Math Placement - A comment to good not to share.

I blogged about Poshard's talk to the CoBA advisory board and mentioned that SIU is the only university in Illinois that doesn't test and place incoming students in math. Since Dr. Poshard told us that a problem that many students have is passing math and science requirements, I suggested that placing everyone in the correct math class would be a good idea. Everyone knows if you are doing math and don't know the perquisite you are dead right?

A math professor at SIU was kind enough to comment about this in that blog entry and here is what he said,

Peter,

There is a math placement test. Coverage and enforcement are spotty. I got the Math Dept to put up a web page with math placement info and arranged, with the help of Tom Calhoun the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, many advising web pages link to it. Here is the link:

http://www.math.siu.edu/placementinfo.shtml

We are planning some changes to broaden coverage to transfer students; these need to be approved by the Math Dept.

However, compare this with what they have at Illinois State and you will see how far we have to go.

http://www.ucollege.ilstu.edu/testing/prospective_undergrad/compass.shtml

Thank you for a really clear example of what SIU should do. SIU should take the Illinois State webpage and make it their new rules. You take a test unless your ACT score is 27 and they tell you what classes you will take.

BTW - if you are an administrator and don't understand about plagiarism, if you steal the Illinois State rules, just note where you got them and you will be OK. ;)

If you are wondering why SIU is getting it's butt kicked by every other university in the state on enrollment, maybe this simple commitment to educational quality will help you understand what needs to be done. I wish my business was so clear and straight forward. If your kids are looking into colleges, which one of Mike's example webpages says quality to you?