Vision
Post-secondary education in mathematics will enable all students regardless of their identity, background, or chosen program of study, to develop the modern mathematical knowledge and skills they need for productive engagement in society and in the workplace.
Mission
TPSE Math will facilitate an inclusive movement to strengthen post-secondary education in mathematics by working closely with and mobilizing faculty leaders, university administrations, membership associations, and relevant disciplinary societies in the pursuit of mathematically rich and relevant education for all students.
TPSE Math will identify innovative practices where they exist, advocate for innovation where they do not, and work with and through partners to implement and scale effective practices, striving throughout to ensure that students and society are enriched by the power and beauty of mathematics.
Priorities
LDP
Lower-Division Pathways
Spur innovation to develop pathways at 2- and 4-year institutions and universities and in the transition space between high school and higher education that broaden mathematics content to include topics from data science, statistics, quantitative literacy, and basic programming, ensuring that course sequences seamlessly and equitably lead to careers and to further study in STEM fields and across other disciplines.
UDP
Upper-Division Pathways
Enhancing upper-division curricula & experiences – and expanding access to them – responding to evolving career demands, developments in mathematics research, opportunities in cross-disciplinary areas, and needs of students from other disciplines.
GE
Graduate Education
Expand curricular and co-curricular preparation of graduate students for teaching positions as well as business, industry and government careers. Expand access to and success in graduate programs for those from groups historically underserved by the mathematics community, including women and people of color.
TSP
Teaching Strategies and Practices
Improve the teaching and learning of post-secondary mathematics by increasing the adoption of innovative, equitable, research-based pedagogies in both remote and in-person instruction, including the appropriate use of technologies.
Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Statement
Mathematics education is the gateway to many careers and opportunities, and it is incumbent upon our profession to make mathematics welcoming and accessible to all individuals. Despite sporadic individual and institutional efforts, this has not been realized at the scale to achieve equity in mathematics education. It is time for the mathematics community to recognize that it is our collective responsibility to ensure equitable opportunities in mathematics for all.
As an organization, we pledge to learn from and work more closely with the pioneering institutions and organizations who have labored to produce the diversity and equity that does exist within the discipline. We commit to promoting and facilitating inclusion across the mathematics community.
Phillip A. Griffiths
Professor Emeritus
School of Mathematics
Institute for Advanced Study
Eric Friedlander
Department Chair & Dean's Professor of Mathematics University of Southern California
Uri Treisman
Executive Director, Charles A. Dana Center University Distinguished Teaching Professor, Professor of Mathematics, and Professor of Public Affairs The University of Texas at Austin
Mark Green
Professor Emeritus & Distinguished Research Professor University of California - Los Angeles
Transforming Post-Secondary Education in Mathematics (TPSE) was founded in 2014 with a mission to effect constructive change across post-secondary education in mathematics by identifying challenges and working across institutional and organizational boundaries to find and disseminate solutions. The formation of TPSE was triggered by major changes in the field of mathematics itself, by demands on the field from other STEM and non-STEM departments, and by economic pressures and technological changes throughout higher education. Concerns with the demand for stronger quantitative skills of graduates in the workforce led to a gathering at Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) of a small group from the mathematics community, from higher education more broadly, and from outside mathematics. This meeting led directly to the formation of TPSE, which received initial funding from CCNY and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. The members of the initial action team are Phillip Griffiths, Uri Treisman, Eric Friedlander and Mark Green.
From information gathered at the regional meetings, TPSE identified a strong consensus in the mathematics community about how these pressing issues might be addressed, and in fact are being addressed by many leaders across the country. In planning for action, TPSE engaged the consulting firm Parthenon EY, which gathered and synthesized opinions and experiences of mathematicians, math educators, federal and state agencies, funders, and others involved with building the strength of post-secondary education in mathematics.
TPSE has created and convened a diverse and representative Mathematics Advisory Group (MAG) consisting of department chairs and several outside stakeholders. This core group is envisioned as a key action and communication partner, both advising TPSE on “grass roots” issues at the departmental level and receiving advice on potentially valuable models. The work of the MAG focuses on four priorities; Lower-Division Pathways, Upper-Division Pathways, Teaching Strategies & Practices and Graduate Education.
