The decade of the 1960's began with a streamlined curriculum, but perhaps due to expansion in the department , the curriculum gradually grew again. The student population climbed from 1200 to about 1600 in 1969; Paine, Simmons, and Sterling were all hired in this decade.
There were several attempts to offer the appropriate courses for students not planning to major in mathematics. A course in mathematical structures evolved into an applied course on matrices, elementary statistics became elementary probability, and a new course addressed modern mathematics for elementary school teachers. (The "new math" trend in education began in the 1960's.) The old Teachers' Course of earlier times had become a seminar and tutorial for teaching secondary mathematics.
The Introduction to Digital Computing made its first appearance in the 1960's, but since it was taught by visitors, it was offered on a sporadic basis. By the end of the decade the college had its own time-share access and a college computer was just a few years off.
Linear Algebra was split from Modern Algebra and Numerical analysis made a first appearance. Complex analysis came back and a second abstract algebra course was added. By the end of the decade, a more complete list of course offerings returned: calculus, linear algebra, geometry, numerical analysis, differential equations, advanced calculus, mathematical statistics, abstract algebra, real variables, complex analysis, advanced abstract algebra. To round out the curriculum, there was a special topics course and an independent study course.
All-college requirements during the sixties were not much
different from succeeding years, but departmental requirements
returned. For students outside of mathematics, there was no
requirement to take mathematics although math courses did satisfy
one required group. Students in all majors were still required
to take a departmental comprehensive examination, but now they
also had to take the Graduate Records Examination. Within the
mathematics department, the requirements were simple. Calculus
and linear algebra were prerequisite for most other courses and
majors had to take abstract algebra plus three other upper level
courses.