Mathematics in American Colleges: “Winning the Future” Forum
By mst • Mar 28th, 2011 • Category: Mathematics Educationby Heather Gould, Mathematics Education
On Saturday, February 12, 2011, the Program in Mathematics at Teachers College presented a forum entitled “Mathematics in American Colleges: ‘Winning the Future’.” The program featured four former university presidents and presidential advisors, each a current visiting professor in the Program in Mathematics Education. This event was free-of-charge and open to interested members of the mathematics education community, including graduate students, mathematics professors, department chairs, and high school teachers and principals.
The forum kicked off with a keynote speech given by Dr. Daniel Goroff, whose many accomplishments include positions as program director for the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, President Obama’s Board of Scientific Advisors, and dean of faculty at Harvey Mudd College. The keynote speech, “Mathematics and Higher Education: Some Economic, Political, and Pedagogical Perspectives”, described the changing role of higher education in the United States and how institutions of higher education need to adapt. The use of technology in higher education was also examined, as was Washington’s increased focus on science, technology, and innovation.
The keynote speech was followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr. Goroff, Dr. Joel Cunningham (President Emeritus – University of the South), Dr. Neil Grabois (President Emeritus – Colgate University; Mathematics Chairman and Dean – Williams College), and Dr. J. Philip Smith (Mathematics Chairman, Dean, Provost, and President – Southern Connecticut State University). These four distinguished scholars answered questions from the community regarding a wide range of issues in post-secondary mathematics education including curriculum, the “adjunct situation”, technology in education, and professional development.
Dr. Joel Cunningham, Dr. Neil Grabois, Dr. Daniel Goroff and Dr. J. Philip Smith (left to right)
The day concluded with five breakout sessions. At these sessions, attendees participated in discussions led by one of the four panelists or Dr. Walter Meyer (Professor – Adelphi University). These smaller groups gave the attendees the opportunity to have their questions addressed by a leader in the field as well as their peers. Some major issues discussed during these sessions were curriculum, mathematics remediation, and international comparisons.
The informative and enlightening “Winning the Future” forum was the first in a series of mathematics in higher education events offered by the Program during the Spring 2011 semester. Each event in the series will be free and open to the public and will occur on Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm in 140 Horace Mann. The next five events and dates are as follows:
February 23 – The Place of Mathematics in 21st-Century College and University Curricula
March 9 – Pedagogy, Means, and Methods
March 23 – Assessment at Many Levels
April 6 – The Arc of Professional Life for Post-Secondary Mathematics Educators
April 20 – The Global Context for American Post-Secondary Mathematics Education
Those interested in participating in any of these events are asked to fill out an online reservation and can contact tcmath@tc.edu or call (212) 678-3381.
