The Department Chair’s Role in Mathematics Service Courses

Abstract

A Mathematics Department Chair plays many roles within the department and within the university as a whole. Facilitating the development and teaching of mathematics services courses requires working with mathematics faculty as well as members of other departments on campus. In this paper, we discuss many issues related to the Department Chair’s role in mathematics service courses such as determining course content needs, placing students in appropriate courses, scheduling classes, assessing service courses, and looking to the future of mathematics services courses. Central to all of these issues is ongoing communication with colleagues in and out of the department.