_{by Melanie Moran}

The best-selling book The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century by Thomas L. Friedman and the issues it raises for Vanderbilt served as the basis for discussion during a recent Board of Trust meeting.

“Perhaps more than any book in recent memory, Friedman’s book has galvanized popular opinion about the need for every institution in society to be aware of, to be prepared for, and to be involved in the titanic changes that are coming to the very nature of competitiveness,” Michael Schoenfeld, vice chancellor for public affairs, told a joint meeting of the board committees on academic programs and public and government relations on Nov. 3. “I am able to report that Vanderbilt is in fact playing a very active and vital role in shaping national policy regarding these issues.”

In his book, Friedman argues that the world should be thought of as flat – by which he means connected – due to the lowering of trade and political barriers and technical and technological advances that have allowed instantaneous global commerce and communication. The book has sparked discussion and advocacy in Washington and elsewhere for increased federal funding of basic research and a much greater emphasis on math and science education to boost and sustain the United States’ ability to compete globally.

Despite this recognized need, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Government and Community Relations Jeff Vincent cautioned the board that federal funds for research are likely to decrease in the new fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.

“There are too many demands facing too few dollars in Congress today,” Vincent said, pointing out that most of Vanderbilt’s primary funding agencies expect to see budget reductions this fiscal year. “Even given this climate, Vanderbilt has been soaring. We are now in the very top tier of national universities for federal research funding. The question facing Vanderbilt and all other universities now is, how deep will the cuts be and how long will they last?”

Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development Camilla Benbow spoke to the board about Peabody College’s engagement in improving math and science teaching in K-12 classrooms and its relationship to improving U.S. competitiveness globally.

“We produce 70,000 engineers each year in the U.S., half of whom are foreign students who return to their home countries. In contrast, China is producing 500,000 engineers annually and India is producing 300,000,” she said. “We are losing math-talented kids in the U.S. at the junior high level. We have found that when we target these kids with accelerated math programs, they are twice as likely to go into science or technology in the future than their cohorts who did not take these classes.”

Professor of Science Education Richard Lehrer and Professor of Education Leona Schauble are working to engage these students at Rose Park Middle School in Nashville.

“Mathematics is a different way of thinking, and we must start early to reach these children,” Lehrer said. The techniques that he and Schauble use take strongly into consideration how children experience their environment and build complex math concepts upon those familiar experiences. They have been able to help improve the achievement levels of children previously labeled as “unteachable” to proficient, and even advanced, by recognizing the different strengths and learning styles of each child.

The board members also heard from John McCarthy, professor of German and chair of the Faculty Senate, about the senate’s goals for the year, which include faculty recruitment and retention, identifying new sources of funding and improving graduate education, among other topics. McCarthy also argued for a more in-depth discussion and understanding on campus of the true value and requirements of interdisciplinary collaboration.

“We all speak English, but that does not mean that we speak the same language,” he said. “Learning the ropes of a discipline allows you to travel abroad metaphorically and makes you a value-added member of society back home in your own discipline.”

_{Posted 11/14/05}