CUNY Master Plan 2012-2016

THE CUNY MASTER PLAN 2012-2016
As mentioned earlier in this plan, in spring 2009, CUNY launched a grant program, Improving Undergraduate
Mathematics Learning (IML), to support research on undergraduate mathematics instruction.
Applicants were to test methods for increasing student success in mathematics. Ten faculty teams—27
faculty members from eight different CUNY campuses—were awarded grants ranging from $32,000 to
$86,000. The final reports have been posted on the Math Matters website and are being further disseminated
in conference presentations, CUNY publications, and peer-reviewed journals.
Another new initiative is the biannual conference for CUNY mathematics faculty hosted by the Office of
Academic Affairs, CUNY’s Mathematics Discipline Council, and the Center for Digital Education. These
conferences provide an opportunity to discuss, share, and disseminate best instructional practices in
undergraduate mathematics instruction at CUNY. This year the conference theme, “Effective Instructional
Strategies,” will be considered in the context of technology, curriculum, pedagogy, and faculty development.
Many colleges are finding success in the use of technology to aid mathematics instruction. At Baruch,
for example, the Mathematics Department has used technology to solve two problems: listening in class
and doing homework. Several faculty are using tablet PCs to project work on the board, which they then
post on Blackboard to enable students to write less and listen more. Faculty are also using online homework
programs that generate different problems for different students. The programs grade the homework
and report the grade to the instructor. Baruch gives regular workshops for faculty on the use of
technology and has begun experimenting with hybrid courses in pre-calculus. Faculty piloting these
courses have found their students active and engaged. CUNY will be looking for other ways to use technology
to enhance student success in mathematics, as well as to share the results of successful innovations.
In summary, during the period of this master plan, CUNY will continue to find ways to identify the most
promising practices and encourage their broader adoption across the University and across the country.
Additional Examples of CUNY-Wide Academic Initiatives
Several additional CUNY programs have successfully harnessed the power of an integrated system
through cross-college collaborations that increase student opportunity and more efficiently make use
of limited resources. These programs serve as examples of intra-university partnerships that utilize
CUNY’s scale to offer benefits not otherwise available to students. Going forward, the University will
continue to consider joint initiatives in order to maximize resources and enhance students’ academic
experience.
Dual-Joint Degree Programs
The colleges have continued to develop dual/joint degree programs. As Kingsborough Community
College states, “The strategy of developing joint degree programs [is] the ‘gold standard’ for successful
partnerships with CUNY senior colleges.” For example, Kingsborough offers four jointly registered programs
with Brooklyn (and is working on a fifth), two with John Jay, and is working on a joint program in
nursing with the College of Staten Island. Queensborough now has a joint program with Hunter in nursing,
as well as dual/joint degree programs with York in Pharmaceutical Science and Biotechnology.
BMCC is in the initial stages of developing a dual degree in nursing with Hunter, and another in liberal
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