MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Melvyn W. Jeter, Illinois Wesleyan University

I find it to be a humbling experience to become the Chair of the ISMAA, following so many outstanding individuals who have served in this role in the past. Most recently, Robert Hathway has just finished an outstanding year of leadership as our Chair. He will, of course, continue to serve our organization as the Past-Chair for two more years. Starting this year, ISMAA Chairs will hold two year terms, and the previous Chair will serve for two years as the Past-Chair. The good news is that Robert will continue his important leadership role in the vital contribution that ISMAA plays regarding the development of state criteria for course work in general education and in the major for mathematics. Hopefully, we will be able to inform our community of these important issues through future issues of this newsletter.

I would like to express my thanks to all those who made our spring meeting at Augustana College a pleasant and successful experience. Special thanks go to Claire Krukenberg and the Program Committee for their excellent work. Robert Johnson and the fine people at Augustana did an outstanding job with the local arrangements. Now everyone will want a mathematics and computer science facility like the one at Augustana! Our Student Chapter Coordinator, John Haverhals, and his associates did a lot of behind the scenes work to make the meeting memorable for our student participants. Under the able leadership of Jim Marshall, Project NExT again enjoyed another successful ISMAA Project NExT program at the Augustana meeting. As usual Jon Johnson was invaluable as he handled some of the more tedious aspects of the meeting.

Next spring, our annual meeting will take place on the campus of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Rich Wilders will be Program Chair as well as in charge of local arrangements. The meeting will take place on March 30 and April 1. Other ISMAA members involved in the planning of that meeting include Jim Trefzger, Jim Olsen, Tom Bengston, and John Haverhals. I know that they would welcome suggestions that you might care to make regarding next year's program. Congratulations to Herb Kasube of Bradley University for winning the 1999 Distinguished Service Award. It was an award well deserved. Next year, Neale Fadden, Belleville Area College, will be the Chair of the 1999-2000 Awards Committee. Joining him on the committee will be Iraj Kalantari and Howard Saar. Please help them by nominating individuals for both the Distinguished Service and the Distinguished Teaching awards.

GOVERNOR'S REPORT

Larry J. Morley

Greeting from west central Illinois. We are just beginning what will be a yearlong Centennial Celebration of the founding of what is now Western Illinois University. We hope some of you may be able to join us on September 30 1999 for our Centennial Lecture in Mathematics by Zalman Usiskin, "From math for a few, to math for all."

I am pleased to report that I have been appointed to the MAA Committee on Student Sections and look forward to this assignment. It appears that interest in student chapters is growing in Illinois and it was most gratifying to see an increase in the number of students in attendance at our last annual meeting. And, by the way, a special note of thanks to the Program Committee and hosts at Augustana College for a most hospitable and beautiful setting for a very successful Seventy-Eighth Annual Meeting of the ISMAA.

Moving on to some happenings at the national level. The most debated issue at the winter Board meeting was a suggestion to allow non-student members to choose Math HORIZONS as a journal option. My personal opinion at this time is that a bulk subscription of some size as a part on institutional membership would be a better idea. We had some discussion of this question at the ISMAA Board meeting in February, but I would like hearing more from individual members regarding whether this might be a popular choice for retaining or attracting new members. Would having Math HORIZONS as a choice for individual memberships be a more attractive option for our undergraduate student members not going on to graduate school? What about those that are high school teachers? I would very much like to receive more input from members of the Illinois Section on the important question of priorities of the MAA for the start of the next millennium. MAA President Tom Banchoff is heading a group to study these priorities and a report to the Board of Governors is expected at the July meeting. To be more specific, if you had to pick one thing for the MAA to achieve on behalf of its individual members over the next three years, what would it be? Along this same line, what would be the one particular thing you believe the MAA should achieve on behalf of the profession? I would love to have your ideas to take with me to the meeting at MathFest 1999 in Providence.

Plans are underway to merge of the Executive and Finance Committees. The Board of Governors expressed support for pursuing such a change and a proposal to revise the Bylaws will be presented to the Board in July. Any thought on this issue?

Professor Titu Andreescu has replaced Walter Mientka as Director of the American Mathematical Competitions (AMC). Walter acknowledged, with appreciation, the ILLINOIS SECTION'S $500 contribution to the AMC. The Governors unanimously voted to add a test specifically for 9th and 10th graders to the competitions for a trial period of three years.

By now you should have seen program information for the 1999 MathFest in Providence, RI (July 31 - August 2). From reports in San Antonio it should be a very enjoyable and useful meeting and we hope to see an increase in the attendance. The future of the summer meetings continues to be a matter of critical attention and concern by the Governors and various innovative ideas for scheduling are being considered. MathFest 2000 will be in Los Angeles at UCLA - August 3-5, 2000 just ahead of the AMS meeting addressing the research agenda for the 21st Century.

I look forward to receiving ideas and suggestions. Best wishes for a most enjoyable and safe summer. Hope to see you in Providence!

Larry J. Morley , Department of Mathematics Western Illinois University Macomb, IL 61455

We have a commitment from Fred Rickey for a mini course on the history of mathematics. There will be a follow-up session or two on history Friday afternoon and, possibly, Saturday morning. Ideas for topics or proposals for presentations are invited. Underwood Dudley of DePauw university and trisection fame will give the after-dinner speech.

To: ISMAA Membership

From: James Olsen, Two-year College Committee Chair

Date: April 23, 1999

RE: New Course

PROPOSED COURSE TO BE ADDED TO THE ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE ARTICULATION GUIDE

3-4 Semester hours

Prerequisites: Geometry and Intermediate Algebra both with a grade of C or better

Focuses on mathematical reasoning through the active participation of students in solving interesting and challenging problems. Integrates the use of graphing calculators and personal computers as problem solving tools. Emphasizes learning mathematics by doing mathematics so that students can build their own knowledge base of algebraic and geometric models; and, at the same time, acquire the mathematical "habits of mind" necessary to use mathematics in their subsequent course work, their jobs, and their personal lives.

The successful student should be able to:

Mathematical modeling, inductive and deductive reasoning in problem solving, mathematical proof, limitations of inductive and deductive reasoning, mathematical induction and recursive relationships, sequences and series in modeling, variables and functions, graphical and algebraic representation of both linear and non-linear functions, interpolation and extrapolation, scientific notation and logarithms, logarithmic scales, logarithmic functions and exponential functions in modeling.

Q: What is the student population to be served?

A: At least two populations: (a) Students in a non-calculus track. Students who need to build baccalaureate-level mathematics skills. and (b) Students who have had Intermediate Algebra but are not in a position to be successful in College Algebra. Rather than retake Intermediate Algebra, this course gives these students a course that can prepare them for success in College Algebra.

Q: How does this compare with College Algebra?

A: The emphasis is on applications and not on calculus preparation. There is some overlap with College Algebra topics, especially problems found in a Modeling-Approach-to-College-Algebra-type textbook. However, there are precalculus topics from College Algebra (and Modeling-Approach-to-College-Algebra-type textbooks) which are not included in the Mathematical Modeling and Experimentation (MM&E) Course. For example, theory of polynomial equations.

Q: How does this compare with a Quantitative Literacy course?

A: The basic goal of MM&E is similar to that of a Quantitative Literacy course. The course is "designed to provide the basic numeracy needed by a college graduate to reason quantitatively" (see Curriculum Guide, p.12). MM&E does not however include the statistics at the level covered in the Quantitative Literacy course. For example, normal and chi square distributions and decision-making based on hypothesis testing most likely would not be included in MM&E. The desire in the MM&E course is to provide sufficient time to explore, in depth, numerous mathematical modeling approaches. Statistics is only covered to the level needed for mathematical modeling. Also, in MM&E, conceptual understanding and algorithmic methods are emphasized. The Quantitative Literacy course is to be "non-algorithmic in nature" (Curriculum Guide, p.12).

Q: Does the MM&E course satisfy the General Education Requirements on page 6 of the Curriculum Guide?

A: In the view of many, yes. The course is designed to match all of the goals on page 6. Each individual should compare the goals with those of the course for him/herself.

Websites of interest:

jsh@bradley.edu

hkasube@bradley.bradley.edu

The Fall Meeting of the Indiana Section of the MAA will take place at Valparaiso University on October 16, 1999. Rcik Gillman invites members of the ISMAA to consider attending and/or submitting a paper for presentation at this meeting. To obtain further information about submitting a paper send e-mail to callond@franklincoll.edu