Posted 10:14 p.m. Monday, Aug. 27, 2012
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Students in UW-L's FastTrack program take their formulas math to campus sidewalks.[/caption]
A group of incoming UW-La Crosse freshmen were able to skip a semester and, in some cases, an entire year of math classes through the FastTrack program on campus. The program, over seven weeks this summer, saved them time and money on the path to their college degrees.
A group of 38 incoming freshmen at UW-La Crosse participated in the program. They took math classes online and spent a week on campus, Aug. 26-31, taking math courses, which serve as a refresher on content likely learned in high school.
After retaking a Math Placement Exam last Thursday, 37 of the 38 students moved into a higher mathematics placement. Of the 37 students, 25 placed into MTH 150, College Algebra. Another 12 students placed even higher, into MTH 151 or MTH 175 — essentially allowing them to skip an entire year of math classes. This especially helped students in fields such as pre-medicine, marketing and business who originally had to take four math classes and now only have two to complete, says Maggie McHugh, Murphy Learning Center director.
“The program really feeds into the goals of retention as these students can more quickly — and hopefully more successfully — complete their math courses as well as enter into their science courses,” says McHugh.
Students must apply to the program, which targets students in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and multicultural students. This is the first online-hybrid math program delivered by UW-L’s math department. It frees up space in math classes as students move more quickly toward their degree. The $100 program could also save students more than $670, the minimum cost of taking developmental math classes during the school year.
The program was funded through a UW System grant written in collaboration with UW-L’s Office of Multicultural Student Services.
McHugh stresses the benefits of the program go beyond learning math.
“These students will have a greater sense of community and belonging, a better awareness of the student services available to them and a more successful transition into college academics,” she says.
Read more about FastTrack.
Students in UW-L's FastTrack program take their formulas math to campus sidewalks.[/caption]
A group of incoming UW-La Crosse freshmen were able to skip a semester and, in some cases, an entire year of math classes through the FastTrack program on campus. The program, over seven weeks this summer, saved them time and money on the path to their college degrees.
A group of 38 incoming freshmen at UW-La Crosse participated in the program. They took math classes online and spent a week on campus, Aug. 26-31, taking math courses, which serve as a refresher on content likely learned in high school.
After retaking a Math Placement Exam last Thursday, 37 of the 38 students moved into a higher mathematics placement. Of the 37 students, 25 placed into MTH 150, College Algebra. Another 12 students placed even higher, into MTH 151 or MTH 175 — essentially allowing them to skip an entire year of math classes. This especially helped students in fields such as pre-medicine, marketing and business who originally had to take four math classes and now only have two to complete, says Maggie McHugh, Murphy Learning Center director.
“The program really feeds into the goals of retention as these students can more quickly — and hopefully more successfully — complete their math courses as well as enter into their science courses,” says McHugh.
Students must apply to the program, which targets students in Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields and multicultural students. This is the first online-hybrid math program delivered by UW-L’s math department. It frees up space in math classes as students move more quickly toward their degree. The $100 program could also save students more than $670, the minimum cost of taking developmental math classes during the school year.
The program was funded through a UW System grant written in collaboration with UW-L’s Office of Multicultural Student Services.
McHugh stresses the benefits of the program go beyond learning math.
“These students will have a greater sense of community and belonging, a better awareness of the student services available to them and a more successful transition into college academics,” she says.
Read more about FastTrack.