The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) mission is to provide high quality professional development, to build inclusive communities of scholars, and to collaborate with and advocate for all involved in mathematics education in the first two years of college.
Approved January 2023
The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) is committed to providing an atmosphere that encourages the free expression and exchange of ideas. AMATYC values diversity in its membership and leadership and believes that a welcoming and inclusive environment encourages input from individuals with a variety of backgrounds and results in a stronger, more relevant organization. It is the policy of the organization that all participants in AMATYC activities will enjoy an environment where their presence and contributions are met with unbiased and equitable consideration.
AMATYC is dedicated to the philosophy of equality of opportunity and treatment for all members, regardless of gender, gender identity or expression, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion or religious belief, age, marital status, sexual orientation or identification, disabilities, veteran status, or any other reason not related to scientific merit. The professional behavior and communication of AMATYC members should reflect an environment that is safe, respectful, and supportive of others.
The legal definition of harassment is "unwanted, unwelcomed and uninvited behavior that demeans, threatens or offends the victim and results in a hostile environment for the victim. Harassing behavior may include, but is not limited to, epithets, derogatory comments or slurs and lewd propositions, assault, impeding or blocking movement, offensive touching or any physical interference with normal work or movement, and visual insults, such as derogatory posters or cartoons". (Source: https://definitions.uslegal.com/h/harassment/, retrieved 8/20/2021) Harassment is a form of misconduct that undermines the integrity of our organization.
This policy applies to all attendees including members, students, guests, staff, contractors and exhibitors, participants in professional sessions, tours, and social events of any AMATYC meeting or other activity. Participation in AMATYC activities indicates an agreement to behave in a manner consistent with these standards.
In the unfortunate event that an individual(s) experiences a possible violation of this policy, the incident should be reported to: amatyccares@amatyc.org, or the AMATYC leader of the individual's choice.
As leaders of AMATYC we are saddened and outraged by the events that have transpired in our country. Our hearts are broken and we extend our deepest sympathies to the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery and others impacted by racial violence. We wish to affirm that the AMATYC community will not tolerate hate, racism, violence, or bias in any form.
Appallingly, these murders are an indicator of a much broader problem in our society. Often more subtle forms of injustices can be found in personal and institutional biases that exist in our country. We see it play out in the lives of our students of color everyday. The black community experiences a higher rate of incarcerations, traffic stops, indictments, poverty, underlying health conditions, as well as lower rates of college degree completion and home ownership.
According to the American Association of Community Colleges, 42% of all Black undergraduate students are enrolled at community colleges. Thus, two-year college educators play an important role in addressing historical inequities. As faculty in the first two years of college we are typically focused on helping our students achieve their academic goals. In order to help our students move forward, we need to acknowledge disparities in outcomes for students of color and other marginalized groups and provide a welcoming, equitable, and inclusive learning environment (AMATYC IMPACT, 2018, p. 56). We, as a community, must be diligent in attending to equity and inclusion in all of our interactions with students and members of our community.
AMATYC is committed to the retention and recruitment of underrepresented minorities among our membership, our organization's leadership, and in our profession. We advocate for the mathematics and statistics education for all students, including students of color. Our Equity Committee has been working to help us advance our efforts on equity and inclusion by updating our position statement on equity. More recently, resources to help faculty recognize racism and work towards teaching with an anti-racism approach were shared by the chair of AMATYC's Equity Committee on my.AMATYC.org, including 75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice.
Furthermore, we add our voices to those of our partner organizations including
MAA, NCTM, NCSM, AWM, NAM, AMTE, TODOS, and the other national mathematics organizations. Collectively and collaboratively we will work together to promote the mathematical tools and practices that students will need to investigate, elucidate, and eradicate social inequities.
Remember, as a faculty member in the first two years of college, you have the ability to enact meaningful change for a more unified and prosperous future. To all of our colleagues of color, students of color, and to all those hurting right now, we see you, we hear you, and we stand in solidarity with you.
Kathryn Kozak - President
Jim Ham - Past President
Laura Watkins - President-Elect
Anne Dudley - Executive Director
Recent tragic events remind us of the existence of anti-Asian sentiments in our society. Our Asian, Asian-American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) friends, family, colleagues, and students are too often falsely blamed for the COVID pandemic, told to "go home to their own country" (despite this being their country), physically assaulted while walking in their neighborhood, experienced vandalism of their property, or worse. This type of hate has no place in our classrooms, in our communities, or in our society.
The American Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) recognizes the reality of prejudice and racism. AMATYC stands against bullying or violence against AAPI members of our communities who are marginalized or subjected to hate. AMATYC is committed to working for equality and acceptance of all, both within the organization and in our institutions and communities. AMATYC strives to ensure that all members of AMATYC and participants in AMATYC activities will enjoy a welcoming and inclusive environment free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.
AMATYC joins others in the mathematics community in the commitment to work together to stop all forms of racism and discrimination, to build safe spaces for all, and to stand in solidarity with our AAPI community.
Kathryn Kozak - President
Jim Ham - Past President
Laura Watkins - President-Elect
Anne Dudley - Executive Director
