Mathematics Faculty Win 2015 Innovation of the Year Award

The Innovation of the Year Award Committee has selected James Willis and Kinga Oliver, faculty from the Mathematics Department, as the 2015 recipients for their innovative project, "Mathematical Pathway to Success for Arts Majors."

Project Description:

The challenge facing our institution, and most community colleges across the nation, is the large number of students placing into developmental mathematics and not able to complete a degree. Sinclair Community College is a leading institution in the national effort to create a new, two-semester path for non-STEM majors, which takes students to-and-through a college-level math course in one academic year. The goal of this program is to address this challenge while continuing to deliver a high level of student learning.

Working with other colleges in a Networked Improvement Collaboratory (sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching), Professors Willis and Oliver reviewed and assisted in the development of the 65 lessons that make up the Quantitative Literacy pathway.  These lessons highlight several contextual themes integrated throughout the pathway: Social, Citizenship, Medical Literacy and Health Risk, Environment, and Finance. Each of the themes is investigated using real world, application-driven problems.  The purpose of the chosen themes is to build community awareness of the issues of the day, together with the ability to critically assess quantitative facts used in the presentation of such issues.

This is the 26th year Sinclair has participated in the League for Innovation's Innovation of the Year Award--a testament to our faculty and staff's constant drive to explore and improve our processes and procedures with goal of student success.  Congratulations!