1. Math Major Advising
Nikolaus Vonessen
Advising Retreat — May 11, 2010
Outline:
Overview of Math Major Advising
Contacting Majors: the Math Major Email List
Advising Handbook
1/9

2. Overview of Math Major Advising
Approximately 130 math majors
(about 100 declared on Banner and registered in Spring 2010)
All majors advised by tenure-track or tenured faculty
Advising is coordinated by the department’s Associate Chair
for the Undergraduate Program:
Assigns majors to advisors
Personally advises majors in more complex situations (e.g.,
transfer equivalences)
Prepares and updates advising materials (on math dept home
page, click on “Information for Undergraduates”)
Approves graduation applications, etc.
Assisted by departmental Undergraduate Committee
2/9

3. Overview of Math Major Advising
Approximately 130 math majors
(about 100 declared on Banner and registered in Spring 2010)
All majors advised by tenure-track or tenured faculty
Advising is coordinated by the department’s Associate Chair
for the Undergraduate Program:
Assigns majors to advisors
Personally advises majors in more complex situations (e.g.,
transfer equivalences)
Prepares and updates advising materials (on math dept home
page, click on “Information for Undergraduates”)
Approves graduation applications, etc.
Assisted by departmental Undergraduate Committee
2/9

4. Contacting Math Majors: The Math Major Email List
A low-volume email list (about 20 messages/semester),
alerting majors to items of interest
(scholarship announcements, advising info,. . . )
Department faculty and staff also receive the messages.
Uses official UM email addresses
There is an archive of old messages
(The advising listerv could also use one . . . )
Messages can only be posted by the department’s Associate
Chair, who edits or requires rewriting of messages to be
short and to the point
text only
no attachments (instead links to documents posted elsewhere)
3/9

5. Contacting Math Majors: The Math Major Email List
A low-volume email list (about 20 messages/semester),
alerting majors to items of interest
(scholarship announcements, advising info,. . . )
Department faculty and staff also receive the messages.
Uses official UM email addresses
There is an archive of old messages
(The advising listerv could also use one . . . )
Messages can only be posted by the department’s Associate
Chair, who edits or requires rewriting of messages to be
short and to the point
text only
no attachments (instead links to documents posted elsewhere)
3/9

6. Subject lines of some recent messages (20 this semester):
Summer research opportunity ($3,000 stipend)
Lennes Award Math Contest on April 15
Full-time summer job in Butte for a math major
Reminder: Scholarship Applications due Wednesday
Advisor assignments for *new* math majors
Reminder: Apply for Math Department Scholarships and
Awards
Bard REU Program in Mathematics and
Computation-Summer 2010
4/9

7. The Math Major Email List - continued
Uses the software LISTSERV, provided by IT.
Initial setup relatively easy, then it essentially runs by itself.
For more info:
A-Z index IT Central LISTSERV
Subscriber management mostly handled by departmental staff
Each semester staff subscribes all registered and declared
majors.
Everyone can subscribe or unsubscribe at lists.umt.edu.
Subscription is required to browse the archive.
5/9

8. The Math Major Email List - continued
Uses the software LISTSERV, provided by IT.
Initial setup relatively easy, then it essentially runs by itself.
For more info:
A-Z index IT Central LISTSERV
Subscriber management mostly handled by departmental staff
Each semester staff subscribes all registered and declared
majors.
Everyone can subscribe or unsubscribe at lists.umt.edu.
Subscription is required to browse the archive.
5/9

9. Advising Handbook:
The Undergraduate Guide to the Study of Mathematics
(http://www.umt.edu/math/undergraduate/Guide.pdf)
Exists since many years.
First print only, then for many years in two formats containing
the same information: print (MS Word) and web (html)
Challenges:
The print version was nearly always out-of-date.
Updating two separate formats too time-consuming, and led to
errors.
The guide contained too much continuously-changing
information (e.g., major requirements form catalog, lists of
faculty and staff)
Having a print version limited the use of hyperlinks in the
online version.
6/9

10. Advising Handbook:
The Undergraduate Guide to the Study of Mathematics
(http://www.umt.edu/math/undergraduate/Guide.pdf)
Exists since many years.
First print only, then for many years in two formats containing
the same information: print (MS Word) and web (html)
Challenges:
The print version was nearly always out-of-date.
Updating two separate formats too time-consuming, and led to
errors.
The guide contained too much continuously-changing
information (e.g., major requirements form catalog, lists of
faculty and staff)
Having a print version limited the use of hyperlinks in the
online version.
6/9

11. Guidelines for the revision of the advising handbook:
Online-only, allowing hyperlinks
pdf format (so that it could be printed if desired)
No duplication of information which is (or should be) available
outside the advising handbook. Instead, use links! Examples:
List of faculty with research areas
Advising worksheets
Catalog information
No reinventing the wheel! For example, most career
information is better presented by the professional
associations. Link to their career info sites.
The advising handbook is now considered a “living
document”, to be freely updated as needed. In particular, the
links need to be checked routinely (and updated if necessary).
7/9

12. Guidelines for the revision of the advising handbook:
Online-only, allowing hyperlinks
pdf format (so that it could be printed if desired)
No duplication of information which is (or should be) available
outside the advising handbook. Instead, use links! Examples:
List of faculty with research areas
Advising worksheets
Catalog information
No reinventing the wheel! For example, most career
information is better presented by the professional
associations. Link to their career info sites.
The advising handbook is now considered a “living
document”, to be freely updated as needed. In particular, the
links need to be checked routinely (and updated if necessary).
7/9

13. Guidelines for the revision of the advising handbook:
Online-only, allowing hyperlinks
pdf format (so that it could be printed if desired)
No duplication of information which is (or should be) available
outside the advising handbook. Instead, use links! Examples:
List of faculty with research areas
Advising worksheets
Catalog information
No reinventing the wheel! For example, most career
information is better presented by the professional
associations. Link to their career info sites.
The advising handbook is now considered a “living
document”, to be freely updated as needed. In particular, the
links need to be checked routinely (and updated if necessary).
7/9

14. Guidelines for the revision of the advising handbook:
Online-only, allowing hyperlinks
pdf format (so that it could be printed if desired)
No duplication of information which is (or should be) available
outside the advising handbook. Instead, use links! Examples:
List of faculty with research areas
Advising worksheets
Catalog information
No reinventing the wheel! For example, most career
information is better presented by the professional
associations. Link to their career info sites.
The advising handbook is now considered a “living
document”, to be freely updated as needed. In particular, the
links need to be checked routinely (and updated if necessary).
7/9

15. Abbreviated Contents of the Advising Handbook
(Now has 26 pages, including the cover)
1 Introduction
2 Why Study Math?
a What Can You Do with a Math Major?
b List of Job Titles of UM Math Alumni
c Advice from Graduates of the UM Math Department
3 Math Majors & Minors
a The Math Major (Including its Options)
(many subsections)
b The Combined Major in Math & Computer Science
c The Math Minor
4 Course Offerings
a Planning Ahead
b Prerequisite Graphs for Math Courses
c Usual Course Offerings
8/9

16. Abbreviated Contents of the Advising Handbook
(Now has 26 pages, including the cover)
1 Introduction
2 Why Study Math?
a What Can You Do with a Math Major?
b List of Job Titles of UM Math Alumni
c Advice from Graduates of the UM Math Department
3 Math Majors & Minors
a The Math Major (Including its Options)
(many subsections)
b The Combined Major in Math & Computer Science
c The Math Minor
4 Course Offerings
a Planning Ahead
b Prerequisite Graphs for Math Courses
c Usual Course Offerings
8/9

17. Abbreviated Contents of the Advising Handbook
(Now has 26 pages, including the cover)
1 Introduction
2 Why Study Math?
a What Can You Do with a Math Major?
b List of Job Titles of UM Math Alumni
c Advice from Graduates of the UM Math Department
3 Math Majors & Minors
a The Math Major (Including its Options)
(many subsections)
b The Combined Major in Math & Computer Science
c The Math Minor
4 Course Offerings
a Planning Ahead
b Prerequisite Graphs for Math Courses
c Usual Course Offerings
8/9

18. Abbreviated Contents of the Advising Handbook, continued
5 Activities & Facilities of the Math Department
a Math Club (etc.)
b Undergraduate Study Lounge, Information Board & Lockers
c Computing Facilities
d Senior Projects & Watkins Scholarships
e Modeling Contest, Putnam Exam, Lennes Exam
f Working for the Mathematics Department
6 Scholarships, Honors & Awards
7 Internships, Research Experiences, Conferences, and more
8 Career Planning
a Web Resources
b Actuarial Science
c Teaching
d Business, Industry & Government
e Graduate Schools & the Graduate Record Exams
f Career Services
9/9

19. Abbreviated Contents of the Advising Handbook, continued
5 Activities & Facilities of the Math Department
a Math Club (etc.)
b Undergraduate Study Lounge, Information Board & Lockers
c Computing Facilities
d Senior Projects & Watkins Scholarships
e Modeling Contest, Putnam Exam, Lennes Exam
f Working for the Mathematics Department
6 Scholarships, Honors & Awards
7 Internships, Research Experiences, Conferences, and more
8 Career Planning
a Web Resources
b Actuarial Science
c Teaching
d Business, Industry & Government
e Graduate Schools & the Graduate Record Exams
f Career Services
9/9

20. Abbreviated Contents of the Advising Handbook, continued
5 Activities & Facilities of the Math Department
a Math Club (etc.)
b Undergraduate Study Lounge, Information Board & Lockers
c Computing Facilities
d Senior Projects & Watkins Scholarships
e Modeling Contest, Putnam Exam, Lennes Exam
f Working for the Mathematics Department
6 Scholarships, Honors & Awards
7 Internships, Research Experiences, Conferences, and more
8 Career Planning
a Web Resources
b Actuarial Science
c Teaching
d Business, Industry & Government
e Graduate Schools & the Graduate Record Exams
f Career Services
9/9