1 / 19

USC Campus-Tommy Trojan

USC Campus-Tommy Trojan. Professor Francis Bonahon-USC Math Dept. Chair. Asher Shamam-Applied Math Student in the PhD program at USC. Ideas to improve the PhD program at USC. Ideas for Improvements. Holistic Mentoring PhD with minors. First Key Idea: Holistic Individual Mentoring.

inari
Download Presentation

USC Campus-Tommy Trojan

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. USC Campus-Tommy Trojan

  2. Professor Francis Bonahon-USC Math Dept. Chair. Asher Shamam-Applied Math Student in the PhD program at USC Ideas to improve the PhD program at USC

  3. Ideas for Improvements • Holistic Mentoring • PhD with minors

  4. First Key Idea:Holistic Individual Mentoring • The Mentoring Triplet • Informal monthly meeting • Experimenting with different teaching formats • Involve the alumni network

  5. The Mentoring Triplet • Main mechanism: connect each entering graduate student with one faculty member and one advanced graduate student • Regular or need-based meetings bring the triplet together • Occasionally attend each other’s classes as a role model and for feedback?

  6. Some benefits of the Triplet • Entering student has a family - Feels in place • The triplet meetings will serve to keep student on track • Student can approach his mentors as issues/problems arise. The faculty member can serve as an advocate

  7. Informal Monthly Meetings • Informal meeting will bring all the triplets together, in addition to any other interested graduate students • Discussion can be teaching, research, upcoming exams, and other issues of interest • Can be used as part of the activities of the CID

  8. New Teaching Format • Lecture and Discussion section combined • Professor lectures on a bite of material and gives the students a problem to work on • TA’s assist by roving around and helping • TA’s take over the lecture for 10-15 minute changing roles with Professor

  9. New Teaching format-Benefits • More active role for undergraduates in the class • Graduate student and professor can observe each other’s teaching - constant feedback • Graduate student and professor can exchange roles, resulting in a better hands-on experience for the student

  10. Creating a better Alumni Network • Efforts underway to create a viable Alumni network of former graduates. • Directory that categorizes the areas where the alumni have been successfully integrated • Involving Alumni in the graduate seminars and talks would strengthen the mentoring network-serve as an inspiration • Graduate students can spear-head the initiative

  11. Mentoring till when? • This holistic mentoring will continue until the student passes the screening exams, a thesis committee is formed, and the graduate student has roots firmly planted in the department

  12. Some concerns • Triplet consists of three different personalities-not possible to predict success of the dynamics in general • Time is the most scarce resource-students are busy advancing through program, and the faculty member is busy with his/her responsibilities

  13. Second key Idea:The PhD+ The PhD+: a PhD with a minor Two possibilities: • PhD with a full fledged Master degree in another discipline (hard route) • PhD with the restructured Master’s degree in math with specialty (easier)

  14. PhD with a Master degree in another discipline • Possible fields: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Biology, Electrical Engineering • In the past, students have done this on their own • Negotiations under way with the other departments to try to make it easier

  15. Restructuring Masters • Main Theme is mathematical interconnections and a broad exposure to various disciplines and techniques • Consolidation of the current program is the way to go

  16. PhD with MS in mathematics with specialization • Replace four of the current six Master’s programs with a single degree called MS in Mathematics with specialization • Requires a certain number of classes outside of Math Department • Possible specializations: Applied Math, Core Math, Stats, Coding Theory, Math Biology, Math Econ/Finance, Computer Science, Engineering, and more.

  17. Some benefits of the PhD+ • A larger intellectual breadth for the PhD program • Restructured Masters would improve Doctoral education- more interdisciplinary • PhD+ holder is more employable • Existence of these programs makes Mathematics more attractive to prospective PhD students

  18. Conclusions • Momentum for these Ideas is large • Technical difficulties with the Masters restructuring are being tackled • New teaching format seems to be a success

  19. Thank You all !

More Related