Initial Comments

This volume has its origins in a contributed papers session, “Innovative Methods in Courses Beyond Calculus,” held at Mathfest 2001. This session was organized to discuss the following question:

Presentations were made by faculty who are addressing this question by doing “something different” in these courses and having a good deal of success with what they are doing. At that time, it was suggested to me that some of the papers presented at that session, when combined with a number of solicited outside papers, might make a useful contribution to the MAA Notes series. The result is this volume, Innovative Approaches to Undergraduate Mathematics Courses Beyond Calculus, which contains a wide range of papers that encourage students to take an active role in the learning process and to stretch their learning to ideas and concepts not presented in the classroom.

There is a real need for material of the type contained in this volume, a need that is reinforced by the CBMS 2000 Survey. This survey indicates that the number of mathematics majors continues to decline, even though enrollments in Calculus I and II and in the standard second year courses are increasing. Furthermore, a growing number of students in the life and social sciences are seeking more mathematical training in connection with their own disciplines.