Proposal

Narrative

The Technology Fee Committee has funded the mathematics department to create instruction computer labs SE 330/340/350 to improve student achievement in lower-division mathematics and statistics courses. Over the years, these Labs have been used by students across campus. In 2019, these rooms attained an excess of 3,300 students per term, and in 2024, room usage has increased by almost 7%, with an excess of 3,530 students per term. With our additional graduate program, the Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics (MS-DSAL), which is a multi-college interdisciplinary program, and our new SBIDS (Summer Institute of Biostatistics and Data Science) program also require updated software technology and specific pieces of equipment. With such a high usage rate, the student computer stations and other technology software require an upgrade. More importantly, SE 330/340/350 are the main Labs for all sections of College Algebra (MAC 1105) and Introduction to Statistics (STA 2023). These two courses are fundamental core courses, laying the foundations of two of the three Math Pathways designed by the state of Florida. The Labs are intensively used by students for interactive learning and practice. Our department is recently revamping the College Algebra curriculum to enhance student performance and strengthen their algebra foundation. By focusing on fundamental algebraic concepts and skills, students will gain a deeper understanding and more comprehensive understanding of the material, which is crucial for their success in future STEM courses. The heavy usage of the Labs for these core courses SAT 2023 and MAC 1105 makes it even more pressing to upgrade the facilities.

Facilities

No renovations to the facilities are included in this proposal.

Hardware Requirements

New computers are needed in SE 330/340/350. These computers were last upgraded in March 2019, and need to be upgraded to ensure the best student experience. We are requesting 153 OptiPlex 7420 AIO computers with 24" monitors. This system will comply with OIT standards. We budget $1,550 per computer. The Total for 153 computers will be $237,150.00.

Software Requirements

N/A - Required software will be submitted separately under the College of Science, as they oversee all of our labs.

Personnel Costs

N/A

Other Costs

To allow better accessibility to all students, the chairs need to be updated. Our current chairs are bulkier, with worn castors that are not moving about the room as well. We estimate the costs to be approximately $33,822.00.

Timeline

We want to proceed so that the lab is available for the Fall semester of 2025. Hardware outfitting should be completed in May, June, and July to permit sufficient testing and to be ready for the fall semester.

Sustainability

The Department of Mathematics & Statistics would continue to fund the course instructors and any graduate or undergraduate teaching assistants who facilitate learning in these spaces.

Resource Matching

Graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate assistants from the Department of Mathematics & Statistics will continue to provide teaching assistance in the labs.

Implementing Organization

The IT staff from the College of Science will assist with installing and implementing the hardware and software. The Department of Mathematics & Statistics will support all personnel and maintain the computer labs overall.