Ken Schetter
Newport, TN
On Fri, 13 Sep 1996, Jack Rotman wrote:
> I have a question about ethics for you folks.
>
> In my role as a math coordinator, I have written a set of standard exams used
> in our math lab.
>
> My Dean has asked that I change an item on one form of a test, because
> it might be offensive.
>
> Here's the item: (with minor changes to the numbers)
> The life expectancy for whites in the US can be modeled by the
> expression 0.18t + 69, where t=0 is January 1950. The life
> expectancy for blacks can be modeled by 0.21t + 61. In what
> year will the life expectancy for whites and blacks be the
> same in the US?
> (If you are curious, the problem is based on data that I downloaded from
> the Census database on the Web.)
>
> What do you think? Is my Dean's request "censorship", which should be
> resisted? Or, is the request "just common sense", which I should follow?
>
> Thanks for any 'wisdom' you can pass along!
>
> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< from >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> Jack Rotman phone (517)483-1079
> Math Professor
> Lansing Community College Lansing, MI
> internet: ROTMAN@ALPHA.LANSING.CC.MI.US
> "Like all art & science, mathematics surrounds us."
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>