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A Flawed Proposal By Frank H. Nappi, Jr.
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| The proposal to reduce the
mathematics and science requirements at Nassau Community College is
logically flawed.
The fact that two courses in mathematics are not mandated at many colleges is not a valid reason for NCC to reduce its general education requirements. Since Nassau Community College is among the best community colleges in the country, we should be leading the way for all the others. Our degree requirements should be set so that our students are in a position to continue in a baccalaureate program, and also be well educated, well rounded citizens whose learning has breadth as well as depth.. One should be able to do more than read and write. We must all understand technology, and know how to compute, calculate, estimate, think quantitatively, and analyze and interpret data. In order to achieve these goals, students must know both finite and continuous mathematics. For the liberal arts student who will not be seeking further study in mathematics, NCC offers four college mathematics courses. We offer the pre-calculus/calculus sequence for the students who will be looking for a broad range of disciplines and need further algebraic and analytic skills in their field of study. These courses are transferable, and enable students to broaden their understanding and appreciation of the diverse areas of mathematics and their relationship to a complex world.
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Under the new proposal, the
English department will have a nine-credit requirement to achieve a level
of education appropriate for community college students. Are these same
students so much better prepared in mathematics than in English, and
therefore can achieve college proficiency in mathematics with only one
course? We all know they are not.
It is possible for a student to meet the proposed requirements by selecting 3 credits in mathematics. The same 3-credit weight can be achieved in Pluralism and Diversity as it does in mathematics. This is not a good balance for degree recipients. Further, since an A.A. degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences is a degree unto itself and not just the first two years of a baccalaureate program, it is important that a balance is incorporated into the A.A. degree. This is a time for all of us in the college community to be aware of these proposals to drop the standards that have made Nassau Community College one of the finest in the nation. It is time to stand in the way of those who would turn this college into a cakewalk to a degree instead of an institution of higher learning. Note: The writer is the AFA department representative for the Mathematics Department and a member of the AFA Executive Board. . |
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