Charter for the CSU Mathematics Council

Vision

The Mathematics Council of the California State University system strives to communicate the utility and the beauty of our subject to the broader public; to ensure that students from all backgrounds expand their mathematical abilities; and to demonstrate that mathematics advances careers and empowers citizens.

Mission

The Mathematics Council of the California State University (CSU) is the consortium representing all Departments of Mathematics and Statistics in the California State University System. It provides a forum for communication among the chairs of CSU Mathematics and Statistics Departments.

The mission of the Mathematics Council is to foster collaboration among the campuses and take a national leadership role on mathematics issues such as education, pedagogy, research, and careers.

The Mathematics Council enables CSU Mathematics and Statistics Departments to:

• Share information about mathematics education, hiring, and research at the CSU campuses.
• Ensure that mathematics education at CSU campuses is of high quality, that it respects the diverse life experiences of all students, and that it gives students an opportunity to flourish in varied careers.
• Determine standards for college level mathematics and quantitative reasoning in the CSU and maintain and update mathematics curriculum.
• Develop projects and resources that align mathematics degree programs with opportunities in graduate programs, industry, and government.
• Support faculty in mathematics and statistics by providing a community and an avenue for communication and collaboration.
• Foster collaborations in both teaching and research across the CSU system or in partnership with other California systems of education such as the University of California, the California Community Colleges System, and the public school systems.
• Affect statewide and national trends in mathematics by issuing resolutions.

The Mathematics Council will communicate its views with the CSU Chancellor’s Office, the Academic Senate of the CSU, professional organizations, and the public.

Membership

• The chair of each Department of Mathematics and Department of Statistics in the CSU is eligible to be a voting member of the Mathematics Council.
• The Secretary of the Mathematics Council shall invite all eligible department chairs to become members of the Mathematics Council. The membership becomes active upon acceptance by the chair. The invitation will be made at the beginning of each academic year, and to any newly appointed chair during the academic year.
• A Council member who cannot attend a Mathematics Council meeting may designate a department faculty member to attend instead.
• Additional CSU Mathematics or Statistics Department faculty members may be invited to participate in a Mathematics Council meeting. Formal invitations shall be made by the President of the Mathematics Council at the request of a Council member.
• Only Council members or their designees may vote on resolutions.

Meetings

• There is one Mathematics Council meeting each semester.
• The meetings generally alternate between Northern and Southern California, with the intent that each campus serve as host over the course of roughly 12 years.
• Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Board.
• The agenda for each Mathematics Council meeting is developed by the President and Vice President in consultation with the host campus.

Officers

The Math Council has an Executive Board consisting of the President, Vice President and Secretary. For each Math Council meeting there is one additional officer, the Host, who is a chair at the campus where the meeting will be held.

• President
  • Solicits topics for Mathematics Council meetings and communicates drafts of agendas for meetings with the members of the Mathematics Council.
  • Develops and finalizes the agenda for each Mathematics Council meeting in consultation with the Vice President.
  • Works with the Host to plan logistics for each meeting.
  • Presides over the Mathematics Council meeting.
  • Represents the Mathematics Council to the CSU Chancellor’s Office and other system-wide bodies.
  • Represents the Mathematics Council to the community, including professional, state, and national organizations.
• Vice President
  • Assists the President with the formulation of the agenda for a meeting.
  • Serves as Acting President in the President’s absence or departure from the office.
  • Maintains the speaker list and serves as process observer for meetings.
• Secretary
  • Maintains an up-to-date membership list and mailing list.
  • Ensures that minutes of Mathematics Council meetings are clearly formulated and recorded.
  • Collects data from each campus on a yearly basis.
  • Maintains a website for the Mathematics Council where the membership list, campus data, the minutes of Math Council meetings, text of resolutions, and other materials are posted in a timely manner.
  • Manages all voting except for the voting for officers.
• Host
  • A chair from the campus hosting a meeting works with the President to plan logistics for the meeting.

Election of Officers

• The President, Vice President, and Secretary shall serve terms of at most two years. An officer may serve consecutive terms.
• An Election Committee consisting of at least two members of the Mathematics Council shall be appointed by the Mathematics Council at the Fall meeting, and updated at the Spring meeting if necessary. Each candidate must be approved by a majority vote of those present at the meeting. Election Committee members may not run for an Executive Board position and shall serve until the Fall meeting.
• Any member of the Mathematics Council may nominate a candidate for office by contacting a member of the Election Committee. Self-nominations are acceptable. Each candidate shall identify the length of term that the candidate is planning to serve.
• Normally, candidates for office will be announced by July 31, and the election will be concluded no later than August 31. An election may also be called for any office, at any time, by request of at least ⅓ of the Mathematics Council members. In this case, or if an officer resigns, the Election Committee shall arrange for an election within one month.
• The Election Committee shall inform the members of the Mathematics Council about all nominees for each office and create an anonymous online ballot for all open positions.
• Officers are elected by a simple majority. If there are more than two candidates for an office, the Election Committee may choose a preferential voting method. For each office the elected candidate takes office immediately.

Action

• Minutes
  • The Secretary is responsible for recording minutes of Mathematics Council meetings and making them available for comment. After amendments are made, the minutes shall be submitted to an online vote of members (or their designees) in attendance at the meeting. A majority vote is necessary to approve the minutes.
• Procedure
  • A simple majority of members in attendance at a meeting is required for conduct of business and procedural decisions.
• Resolutions
  • The Mathematics Council may publish resolutions on issues and policies concerning mathematics education, research or careers. The vote on a resolution takes place at the Mathematics Council meeting, unless a majority of those present vote to postpone to an online ballot. If the vote is online, then arguments made at the Mathematics Council for and against the issue shall be circulated by the Secretary before the vote. Resolutions shall pass if they have the support of a ⅔ majority of the membership of the Mathematics Council.
• Amendment of the Charter
  • The CSU Mathematics Council Charter may be amended. A proposed amendment to the Mathematics Council Charter must be circulated at least one month prior to a Mathematics Council meeting, and ample time for discussion must be allocated at the meeting. The procedure for voting shall be the same as for passage of resolutions. An approved amendment takes effect immediately after passage.