FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 1, 2018

For More Information:
Glenville State College
Public Relations Department
(304) 462-4115

GLENVILLE, WV - Earlier this spring, Glenville State College hosted members of the West Virginia chapter of the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (WVMATYC) for their annual conference. WVMATYC is made up of people who are interested in teaching mathematics, especially the courses usually taken in the first two years of college which typically include developmental courses through calculus. The West Virginia Chapter was founded in May 1996 by college faculty throughout the state and follows the mission, 'to be a leading voice and resource for excellence in mathematics education in the first two years of college.'

The conference opened with a welcome by GSC Department of Science and Mathematics Chair Dr. Sara Sawyer followed by an icebreaker activity conducted by GSC Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education Joseph Wood. WVMATYC Secretary Michael Anderson (West Virginia State University) conducted the group's annual business meeting and new officers were elected. The morning session concluded with a panel discussion by the West Virginia Higher Education Math Task Force.

Marshall University Mathematics Professor Karen Mitchell began the afternoon session with the keynote address 'Our Student; Their Issues; Our Solutions.' Following the address, Dr. Keri Ferro (West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission) presented on a system-wide perspective on changes in mathematics courses for the transition from high school to college. Dr. Fred Walborn (Glenville State College) shared the work of the GSC Collaborative Project and their findings that show taking and passing developmental math (or its equivalent) is a critical variable for passing future classes in other academic disciplines. Vicki Sealey (West Virginia University) lead the final presentation entitled 'The use of Active Learning in First-Semester Calculus;' she shared the importance of using active learning strategies in the classroom and how they can be incredibly effective in promoting student learning and retention of mathematics.

"The idea for Glenville State to host this year's conference grew out of a comment by our former department chair at a Complete College America meeting on Co-requisite Mathematics in Charleston, West Virginia in 2017. He suggested that GSC might host the WVMATYC Conference in order to gain perspective on what the community and technical colleges were doing with co-requisite mathematics classes. I think that the Conference did bring together many mathematics teachers from the first two years of college who may not have interacted with each other before and was successful in widening perspectives. I wish to thank the presenters who responded to my requests for presentations and I wish to acknowledge the advice, support, and contributions of my faculty colleagues Larry Baker, Wenwen Du, Avan McHenry, Sara Sawyer, Fred Walborn, and Joseph Wood, of the following GSC staff members Debra Nagy, Kay Peters, and Debbie Starcher-Johnson, and of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Chi Beta Phi and especially Ryan Mizia, Mark Sanson, Hilari Sprouse, and Marquis Walker. Without them, the Conference would not have been possible," said conference organizer and GSC Associate Professor of Mathematics Paul Peck.

To view a complete overview of the conference, visit the WVMATYC website by clicking here or contact Peck at Paul.Peck@glenville.edu or (304) 462-6309.