The Undergraduate Curriculum Committee recently passed a proposal to delete MAT 090 and 095 from the curriculum and replace those with the proposed courses, MAT 081, 082 and 083.   Students are placed in the DMP (Developmental Math Programs) where they take an assessment to show deficiencies in their mathematics background.  According to the 2007/2008 summary of primary proposed undergraduate curriculum changes, some studentsí deficiencies are so severe that they have trouble completing MAT 090 in a single semester.   This is unfortunate for some, especially if they are working meticulously and making satisfactory progress.   After taking the first assessment, some students do not compute high enough to begin with the concepts in MAT 090.   Unqualified students do not master the minimum number of objectives to pass because they were not ready in the first place.   Therefore, they cannot go on to MAT 095, and must re-enroll in MAT 090, picking up wherever they left off.   Dr. Kenneth Lee, professor of mathematics and department chair, said that in the fall of 2007, 920 students were enrolled in the DMP.   Approximately 80 percent of students made satisfactory progress, and of those students, only 3% received an F.   He believes this new 3-course progression will solve this problem and give students credit for making satisfactory progress.   Lee said that in these new courses, students will be graded pass/fail based on how much they progress through the semester.   ìIt gives us a way to reward people who are making ësignificantí progress,î Lee said.   Developmental Math Specialist William Roach believes the new proposal will have its advantages and disadvantages.   One disadvantage is that the courses will do away with letter grades, and students wonít get credit towards their GPA.   However, he believes the three courses will improve a studentís chance of getting done in one semester.   He also thinks students will no longer be bored with topics or fret about their grades.   Roach said the program itself will not be different, but it will be divided to make it easier for students to get through the program.   ìThe key is to get the students through, and I think this hopefully will work,î Roach said.   DMP Director R.E. Moore believes the new courses will give students credit for at least trying, so they donít just waste their time with the program.   ìLast fall there were 56 people who didnít get a passing grade,î Moore said. ìThey made a semesterís progress ñ they just didnít get finished with the course they were in.î  The primary goal, according to Lee, is to transform under-prepared students into students who will have the same chance of being successful in their first attempt at general studies mathematics as those students who are originally placed into general studies math by means of their math ACT score.   Lee said that when DMP students were compared to students placed in general studies math classes through their math ACT score, statistically there is no significant difference in the pass rates, failure rates or withdrawal rates, and both groupsí rates are typically 15 percent to 20 percent.