Mission Statement

The Department of Mathematics supports the missions of the University of St. Thomas and the College of Arts and Sciences through our teaching, scholarship and service.  Courses in mathematics and actuarial science emphasize excellence in teaching and a high level of faculty-student interaction.  We offer courses designed to provide our students with a broad education and with the skills and sophistication needed for further study and work.  Our general requirement courses include experience in the application of relevant knowledge to solve problems; promote the recognition and classification of numerical, geometrical and relational patterns; and enhance students’ abilities to develop mathematical arguments and to understand the connections between real-world experience and mathematical models.  Our faculty represents the wide variety of mathematical, statistical and actuarial backgrounds and interests necessary to insure a strong program of courses that develop valuable skills and implement ways in which mathematics can support the common good.

The Department of Mathematics is committed to thoughtful interaction with colleagues and students from all disciplines and to faculty and student participation in interdisciplinary work.  Department faculty members are active scholars, collaborating with students whenever possible and advancing their own knowledge through faculty development efforts.  The faculty and students of the department, through their work and personal commitments, serve the university and the broader community.

Major and minor programs in mathematics are offered within the spirit of a liberal arts environment.  Students understand our discipline from both theoretical and applied perspectives and take advantage of technological and pedagogical advances in presenting their work.  The major and minor programs offered in the department support a student’s future graduate education or professional career and are based on a solid foundation of collegiate mathematics. 

The program in actuarial science supports the university’s goal to provide a liberal arts education as well as education for a career by fostering an academic climate of scholarship and learning.  Students develop the ability to think clearly and critically about complex problems requiring the application of quantitative skills in an interdisciplinary environment. They learn to utilize appropriate technology to develop models for solving problems and analyzing applications in the assessment and management of risk. Students are also able to communicate their ideas and the results of their work with clarity and precision.

-adopted 9 May 2007