Numeracy and Society

In a May 2008 article in The Chronicle of Higher Education (“Math Skills for Nonmajors Don’t Add Up”), the President of the Association of American Colleges and Universities confirms that non-majors are not learning enough mathematics. The Task Force believes that General Education in mathematics for non-mathematics majors must be embedded in meaning and context, and driven by important societal questions and issues. We see an opportunity here to pursue this belief by taking a University-wide approach that combines our strengths in mathematics, philosophy, and policy studies.

It is paramount that all Boston University students receive an education in numeracy that will allow them to reason in a quantitative fashion and to make decisions in statistical, mathematical, and social science environments. Present-day examples can be used to understand the ethical and moral constructs that surround and pervade every set of numbers used in society today. Technology can be used to generate and analyze data, employing recently developed “knowledge engines” such as Wolfram|Alpha. By combining Boston University’s strengths in teaching mathematics, computer science, and philosophy, we can use today’s technology to enliven and make relevant the connections between numeracy and classical philosophy.

Recommendation for Numeracy and Society

We propose the creation of a University-wide course that addresses the complex relationships between numeracy, technology, public policy, and ethics, teaching our students how statistical data is gathered, processed, and used to make important decisions in culture, society, and government. Two models can leverage existing strengths at BU: 1) the creation of a math/numeracy program analogous to the Writing Program, and 2) a wider extension of the successful joint course MA/CS 109, “The Art and Science of Quantitative Reasoning,” which already satisfies divisional requirements.

Previous: The Arts, Sciences, and Concrete Outcomes | Next: Technology