Charge for Committee to Review Teaching of Statistics

The Provost has been asked to report at a future Board of Regents meeting steps that have been taken to review redundant or low productivity programs and courses.  At the same time, the Graduate Council has seen several new courses in statistics where there appears to be significant overlap with existing courses. 

I asked the Provost to appoint a committee to review how statistics is being taught at Texas Tech and to determine if we could minimize the overlap of statistic courses.  He said in affect, great idea, please do it.  The teaching of statistics and meeting the needs of all stakeholders is not an easy or simple task.  If I may make an analogy, it is like trying to improve the flow of goods and services to the City of Chicago.  The current system some how works although some planners believe they can improve on the system.  Trying to improve on a system that has evolved over decades is a daunting task.  Nevertheless, this is what we are asking you to do.  We want you to review our current academic courses and programs that supply statistical education to our students and determine if we can improve on the quality of their statistical education while reducing the costs of providing statistical educational to our students.

Goals

Provide our students (undergraduate and graduate) state-of-the-art statistical education up to the level the students need to accomplish their needed level of statistical literacy.  For example, some students may require just simple means, standard deviations, and simple correlations while others may need to understand how to use ANOVA and multi-regression analyses. 

Have our students gain experience in applying the correct statistics to problems in their specific area of study.  For example, civil engineers should be able to select the correct distribution to represent flood frequencies and know the difference between a two-parameter and a three-parameter distribution.  An agronomist should be able to setup a factorial experiment that compares several different treatments and be able to evaluate the interactions.  It appears the numerous courses in statistics have been developed to provide the type of statistics needed and its application to problems in a particular field of study.  Everyone appears to be using the same statistical programs such as SAS so there must be some underlying common set of statistical theory.  The real differences in many of the courses are the applications. 

Products from Committee

Develop an inventory of statistical courses which details content, prerequisites, the instructors, and the intended audience.

Recommend ways to teach state-of-the-art statistical procedures to both undergraduate and graduate students.

Recommend ways to provide content specific applications to both undergraduates and graduate students.

Please note that continuing to do the same thing as we currently doing in teaching statistics in all parts of campus may be an acceptable recommendation if determined by the proposed study.

Cautions

There have been many changes in programs, attitudes, and the ability to deliver course materials that have occurred in the past 20 years.  I am sure you will find reasons why courses were developed based on conditions that no longer exist.  You will also find resistance to change and territorial instincts in play.  Do not allow these memories of past conditions to prevent you from finding optimum solutions and making academically sound recommendations.

Considerations

Use institutional Research to help gather data on courses, class sizes, when courses were taught, etc.  They may not be able to provide all the information desired, but they can be very helpful in gathering data.

Upon completion of the inventory of current statistical offerings, please share this information with the Provost and all Deans.  This information should provide a good picture of the number of courses and SCHs earned for the university as a whole in the area of statistics.