Welcome Fall 2011

Opening Day Remarks
John Koker
Dean of the College of Lettters and Science

Sept. 6, 2011

So far 2011 has been an interesting year.  It is also a prime year. Seriously, the number 2011 is a prime number, that is, a number whose only factors are 1 and the number itself.  For example, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 11 are all prime numbers.

2011 is the eighth prime numbered year during my lifetime.  The previous prime year is 2003. 

The first one was 1973.  I was in 6th grade.  Math class seemed to center on long division – and I hated it. Only after major procrastination, would I start homework assignments.  On each and every problem, I would need to start I over; I was always erasing. While thinking, the eraser of my pencil was usually in my mouth. Thus, wet, gray smudges invaded my paper as I erased.  Furthermore, I usually had the eraser bitten off in a short time so that, as I continued to erase, holes caused by the sharp edge of metal eraser holder dotted my loose-leaf paper.  My final product was a dirty, Swiss-cheese-like sheet, with at most half of the problems finished or attempted.  It was a mess. I would usually get my paper back with the frowning pumpkin sticker affixed at the top, the one that included a line requiring a parent’s signature.  (I still do a pretty good imitation of my dad’s signature.)  I became a mathematician anyway, but all along have harbored a secret hatred of long division.

In 1997 – also a prime year – I was a faculty member in the math department here on campus.  My daughter, Maggie, was in sixth grade.  She came home one day and told me she wanted to be a mathematician.  I was so proud.  Then she added, “I really love long division.”

I will leave it as an exercise for you to determine the prime number year previous to my first prime year: 1973.  Hint: nothing was prime in the 60’s.  The next one is 2017, which makes 2011, what we mathematicians call, a sexy prime.  A sexy prime is a prime number that differs from another prime number by six. For example, the numbers 5 and 11 are both sexy primes, because they differ by 6.  So are 2011 and 2017.

There is a proof in Euclid’s Elements (ca 300BC) that there exists infinitely many primes.  But no one yet fully understands the distribution of the set of prime numbers among the entire set of whole numbers.  There are arbitrarily large sequences of consecutive numbers among which no primes appear.  Then, one, or some times a “bunch,” will appear.  (It’s rather sexy and exciting when a couple of primes appear close together).  In fact, Paul Erdos, arguably the most prominent and productive mathematician of the 20th century said, “God may not play dice with the universe, but something strange is going on with the prime numbers.”

So you see, while there are infinitely many prime years ahead, we need to take advantage of them as they arrive.

Prime, itself, is an interesting word.  It is a polysemous word.  It also can be a noun, verb or adjective.  I propose we use some of the various definitions of “prime” to guide our work during the 2011 academic year.

1.  Prime: (Adjective) – basic; fundamental: as in the prime axioms of his philosophy.
The College of Letters and Science must remain committed to providing a strong liberal arts education for its students while maintaining a supportive, collegial environment for faculty and staff.  This becomes particularly challenging when demands on faculty and staff change and expand as resources diminish.

Recently we reflected on past success and reexamined our core mission, which resulted in the creation of a strategic plan that will both guide and prepare us.  It will guide us as we move forward during tough times, and it will prepare us to react swiftly when improved fiscal health will again allow for growth and the development of programs and initiatives.

Through this extensive, collaborative process, we have identified key priorities and related strategic actions. We are committed to being initiators of constructive action that explicitly serves our identified priorities. Beginning now and continuing through the next several years, members of the College of Letters and Science should discuss these priorities and the recommended strategic actions listed throughout the plan.