Mathematics
  • 117 - Probability and Statistics
  • 121 - Introduction to Digital Computing
  • 125 - Introduction to Calculus
  • 126 - Calculus 1
  • 128 - Calculus 2
  • 130 - Calculus 3
  • 160 - Accelerated Calculus 1
  • 162 - Accelerated Calculus 2
  • 164 - Accelerated Calculus 3
  • 200 - Number Theory
  • 205 - Calculus 4
  • 215 - Differential Equations
  • 240 - Topics in Mathematics
  • 241 - Mathematical Modeling
  • 300 - Geometry
  • 305 - Introduction to Mathematical Analysis
  • 308 - Computer Science II
  • 313 - Probability
  • 316 - Advanced Calculus
  • 317 - Mathematical Statistics
  • 320 - Linear Algebra
  • 321 - Abstract Algebra
  • 340 - Numerical Analysis
  • 371, 372 - Topics in Applied Mathematics
  • 411 - Real Analysis
  • 413 - Complex Analysis
  • 420 - Special Topics
  • 421 - Advanced Abstract Algebra
  • 430, 431 - Independent Study

 

 

Report an issue - Last updated: 05/28/2024