Reaffirming Values (Michael Pearson, Executive Director, Mathematical Association of America), posted on MAA Connect on February 13, 2025

Colleagues,

The MAA's core values include community and inclusivity. Like many of our peer organizations, we have a code of conduct that articulates what our values are intended to accomplish. It states that "we must pursue collective effort to speak against attitudes and behavior that continue to harm less-privileged members of our profession and our society. To do less is to diminish ourselves and our profession."

We live in a diverse and pluralistic society. Many different philosophies and policy objectives exist in tension with one another. As I wrote in an earlier Math Values post, We Can't Ignore the Political, "the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) does not and will not take overtly partisan stances. But if our work is to remain relevant, we can't ignore the political context in which our profession exists. When mathematical models suggest, for example, that climate change will disrupt the lives of our fellow citizens, and that these disruptions are almost certain to disproportionately affect historically marginalized populations, that has political and moral implications that are complicated and uncomfortable to face."

The necessity of our work is clear. Many in our community feel both professionally and personally affected by efforts that seek to limit access to education, restrict academic freedom, or undermine the ability of students to pursue higher learning. Substantive changes to offices that oversee federal student financial aid are likely to hinder students' ability to afford their education. Attempts to dictate what can be taught in our classrooms contradict our commitment to free inquiry and critical thinking. As a professional association, we cannot remain silent.

Civil society, operating under long-established legal principles, has been central to establishing professional norms and standards and informing policy through consultation with elected officials. While we often hear of the co-equal branches of government, the stability of our democratic institutions also depends on the active participation of citizens. Professional associations like MAA play a crucial role in advocating for our disciplines and the communities we serve. The notion that any administration has the right to decide what is legal, and issue unilateral orders to force compliance, is antithetical to the rule of law. Major changes in policy need to be effected in accordance with the law and "in an orderly manner that respects the lives of affected individuals and the work they have been asked to perform," as the recent statement from the American Bar Association (ABA) rightly articulates.

MAA is not abandoning or backtracking on our principles. We remain steadfast in our commitment to empowering our community, recognizing that this is what we do every day through the people we engage with and support. It is imperative that we work alongside our peer organizations, amplifying our voices to ensure that we continue advancing mathematics and its impact on society. Through collective action, we can make meaningful change.

We are grateful to our members who contribute to this effort-who show up, support each other, and uphold the values that strengthen our profession and the broader society. MAA's mission remains critical for the future of our mathematical community and our world, and we will continue to uphold it with resolve.

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Michael Pearson
MAA Executive Director
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