Buffalo State College mathematics majors, particularly those, who have transferred to our program from larger schools, often tell us how much they appreciate the amount of individual attention they receive from our faculty. The maximum class size for mathematics courses is 35 students. All of our classes are taught by full-time professors with doctorates or adjunct professors who have a minimum of a master's degree in mathematics or a related field. Our faculty members are effective, interested teachers who enjoy working with students, challenging them, and helping them grow. The mathematics faculty members are readily available to students during office hours and actively encourage students to take advantage of this. The faculty works with students on individual projects and presentations. Members of the department provide opportunities for some of the better students to conduct research, serve as research assistants, teaching assistants or tutors.

The Mathematics Department at Buffalo State College is responsive to the needs of our changing society. It offers prospective majors three undergraduate programs and a MS in Mathematics Education. , all of which have recently been revised and conform to the recommendations of the Mathematical Association of America's Committee on the Undergraduate Program and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Students in all three undergraduate programs take the same required core of mathematics courses along with the general education courses required by the college and choose from the same list of mathematics electives. The three programs choices are: (1) the bachelor of science in mathematics secondary education (BS), (2) bachelor of science in mathematics (BS), and (3) bachelor of arts in mathematics (BA). The difference between the BS in mathematics program and the BA in mathematics program is that there is a foreign language requirement for the B. A. and not for the BS Students in the mathematics secondary education program take electives and professional courses for teacher certification by the State of New York in addition to the courses required for the mathematics major. Mathematics/secondary education majors obtain preliminary teaching certification upon completion of the BS and earn permanent certification after obtaining a masters degree.

Depending on a student's inclination and future plans, each of the three degree programs in mathematics can be used as preparation for an entry-level job upon graduation or for graduate study. Some students double major in mathematics and a second subject such as physics, chemistry, economics, or computer information systems.

All of our mathematics degree programs include substantial use of technology (calculators and computers) as tools in mathematical problem solving. The department has a "state of the art" Macintosh Computer Laboratory that is used extensively by faculty and students alike.

Career Information

The majority of Buffalo State College mathematics majors are preparing themselves for careers as secondary school (grades 7 - 12) mathematics teachers. We are proud of the fact that Buffalo State College mathematics graduates are employed in most WNY school districts as well as in schools all over the United States. Upon graduation, a student who has completed our mathematics/secondary education program is well prepared to take a beginning teaching job leading to tenure in a high school or junior high school.

The mathematics major at Buffalo State College also provides a good problem-solving background for graduate study in mathematics, business administration, statistics, economics, operations research, or one of the sciences : physical, biological, or social.

Potential jobs available to students who graduate with a major in mathematics include teacher (secondary school, community college, adult education, or college), math technician (industry), statistician (industry, government), credit analyst (business), cryptanalyst (government), environmental analyst (government, industry), computer programmer (government, industry), actuary (insurance industry, government), safety inspector (insurance industry), sales representative (technical industry). For most of these positions a BA or BS is sufficient for an entry-level job.

In recent years, all of Buffalo State College mathematics graduates interested in becoming teachers have found teaching positions. Buffalo State College enjoys a fine reputation for an innovative quality teacher education program. Buffalo State College is the only NCATE certified education program in the SUNY system.

In the past three years, students with an interest in graduate study in mathematics have been accepted in graduate programs and awarded graduate assistantships or teaching assistantships at such schools as Syracuse University, The University of North Carolina, Arizona State University, and North Carolina State University.
 

MORE INFORMATION ON THE MATHEMATICS MAJOR

Undergraduate mathematics majors maintain an active Math Club which all mathematics majors are invited to join. Some club meetings are devoted to mathematics and keeping members informed about opportunities available for mathematics majors, while others are purely social.

The Math Club sponsors both social and professional activities for mathematics majors. For example, during 1997-98 the Math Club instituted a very interesting and well-attended colloquium series in which members of our faculty and invited guests gave talks about subjects for which they had expertise. These talks took place during lunch hour and the club supplied refreshments. Each year, at the end of the first semester, Math Club members hold, jointly with the mathematics faculty, a holiday party. Every May, the faculty, jointly with the Math Club members, honors the graduating seniors at a department party. Awards are given to outstanding students in the mathematics department at this year-end party.

There is a Math Club Lounge in the department where mathematics majors gather to socialize or to study alone or together. As mentioned above there is also a state-of-the art Macintosh computer lab housed in the department for the use of mathematics majors and faculty. Our Math Club Lounge and the computer lab are always full of busy, enthusiastic students and faculty.

Groups of mathematics majors regularly attend regional meetings of the Mathematical Association of America, or the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State, or the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics when those meetings are accessible. In recent years, groups of mathematics/secondary education majors have regularly traveled to a fall semester meeting sponsored by graduate students at Syracuse University.

As a result of joint efforts by Buffalo State College mathematics department student leaders and faculty members, a chapter the National Mathematics Student Honorary Society Kappa Mu Epsilon was established at Buffalo State College in May of 1998. Fifteen students were inducted as the charter members of the chapter. New members will be inducted each year at a formal ceremony and celebration.

There are 16 full-time faculty members, the majority of whom have doctorates in mathematics or mathematics education. In addition, there are 8 to 10 part-time faculty all of whom have a minimum of a masters degree.

The interests of the faculty range over a wide variety of mathematics and mathematics education specialties. Several faculty members are actively involved in providing in-service training or middle and high school mathematics teachers in Western New York school districts as well as nationally. Mathematics faculty members are actively engaged in research and writing along with their teaching duties. Members of the department are regularly invited to lead workshops in their areas of expertise and to make presentations at Professional meetings. As mentioned earlier, mathematics department faculty members are dedicated teachers and researchers who are interested in helping students develop to their fullest potential. They are accessible to students and work with them both in groups and individually.

We are proud of the accomplishments of our faculty. One member of the mathematics department received the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1997. Another was honored by the SUNY Buffalo Graduate School of Education as the outstanding Alumna of the Department of Learning & Instruction at the SUNY graduation ceremonies in May of 1998. Each year at the Buffalo State College Honors Convocation, honor students name five or six mathematics department faculty members as having been their valued mentors. Our graduates get jobs in their chosen fields and express satisfaction with the training and support that they have received in our programs.

If you would like to learn more about the Buffalo State Mathematics department, feel free to call or send email to the department chairperson or any member of the department faculty. Email addresses and phone numbers are available in the department's web page or by calling the department office 878-5621.