It’s interesting to recall my perception of the root of problem, taken from the proposal submitted to the Provost in April 1998:

“My experience, both personal and professional, has identified a problem from which many minorities suffer: the inability to express themselves effectively in mainstream America. While this need is addressed in other disciplines where the writing of prose is judged and graded, it becomes a serious barrier in the area of mathematics. ...[M]uch can be done to help these students learn the tools which will, in turn, help them in their mathematical expression.”

I seem to be describing an effect rather than a cause in light of the issues discussed in this paper. Ogbu, Steele and Treisman all concur on the profound psychological effects of culture on the ability of certain minorities to perform academically. This includes the area of math, which initially seems not susceptible to cultural interpretation.

In the final analysis, MAP didn’t work largely due to the disorganization, lack of communication, and resistance to change in MEP, in spite of the fact that Wayne was willing to give me the freedom to do what I felt necessary. The lack of sincerity of administrators led to obvious disaffection among some of the troops.

Another major obstacle was that no one else in the university contributed, except for Teri. However, as I pointed out, Teri was under great pressure to publish, and there was no opportunity for research here.

I feel strongly the need to turn this program into a course for academic credit, so that we have some real control over the students in the form of a letter grade.

Also, the situation would have been enhanced had there been greater diversity among the participants. Except for Wayne’s son, Buck, who was involved only in the Fall 1997 trial run, there was no Native-American presence. It is noteworthy that there were no Asians, even though Asians certainly qualify as minorities and many are engineering students. I realize that most outreach programs are designed exclusively for non-Asian minorities, but this creates the appearance of race-based remediation. I believe this is the major aspect of our program with which Treisman or Steele would have taken issue; participants in their programs were recruited as an acknowledgment of their ability.

I believe that there is still potential for a program like this at OU. Tragically, it appears certain that MAP will terminate at the end of this semester, primarily because there is no one available to take it over. A strong background in Math would be requisite, and because of the overwhelming numbers of males in engineering, this person would need to be male. In an ideal world, we would find two math graduate students - one Black, one Hispanic - who have achieved “accommodation without assimilation”.

CFD may be a source of such students. Along with the scholarship, such a position could offer the kind of money that will attract someone. If that’s not enough, keep increasing the money until someone is found. I might have been willing to give it another shot, with the proper remuneration.

Teri Jo has a notion that she could revive the program once she gets into a favorable tenure position. By then, Teri will be able to devote more time to it and, hopefully, my dissertation will be nearly complete, which will provide the workshop with challenging content. Most importantly, MEP’s influence must be removed. They should provide students, but that must be the extent of their involvement.


Bibliography

A Study of the Mathematical Performance of Black Students at the University of California, Berkeley, Uri Treisman, 1985.

Studying Students Studying Calculus: A Look at the Lives of Minority Mathematics Students in College, Uri Treisman, 1992.

Understanding Cultural Diversity and Learning, John Ogbu, 1992.

College Mathematics Instruction in Transition: A Study of Reform in a College Algebra Course for “At-Risk” Students, Teri Jo Murphy, 1995.

A Threat in the Air: How Stereotypes Shape Intellectual Identity and Performance, Charles M. Steele, 1997.