The Ross Program, HCSSiM, and ProMYS

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The Ross Program, HCSSiM, and ProMYS

• ???? Tom Roby
• Dept. of Math Comp. Sci.
• California State University
• Hayward, CA
• (near San Francisco)
• http//seki.csuhayward.edu

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Outline

• My Background
• The (Arnold) Ross Program
• ProMYS at Boston University
• Hampshire College SSiM
• Compare Contrast

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My Background

• Participated in Ross program in 1979-80.
• Head Counselor at Ross 1981-83
• Senior Staff at HCSSiM 1987-88
• Founding Head Counselor at ProMYS 1989-90
• Recitation Instructor at ProMYS 1990-91
• Returned to ProMYS in 2000 to work with HS
  students and inservice teachers.
• Directed large professional development program
  (ACCLAIM) for K-12 public school teachers
  2000-03 Over 1000 served in 2-3 week institutes.
  About 350 served in Summer 2004 on district
  funding.

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Arnold Ross (1906-2002)
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The Ross Program

• Began in Notre Dame in 1957-63
• Ohio State 1964-74 1979-present
• University of Chicago 1975-79 (Sally, et. al)
• 8-week residential summer program
• Multilevel many return, some as counselors
• Basis of 1st year program are brilliant
  collection of exploratory problem sets created
  and refined by Ross over decades.
• Lectures are very open ended, ex post facto

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Ross Program 2

• Students encouraged to work together
• One midterm and final, scores private
• Counselors play a key role in marking problem
  sets, giving hints, encouraging, serving as roles
  models
• Counselors and advanced participants have wide
  variety of unusual courses

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Ross Program 3

• Ross heavily influenced by S.O. Shatunovsky in
  Odessa and
• E. H. Moore at Chicago
• Large amount of funding from NSF (SSTP, Young
  Scholars) in earlier years
• Much harder nowadays, but AMS Epsilon fund and
  Clay Foundation have been helpful

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Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists
(ProMYS) at Boston U.

• Founded by Glenn Stevens and David Fried, both
  former counselors at Ross
• Modeled closely on the Ross Program, but only 6
  weeks long
• Same problem sets for first-years
• Difficulties of getting started.
• 1989-present

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Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics
(HCSSiM)

• Founded and run by (David) Kelly
• 4-hour morning classes (834-1234)
• 3-hour problem sessions (1917-2217)
• No exams or grades, but students write
  self-evaluations and faculty write evaluations of
  students
• Inclusive, fun, relaxed atmosphere
• Kelly will tell you more

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Comparison with Contests

• Provide much needed peer group support
• Provide much needed challenge
• Bring students into mathematics
• Help students with problem solving

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Contrast with Contests

• Competitive aspect is de-emphasized
• Go deeper into mathematical topics
• Allow more time for exploration
• Help bridge the gap from solving 5 (sec, min, hr)
  problems to doing research
• Encourage collaboration (cf. joint authorship)
• Please encourage your students to come!
• But please explain how this will be different.

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Perennial Issues

• Diversity Insuring that we draw talent from all
  sectors of the community
• Handling charges of Elitism
• Being misunderstood
• Funding
• Public Relations Can we collaborate?

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References

• Google arnold ross
• Google promys
• Google hcssim
• Google tom roby
• http//www.ams.org/outreach/mathcamps.html