By Karen Gavis/se news editor
The Math Tutoring Center on SE Campus has acquired a new home, a new name and an increase in student use.
Dr. Thomas Awtry, SE dean of mathematics, science and health/physical education, said the Math Resource Center saw a 72 percent increase in use between spring 2010 and spring 2011.
Awtry said both the Math Tutoring Center and Math Testing were located in a modular building south of the main building. Math Tutoring moved into the original main building last fall
while Math Testing moved into a temporary building on the east side of the campus.
This semester, they are neighbors. Math testing has moved into ESEE 1120, next door to the newly renamed Math Resource Center in ESEE 1112.
Awtry said location is as important as services provided.
“Student convenience needs to be considered,” he said.
To help prepare students for success, the math/physics department is providing a variety of free workshops. SE teachers volunteer their time to teach students arithmetic, order of operations, solving equations/inequalities, signed numbers, factoring, laws of exponents and graphing workshops.
“I think they should get some recognition for that,” Awtry said.
Department chair of mathematics and physics Gala Gurley said the workshops are designed to help students develop skills.
“Before they take the class they are presently enrolled in, we give them a pre-test to find out what skills they may be lacking and then make recommendations,” she said.
Awtry said students should make sure they are taking the courses they need.
“Students can get into Statistics or Survey of Math with a lower score,” he said. “Elementary education majors take Survey of Math.”
At 8:20 a.m. on a recent Friday, students in the Math Resource Center working at computers while some lined up at the help desk seeking assistance. Several employees were busy providing service. Among the employee was math major Joshua Dombowsky.
Dombowsky said he plans to earn a doctorate and become a math professor. He won first place in the district at the 2010-11 Jim Bolen Math competition.
In addition, he received a $3,000 University of Texas at Arlington scholarship.
Dombowsky said the new Math Resource Center is a lot busier.
“And there are a lot more computers,” he said.
Dombowsky does not work in the Math Testing Center but has a friend who does. He said he likes working in the Math Resource Center because it gives him a chance to review previous math classes.
“And it keeps me fresh,” he said.
After the Bolen competition, SE’s team tied for first in the state. It also tied for first place in the Southwest division and ranked 21st in the nation among more than 850 two-year colleges that participated.
“I think we’re doing good,” Awtry said.
