Math Resource Center Updates
With the move to remote instruction and the closure of much of campus, the Mathematics Resource Center (MRC) in 13 Avery Hall is closed for the remainder of the semester. Dr. Josh Brummer, the Math faculty member who runs the Math Resource Center, has informed me that our Math faculty and graduate students are working on a system to connect students to assistance online in the normal manner that they would have received within the Math Resource Center. Specifically, Dr. Brummer is working the instructors for our MATH 100A, 101, 102, 103, 104, 106, and 107 courses and the graduate students who normally work within the Math Resource Center to create this new system. Students will likely access the Math Resource Center’s services through Canvas using technology available for quick, electronic communication while attempting to maintain low bandwidth. Dr. Brummer hopes that the new resource will be available on Monday, March 30th with classes resume. When updates about the Math Resource Center are available, I will make sure the updates are posted to the Math Resource Center’s webpage at https://www.math.unl.edu/resources/undergraduate/mrc.
The Math Department also keeps a list of private Math tutors that we will give out to students and sometimes parents upon request. This is a list of private individuals in the community and some Math graduate students who have offered their services to tutor college and high school level math courses. The Math Department does not manage these private tutors, so all tutors work independently and are able to set their own tutoring hours and rates. We just try to maintain an accurate list for those people interested in hiring a private tutor. We have reached out to our graduate students and offered them the opportunity add their names to this list. However, we are strongly recommending against face-to-face tutoring meetings as these meetings would defeat the purpose of the social distancing efforts made by the University. Your students are welcome to contact Doug Pellatz (dpellatz@unl.edu) or Marilyn Johnson (marilyn.johnson@unl.edu) if they wish to hire a private Math tutor.
Math Advising Updates
Unfortunately, there is not much information to share about the current status of spring Math classes. I know our instructors are working hard to transform their classes to the online, remote instruction format. There were supposed to be common hour, evening exams in the MATH 100A thru MATH 107 courses on Tuesday, March 17 and Wednesday, March 18. Clearly, these exams did not take place, and there certainly will not be any common hour exams for the rest of the semester. After connecting with Dr. Allan Donsig, Vice Chair of the Math Department, these common exams will likely move to a take home or Canvas format.
Doug Pellatz will remain the campus-wide contact for the Math Placement Exam and Math course registration issues, and you are welcome to contact him at dpellatz@unl.edu or 402-472-4319. Doug will also have availability for email, phone, and Zoom meetings through MyPlan. He will be working remotely just like almost everyone else on campus until the University returns to more normal operations.
Now is excellent time to review the information about Math policies, procedures, and frequently asked questions that is available through the Advisor FAQs for Math document. You can access the Advisor FAQs for Math document on the NSE Wiki on the Math page (Wiki log in required) or on Box. The sequence of First Year Math courses and instructions on viewing Math student groups within MyRed have also been uploaded to Box at https://unl.box.com/s/hyku8zsm3awmd8n8cihkrd7ot77mwyod. If you have any questions about the information in this documents, please contact Doug Pellatz at dpellatz@unl.edu or 402-472-4319.
More details at: https://www.math.unl.edu/resources/undergraduate/mrc