Meetings this semester are scheduled for Wednesday, 20-Feb (12:30-2 pm) and Tuesday, 25-Mar (2:30-4), in Razran 318.

Materials for discussion at the February meeting are available here.

A one-day conference on on Mathematics Across the Curriculum and Quantitative Reasoning, hosted by BMCC, is scheduled for March 28, 2008, 9 am to 2:30 pm; click here to register.

Meeting, 30-Oct-2007

Participants: Susan Croll (Psychology); Lev Deych (Physics); Eva Fernández (LCD & CTL); Wallace Goldberg (Math); Betsy Hendrey (Dean, Social Sciences); Tsai-Shiou Hsieh (WAC Assessment Coordinator); Howard Kleinmann (Academic Support Center); Susan Kuhn (English); Ken Lord (UCC & Ed Tech Lab); Joanne Miller (Sociology); Kate Pechenkina (Antrhropology); Steve Schwarz (Physics & Dean, Research/Grad Studies), Tom Strekas (Dean, Natural Sciences), Jerry Waxman (Computer Science)

Topics discussed:

• Definitions
• Current requirements and expectations for QC students, looking toward increasing expectations:
  • technical versus formal math
  • all students versus science/math majors
  • mechanisms in curriculum to ensure that all students get foundations: are there students who place out who really should  not?
• Availability of Mathematics department to collaborate with others on designing courses to fit needs; existing technical math courses:
  • Math 110: Mathematical literacy, intro to college mathematics
  • Math 113: Ideas in mathematics
  • Math 114: Elementary probability and statistics
  • Math 115: College algebra for precalculus
  • Math 116: Mathematics of finance
  • Math 119: Mathematics for elementary school teachers

Recommendation:

• A request, to the Deans of Social Sciences and Math/Natural Sciences, to collect sample syllabi for courses with quantitative reasoning component; the group will examine these syllabi to evaluate current practices

(This request was sent out 11-Nov-2007, and some materials have already come in; they will be available at our next meeting.)

For the group's further consideration:

• Integrating Mathematics Across the Curriculum (IMAC), a CUNY-wide project that aims to "promote an appreciation for the multiple ways we rely on and use mathematics"
• A mathematician reads the newspaper, John Allen Paulos (1996, Anchor Books)
• Goals for student writing at Queens College, developed by Writing Across the Curriculum (in consultation with a large sample of the College's faculty) and endorsed by the Academic Senate, as a model for a possible set of goals on quantitative literacy
• The memorable carjacking incident, as reported by The Knight News
• To come: how QR-type courses are approved elsewhere (at CUNY, beyond CUNY)

Inaugural meeting, 19-Sep-2007

Roundtable discussion, moderated by George Hendrey (SEES) and Dean Savage (Sociology); additional participants: Eva Fernández (LCD & CTL); Stephen Grover (Philosophy); Howard Kleinman (Academic Support Center); Susan Kuhn (English); Robert Lanson (Psychology); Ken Lord (UCC & Ed Tech Lab); Joanne Miller (Sociology); Mindy Miller (CTL & WAC); Kate Pechenkina (Anthropology); Steve Schwarz (Physics & Dean, Research/Grad Studies); John Walker (Accounting/Info Systems)

Topics discussed:

• CUNY math standards for admission, COMPASS scores
• "Task 2" in the CUNY Proficiency Examination
• Resource allocation for adjuncts teaching lower-level courses
• Faculty training
• What students know now, compared to what students ought to know (a working list):
  • reading and describing data presented in graphs and tables
  • making arguments using quantitative evidence
  • performing basic financial calculations
  • asking valid questions
  • logarithms (and prepositions!)

Hand-outs:

• Visual and statistical thinking: Displays of evidence for making decisions (Tufte)
• Correspondence from Provost Gizis on changes in math standards and announcement on CUNY TV program on same issue
• Information on STELLA: Systems Thinking for Education and Research (Fernández will look into costs for acquiring software and scheduling a training retreat)

For the group's further consideration:

•  Goals for Student Writing at QC is an example of how WAC has articulated its objectives; note in particular the parallel statements on what students will be able to do and how faculty can help students work on those abilities
• "The case for quantitative literacy," a chapter in Mathematics and democracy (L. A. Steen, Ed., 2001), outlines definitions of quantitative literacy, as well as forms in which it is expressed
• Campus-wide open forums on changes in CUNY math standards will be held Monday 24-Sep and Wednesday 10-Oct (12:15 to 1:15, KY 806)
• TO COME: more information on recent EdCast aired on CUNY TV this month, on changes to math standards
• ALSO TO COME: assessment in math talk by James Pellegrino (LITD at UIC), at the Office of Academic Affairs, 7-Sep-2007

Announcement:

• December 14th, James Gee talk, "Literacies, learning and video games," at the CUNY Graduate Center, Elebash Recital Hall, 2-4 PM

Please send questions or comments to Eva Fernández.

The date and time for the next meeting will be posted here and announced via qcmailer.