courtesy hotmailfree.net
Your recent article on Statway requires response.
First, I have read articles in faculty union periodicals demonstrating that the financial intrusion of corporate America into the education field has not always been as benign or beneficial as the recipients of such largess imply. I believe Statway illustrates this point. It is an experimental course under construction with no track record of student success data supporting the claims of its proponents. My opinion is that, after stripping away the rhetoric, Statway is nothing more than an end run around the Intermediate Algebra competency requirement for an A.A. Degree. And although this seductive proposition may seem attractive to students, it is bad education policy on two counts. It is counterproductive to meeting our society’s need for more math and science majors. And by targeting a select population of students, it institutionalizes the soft bigotry of lowered expectations for that cohort.
Second, the article failed to mention that the Statway path is only valid for a defined subset of students. Students need to review the Mathematics Course Sequences published in the college catalog or consult a counselor to see if Statway is a viable option for them. Students that are undecided about their final educational goals should bear in mind that by taking Statway they are locking themselves into a small subset of options, whereas the traditional Math 51 and Math 71 path opens the door to any and every possibility.
The final consideration I have is more philosophical in nature. I have always believed that one purpose of a college level general education is to expose students to a variety of disciplines so they can make informed decisions about their future. My own mathematical awakening did not occur until I was in college, and would never have happened if I was not required to take a rigorous algebra course taught by an expert. I believe students taking Statway will be denied this opportunity, which will keep some from discovering and reaching their true potential.
Thank you for your time,
Joe Terreri, Professor of Mathematics
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I wrote this article and I have the support of the math department. This is simply an opinion of yours. I provided the accurate information. There are several ways to approach math. Any students eligible for this course can learn . Referring to this program as seductive to students is your way of mocking it. Who are you to say who can be successful in math or not and what courses to take. This program has been running at other schools and I did provide the information. You should have faith in your colleagues Nitta and Guth are great professors.