Charge of The Committee on the Profession

The Committee on the Profession should advise the Association on a) issues involving individual mathematicians in their teaching, research, and service activities and b) issues affecting the professional responsibilities of mathematics departments within their institutions.

Included among the issues involving individual mathematicians in their teaching and research activities are
a)teaching loads and class size
b)professional development and continuing education
c)rewards and recognition
d)evaluation of teaching and research
e)professional ethics.

Included among the issues effecting the professional responsibilities of mathematics departments within institutions are
a)standards for employment and promotion
b)the role of part time faculty
c)responsibility within the institution for teaching mathematics
d)relationships with client disciplines
e)compensation
f)professional development activities for department chairs.

N.B. The Committee on the Profession should work to help faculty and department chairs be better informed about activities directed to addressing issues affecting collegiate mathematics; for example, maintain an annual update on MAA Online regarding salaries and operating budgets; increase the awareness of faculty, chairs, and deans of the Guidelines of the MAA; and sponsor workshops which address issues faced by department chairs, possibly in collaboration with the Board on Mathematical Sciences at the National Research Council.

These issues transcend the responsibilities of any one committee of the MAA. To achieve its goals, the Committee on the Profession shall work closely with the committees in the Council on Education in disseminating materials on the teaching and learning of mathematics, the Science Policy Committee on issues of national policy and in advancing the public9s awareness and appreciation of mathematics, the committees in the Council on Human resources in disseminating information on increasing the participation at all levels of underrepresented groups.

The Committee on the Profession shall maintain a database of materials related to its charge that will be readily available to the membership. This shall include policy statements as well as data. Additionally, the Committee shall increase publication efforts of materials demonstrating the contributions that mathematics makes to the mission of institutions; these materials should be aimed at administrators in institutions of higher learning.

Membership: It is recommended that the Committee have a representative from: (1) a two-year college, (2) a four-year private college, (3) a four-year public college, (4) a historically black college/university, (5) a comprehensive public university, (6) a research university, (7) a client discipline, (8) another mathematical science (e.g., statistics, mathematics education, or computer science). The chair of the Committee should be a person with name recognition.

Last Modified: - Greenwald