FTYCMAMirroring the tremendous growth in junior/community colleges in Florida, the organization was founded in 1965 as the Florida Junior College Council of Teachers of Mathematics (FJCCTM). The organization met each spring in association with the Florida Section of the Mathematics Association of America (MAA). Later, it also met in the fall along with the Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
For many years, the primary focus of the group was on articulation issues with the state universities. Our group then organized a mathematics textbook survey amongst all the public junior colleges and state universities in the state.
In the early 1980s, the organization re-emerged under the new and current name Florida Two Year College Mathematics Association (FTYCMA). The name was chosen for several reasons. The group did not want to be aligned with any one particular mathematics organization. They also wished to include all professionals interested in mathematics at the two year college level, not just teachers.
The group now represents the two year college mathematics community on state and national committees, and still hosts its annual meeting each spring jointly with the Florida Section of the MAA. Continuing to evolve, FTYCMA held its first fall retreat in 2002 focusing on the issues of developmental mathematics.
Unfortunately, much of the early history of the group has been lost over the years. If anyone has information about the organization prior to 1985, please forward this to the Historian.
Robert Shollar
Historian FTYCMA
State
College of Florida
RS