A consortium of faculty at ten colleges and universities on Long Island, in conjunction with the State University of New York (SUNY) system, is designing a comprehensive, multi- faceted project to develop an environment for interconnected learning in mathematics courses and in mathematically based disciplines. The consortium is headquartered at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. The other consortium institutions are: C. W. Post College, Dowling College, Nassau Community College, New York Institute of Technology, St. Joseph's College, Suffolk Community College, SUNY Agricultural and Technology College at Farmingdale, SUNY College at Old Westbury, and CUNY-York College. The model for interconnected learning developed on Long Island is being extended to SUNY-wide implementation (64 institutions), and actively disseminated to other institutions inside and outside New York state. The enhanced learning environment has three components: (i) systemic change in instructional practices, (ii) creation of new courses and curricular materials, and (iii) development of human resources. The interconnections in this project involve: Collaboration and cooperation in instruction among faculty across quantitative disciplines; Regional interconnectivity of energized faculty at different types of institutions; and The enhanced effect of combining change in modes of instruction with curricular reform, educational technology, and coordination of instruction among departments. Major project activities include: * Changing modes of faculty instruction and student learning; * Day-to-day and general coordination of instruction across the curriculum; * Extensive use of educational technology across the curriculum; * Completing reform throughout the calculus sequence and undertaking reform before calculus; * Reworking all aspects of the curriculum for future mathematics teachers to reflect the needs of the NCTM Standards; * Developing new multidiscipl inary courses; * Addressing student needs in Advanced Technological Education programs such as engineering and science technology through the development of appropriate mathematics courses and other mathematically oriented materials; * Assisting groups that are underrepresented in quantitative disciplines; * Developing unified courses in statistics and other mathematical sciences topics now taught in multiple departments. This project for systemic change involves an extensive organizational structure with (I) departmental teams at each institution, (ii) institutional coordinating committees; (iii) Consortium-wide disciplinary committees; and (iv) task forces for specific projects such as development of new courses.
