The recent focus in the mathematical community on calculus and the development of the NCTM Standards for K-12 teachers is providing a framework to consider mathematics courses taught at two-year colleges and lower division mathematics courses taught at other institutions of higher education in this country. These courses are important elements in continuum and pipeline issues, as well as general mathematical needs of students not continuing in mathematically oriented fields of studies. The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) is undertaking a leadership role in designing a framework for systemic reform of college mathematics in the curriculum leading to calculus. The first stage is a meeting of an AMATYC National Steering Committee consisting of leaders of AMATYC, MAA, and NCTM as well as others actively involved in the development of innovative mathematics curricula and Standards . In the second stage a small invited conference of a National Task Force is being held to establish guidelines for the development of a set of Standards for two-year college and lower division mathematics and to formulate a plan to build consensus for mathematics reform among two-year college and university constituencies.
