Interview with Steven Bauman

Partial Transcript: Alright, so I sent you some topics and some possible other topics. There's some things you're going to want to add...

Segment Synopsis: Not an eager student of mathematics. Grew up in NYC and went to CCNY. Graduated with joint major in psychology and mathematics. No real thought about graduate school. Had to do something and didn't want to go into workforce, so SB went back to school at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1956. Got in without trouble. UIUC was a culture shock for someone who grew up in New York. Process for receiving TAship was informal at that time. Got teaching position during first year.

Keywords: City College of New York (CCNY); Cold War; New York City; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); graduate school; mathematics; teaching assistant (TA)

Partial Transcript: And it was easy sledding, because, again, there was a great demand for math people.

Segment Synopsis: SB was not what he considered a dedicated graduate student. In second year, Bauman was converted to seriousness by an impressive professor, Michio Suzuki. Attributes lack of seriousness to the ease of securing a job in tech/science/R&D. Finished PhD in 1962. Area of expertise was Finite Groups.

Keywords: Cold War; Michio Suzuki; PhD; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); doctorate; government contract; graduate school; job recruiters; marriage; mathematics

Partial Transcript: So then it became time to get a job, but I was still--- I would say I was not-- My thesis was okay, it wasn't great.

Segment Synopsis: Then it became time to find a job. Suzuki was unfamiliar with American system and couldn't full support SB. Bauman taken under wing by one of the senior algebraists, Irv Reiner, who told him to apply to top programs. Received multiple offers and took a two-year instructorship at Princeton. Reflects briefly on time at Princeton--not especially happy but overall it was good.

Keywords: Irv Reiner; Michio Suzuki; Princeton University; academic job market; instructorship

Partial Transcript: And the question is now, "What do I do?" and I'll get down to why I got to Wisconsin.

Segment Synopsis: Why Wisconsin? Another student of Reiner's, Larry Levy, was at UW and he told SB to come to UW. Got jobs in AZ and UW and took the UW job in 1964.

Keywords: Irv Reiner; Larry Levy; UW-Madison

Partial Transcript: So I want to back up a little bit, actually back up quite a bit.

Segment Synopsis: SB had always been reasonably good at math, but he remembers a moment in a 7th or 8th grade geometry class in which he was the only student who knew an answer. Got into Bronx High School of Science but didn't go. Wanted to be with his friends, a wish honored by his parents. Later, SB was disappointed they didn't make him go. Good mathematicians at CCNY, even though it wasn't a big publishing school.

Keywords: Bronx High School of Science; City College of New York (CCNY); mathematics

Partial Transcript: You said that your friend was going to University of Illinois in Labor Relations--

Segment Synopsis: Discusses friend and family labor affiliations. Father was a garment worker and member of ILGWU. No serious involvement. While at CCNY SB would go listen to Norman Thomas speak. Politically SB always had leftist or at least socialist leanings. Only minorly influenced by Red Scare. Recalls when Bertrand Russell's lectureship at CCNY was cancelled. Influenced by social psychologist, Kenneth Clark, with whom he took a class at CCNY. Talks about Clark returning to class after being in front of the Supreme Court. More interested in racial justice than class politics. Joined NAACP.

Keywords: Bertrand Russell; Brown v BOE; City College of New York; International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU); Kenneth Clark; NAACP; Norman Thomas; garment workers union; labor relations; labor union; red scare; social psychology; socialist

Partial Transcript: So you got to Illinois, and you became a TA. So being a TA in Illinois at that time, does that mean you actually were teaching?

Segment Synopsis: Went to Illinois, where he was a TA. An awful experience in which no one told him what to do. Just copied out of the book. Developed a love for teaching in spite of first year difficulties.

Keywords: teaching assistant

Partial Transcript: I'm interested, too, in the transition from New York City to Champaign-Urbana.

Segment Synopsis: Tough transition from NYC to Champaign Urbana. Culture shock. Went with a good friend from grade school with whom he roomed. SB and friend, John Takerian, were asked by boarding house owner if they went to church. Begrudgingly lets them stay when she finds out they don't and that SB is Jewish. Recalls still seeing signs for White only water fountains in 1956.

Keywords: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); antisemitism; boarding house; segregation

Partial Transcript: What was it-- You talked a little bit about it, but I wonder if you can elaborate a little bit about it...

Segment Synopsis: SB recalls the influence of a Suzuki course in linear algebra. Suzuki was very much in control of his material, in spite of difficulties with speaking English. Highly intuitive and nice. Not a good expositor though.

Keywords: Michio Suzuki; graduate school; linear algebra; mathematics; university teaching

Partial Transcript: When you got to Princeton, did you know it was just a two-year--

Segment Synopsis: Two years at Princeton. A little overwhelming for SB. Discusses how hard it was on both young faculty and students. Thinks some students who dropped out of Princeton might have been more successful in more structured programs.

Keywords: Princeton University; UW-Madison; graduate school; university teaching

Partial Transcript: So you came here in '64, in a professor position... SB: Yes. Assistant Professor.

Segment Synopsis: Came to UW in 1964 as an assistant professor. At UW teachers are immediately put into administrative positions, on committees, etc. Something that didn't happen at Princeton. Taught everything to start, advanced calculus, modern algebra. Much better teaching at UW. Taught big lectures fairly early on. Talks about intense hiring periods in early sixties in response to growing engineering programs. Increasing numbers of lectures are an economic response to this reality. Couldn't get enough senior faculty.

Keywords: Princeton University; UW-Madison; academic administration; academic job market; assistant professorship; department committees; engineering school; mathematics; university teaching

Partial Transcript: So at that point-- I don't remember my history. At that point, where was math housed?

Segment Synopsis: Talks about the Math Department's move before his first year from North Hall to Van Vleck Hall.

Keywords: Department of Mathematics; North Hall; Van Vleck Hall; lecture hall

Partial Transcript: So as you get here in '64 and through the '60s, you see the rise of the Vietnam conflict, Vietnam War.

Segment Synopsis: Vietnam-Era campus politics ~1965-73. An interesting time but not a period of great happiness. Believes much started with undergraduate students and draft resistance. Remembers the DOW demonstration. More going on in the era than just Vietnam War. SB's wife was an undergraduate in 1962. He recalls her women's dorm being locked at night during the context of the sexual revolution. Hippie movement and new music. Beginnings of TAA, Black Studies, Women's Studies. These things reinforced each other. Anti-War movement was focal point, but it was not the only issue of the time. Bi-Modal split in department based more on age than politics.

Keywords: 1960s music; Black Studies; DOW riots; Department of Mathematics; TAA; Teaching Assistants Association; The War at Home (film); Vietnam War; Women's Studies; campus protest; cultural revolution; labor movement; military draft; sexual revolution; women's dorms

Partial Transcript: So I know one of the things you wanted to talk about, that I actually wanted to talk about too...

Segment Synopsis: Became the focus of the anti-war movement on campus. SB calls it "An open symbol" of government's involvement. Led to terrible split in department. Older colleagues believed protest/politics was not what University was a bout, but MRC was always counterpoint, as it was doing war work. Constantly brought up during demonstrations. Same thing happened with DOW demonstrations. Director actually lied to department, saying no classified work was being done in department. SB was not part of MRC, although other anti-war professors were.

Keywords: DOW protests; DOW riots; Department of Mathematics; Mathematics Research Center (MRC); US army; Vietnam War; anti-war movement; campus politics; campus protests

Partial Transcript: So maybe before we-- 'cause I'd like to ask about the TAA and the strike...

Segment Synopsis: Discusses Sterling Hall bombing and relationship to MRC. SB was in Madison when bombing happened. Blast actually woke him up. His office was wrecked.

Keywords: Bombing of Sterling Hall; Mathematics Research Center (MRC); Van Vleck Hall; Vietnam War; anti-war movement; campus protests

Partial Transcript: So let's go back to the-- Because the TAA strike was the spring before that. How did that effect you?

Segment Synopsis: TAA strike. First was the worst strike, as they were trying to fight for their right to be recognized as a union. No enabling legislation at the time for public unions. First strike was not so much about bread-and-butter issues, but instead about things like shared planning for dept. Different responses in different departments. SB was not particularly active in the faculty union at the time.

Keywords: Department of English; Department of Mathematics; TAA Strike; Teaching Assistants Association (TAA); educational planning; labor issues; labor union; public sector union; shared governance

Partial Transcript: So the one other things I'd like to ask about in this time period is the path to tenure.

Segment Synopsis: SB got tenure a few years later than he should have as his publishing was slow. He was a good classroom teacher though. Believes he would not get tenure in today's academy, perhaps not even ten years after when he was awarded it in ~1969. Got into trouble during Vietnam for letting a student make a political statement before class. SB was fined $100 and wrote a long letter in response. In spite of charged political climate, SB does not recall a single faculty member or graduate student in the Math department losing their place in the University over politics. Not true in other departments, like English, where many young professors were sacked.

Keywords: Department of English; Department of Mathematics; Teaching Assistants Association (TAA); Vietnam War; academic publishing; anti-war movement; campus politics; degree requirements; faculty discipline; tenure; writing requirements

Partial Transcript: Steve, is there anything else-- I know we have some notes down.

Partial Transcript: Alright, today is May 4th, 2016.

Partial Transcript: There is one thing I wanted to mention about last time.

Segment Synopsis: Recalls name of psychologist mentioned in first session, Kenneth Clark, who spoke in front of SCOTUS during Brown v. Board. Also indicates first session criticism of English department was probably based largely on conversations he had with teaching assistants at the time.

Keywords: Brown v. BOE; Department of English; Kenneth Clark; SCOTUS; Supreme Court; TA strike; Teaching Assistants Association (TAA)

Partial Transcript: I want to start then with your time in Spelman. So let's start with the first question...

Segment Synopsis: Time at Spelman. For a long time SB was on the graduate admissions committee. UW always had problems recruiting African American graduate students, especially women. Chancellor Shalala had ties to Spelman and asked SB if he would like to go teach at Spelman on exchange for a year. Lived in a dormitory with 250 African American women. Next door neighbor happened to be Kenneth Clark. Learned a lot, including about dorm life. Not particularly successful recruiting African American graduate students. SB believes the rigidity of his department was part of the reason. Department was dogmatic about GRE scores, and as such were loathe to afford four-year ta-ships to groups who underperformed on the exam. SB lobbied to get people admitted to master's program instead, but department was still hesitant. Master's program was not very robust at the time.

Keywords: African American graduate students; African American women; Chancellor Donna Shalala; Chancellor Johnnetta Cole; Department of Mathematics; Etta Falconer; GRE; Kenneth Clark; Putnam Competition; Spelman College; WOC; dormitories; graduate admissions committee; graduate student recruiting; honorary degree; masters program; teaching assistantship; visiting professorship

Partial Transcript: So then, as you said before we turned on the recorder, it was your time at Spelman...

Segment Synopsis: Struck by ethos of sisterhood in Spelman dormitory. Became interested in student residential communities. At the time learning communities were a hot issue. One was set up at UW, and SB was asked to serve on the committee. He name other members. Bradley Learning Community was the result. Faculty members of committee became fellows. SB believes the process took 2-3 years because of the number of students, staff, and faculty involved. Caused them to rehash what the goals of the community were.

Keywords: Bradley Learning Community; Spelman College; community building; dormitories; faculty senate; residence halls; residential learning communities; university housing

Partial Transcript: So then once it opened, you're a fellow. What does that mean?

Segment Synopsis: SB explains what work as a faculty fellow for the BLC was like. One of the first tasks was to organize formal dinners so that students could dine together. Broken into groups that were then paired with faculty fellow. One key difficulty was building the academic experience into the process. SB felt fortunate in that he was able to do so. Had an office in Bradley, which helped in the process.

Keywords: Bradley Learning Community (BLC); Carson Gulley; Department of Mathematics; faculty advisor; faculty fellow; formal dinner; office hours; teaching assistants; university teaching

Partial Transcript: So you mentioned when you first started this section that it evolved over time.

Segment Synopsis: BLC evolved over time. Eventually turnover among fellows began to be an issue. SB thinks this may be because the professional res hall staff became more influential. Was a fellow until his retirement. Still does work running news group at Bradley.

Keywords: Aaron Brower; Bradley Learning Community; Joe Elder; Susan Brantly; faculty fellow; residence halls; university housing

Partial Transcript: So I'm going to ask one more question about this. You've been involved in this off and on for almost a quarter century...

Segment Synopsis: Lessons learned from Bradley experience. SB enjoys students. Discusses his extensive family involvement with higher education, especially UW. Learned more about students in the three years at Bradley than he did in his teaching. Discusses the growth experience of Freshman students as a right of passage. Saw same fears in all the journals of Freshman students. SB thinks it's not because freshman want to play or waste time, but rather they are going through an important process of growth. Noticed the commonality of major changes between weeks 8 and 10.

Keywords: Bradley Learning Community; dormitories; first-year students; freshmen; residence halls; rites of passage; university teaching

Partial Transcript: So there were a couple other things that you mentioned that you wanted to talk about.

Segment Synopsis: SB discusses foreign teaching assistants. He became supervisor of all TAs in 1974. Talks about Irving Shain, who made trips to China to advertise UW. Results in an enormous number of Chinese students. Discusses context out of which Chinese students came. Language was a problem. Tension in the University over the issue. SB tried to figure out a way to train them in the language but also provide them with work. Developed a program to have students work with faculty during the Summer.

Keywords: American Mathematical Society (AMS); Chancellor Irving Shain; Chinese students; Chinese universities; Department of Mathematics; ESL students; TA orientation; TA training; TOEFL; Teaching assistants; foreign students; office hours; tutoring; university recruiting

Partial Transcript: Do you have a-- that would sort of put you on the spot, but do you have a 'for example' of somebody who went through the summer...

Segment Synopsis: Gives examples of students who blossomed in the program. Many of the first group came with the intention of learning mathematics as well as how to run Universities. Many students ended up staying in the U.S. Many became good teaching assistants through the program. Had to talk to the state legislature a few times to deal with complaints. Discusses student complaints, which were mostly worked through with ease. State legislature had more problems, even going so far as to propose a ban.

Keywords: Chinese students; Chinese universities; Department of Mathematics; ESL students; Higher Education Committee; TA orientation; TA training; Teaching assistants; Wisconsin State Legislature; student complaints; university administration

Partial Transcript: Alright, so one more thing for this time, and it was the other thing you wanted to talk about.

Segment Synopsis: SB discusses quantitative assessment. Inherited project from Tom Kurtz during era for accountability for public universities. Governor and administrators made a pledge to asses university performance generally and quantitative skill of emerging juniors specifically. Assessment work dropped on faculty, which put them in a difficult position. Mostly evaluated courses which used mathematics. Checked out prerequisites for courses and studied exams/homework. Then SB works with professors to design tests that evaluated students skills in their respective courses. Evaluations led to developing a quantitative reasoning requirement.

Keywords: School of Journalism; Tom Kurtz; Wisconsin State Legislature; degree requirements; mathematics; quantitative reasoning; quantitative skills; skills assessment; standardized testing

Partial Transcript: Well Steve, I think that's where I want to start next time.

Partial Transcript: Okay, today is May 11, 2016.

Partial Transcript: Before we turned on the recorder, you said there was a big chunk of Bradley that you wanted to talk about.

Segment Synopsis: Discusses the Bradley Learning Community further. Other learning communities on campus. Models based on freshman experience had predominated. Names faculty members from interdisciplinary backgrounds which represent their own type of learning community. SB chosen for teaching experience and knowledge of calculus. Early mechanism for getting coursework into Bradley is a one-credit pass/fail course. Describes programs relationship with Meiklejohn College. SB used one-credit course to determine what students wanted. Discusses group activity in which students are asked to estimate chocolate chip consumption in the US. Integrated learning.

Keywords: Alexander Meikeljohn; Bob March; Bradley Learning Community; Department of Mathematics; Evelyn Howell; Global Cultures Learning Community; Institute for Environmental Studies (IES); Integrated Liberal Studies (ILS); Meiklejohn College; Michael Hinden; faculty fellows; first-year students; freshmen experience; integrated learning; learning communities

Partial Transcript: So when we left off last, you were telling-- you were talking about quantitative reasoning...

Segment Synopsis: Talks more about the relationship between the quantitative evaluations he performed and the evolution of the quantitative reasoning requirement. Gap in understanding was most pronounced in non-math majors like journalism. Through the evaluation process SB discovered math-avoiders. Revealed endemic problems among students who were deficient in QR.

Keywords: College of Engineering; School of Journalism; degree requirements; numeracy; quantitative assessment; quantitative reasoning

Partial Transcript: Well, I want to ask you one more question before we move to the labor stuff, and you eluded to it.

Segment Synopsis: SB discusses his awards. Kiekhofer teaching award. College teacher of the year from Wisconsin Mathematical Society. TA program put up for Regent's award, but it did not win.

Keywords: Kiekhofer Teaching Award; Wisconsin Mathematical Society; teaching awards

Partial Transcript: When Joe Salmons and Joe Elder emailed me - whenever it was - one of the things they said that I needed to ask you about...

Segment Synopsis: SB's relationship with organized labor on campus. Local chapter of AFT formed in the 1930s. Small group, but they had a formal presence on campus. Not particularly active. Believes the AAUP may have had a presence. Faculty in 50s hit with loyalty oaths. Union came from anti-war movement in 1960s. Faculty organization formed, United Faculty. Had about 400 members. Had no formal union affiliation. UF served to build faculty solidarity while not dealing with collective bargaining. In the 1970s, organizers began to look at colleges as places to organize. AFT began to court UF at this time. Many people in UF were not interested. Eventually the union certification happens, and UF becomes AFT local 223. Almost 3/4 of members leave immediately.

Keywords: American Association of University Professors (AAUP); American Federation of Teachers (AFT); DOW protests; Ed Young; Helen C. White; McCarthy era; Mike Bleicher; United Faculty; Vietnam war; academic staff; anti-war movement; collective bargaining; faculty discipline; labor relations; teachers union; tenure

Partial Transcript: I can give you only my opinions on these things.

Segment Synopsis: SB offers perspective on the possible reasons for recruitment difficulties faced by UF. Faculty had relatively minimal desire to bargain collectively. SB attributes this to quality of individualism among highly-skilled faculty. A second reason is the power of established faculty and the political differences between them and younger faculty members. Faculty, administrators, regents, and legislators committed to the traditions of the university and were resistant to change. This eventually began to change, due to things like government grants, resulting in a more competitive market mentality among faculty members.

Keywords: Department of Mathematics; Ed Young; Governor Patrick Lucey; Governor Warren Knowles; Har Gobind Khorana; Irving Shain; United Faculty; Wisconsin State Legislature; Wisconsin governor; board of regents; collective bargaining; faculty; grant funding; salary; teachers union; university administration

Partial Transcript: Then what happened-- We got some bad economic downturns.

Segment Synopsis: Talks about economic downturn and the later-Lucey governorship. Politicization of the board of regents. The pressures of public accountability crept in throughout the 80s and 90s. Caused creeping pro-union sentiment. Other (non-Madison) UW campuses more interested in unionization. No enabling legislation allowing bargaining at the University. TAA struck, for example, to secure its recognition. The absence of enabling legislation removed some protections for TAA. Periodically University would break the contract, TAA would strike, and judges would rule that they could not intervene. Cannot sue state in federal court without bargaining bill. Eventually bill passes, although governor later rescinds bargaining. Believes overall UW-Madison is opposed unionization out of fear that it would interfere with meritocracy. Discusses need for strong faculty voice, separate from administration and regents. Believes UW system faculty are starting to see this, evidenced by no confidence votes being issued now. Gives example of faculty suing chancellor for unilaterally making pay changes.

Keywords: American Association of University Professors (AAUP); Carin Clauss; Chancellor Ed Young; Chancellor Rebecca Blank; Governor Anthony Earl; Governor Patrick Lucey; Governor Tommy Thompson; June Weisberger; PROFS; Teaching Assistants Association (TAA); United Faculty; United Faculty and Academic Staff (UFAS); Wisconsin Federation of Teachers (WFT); Wisconsin State Legislature; board of regents; collective bargaining; faculty senate; labor union; no confidence; public sector unions; shared governance; tenure

Partial Transcript: So is there anything else you have written down you want to say about your involvement with labor?

Segment Synopsis: SB discusses his personal involvement. Talks about Wisconsin University Union. In late 80s or early 90s tensions rose in AFT in Madison. Group of UF members opposed the significant dues required by AFT. Members left and founded WUU. Organization has existed since. SB conceives of WUU as holding tank for AFT. WUU is mostly interested in protecting due process and shared governance. SB did a lot of grievance work both for the union and for WUU.

Keywords: American Federation of Teachers (AFT); Joe Elder; Joe Salmons; Land Tenure Center; United Faculty; Wisconsin Federation of Teachers (WFT); Wisconsin University Union (WUU); collective bargaining; due process; grievance; ombuds office; shared governance; union dues

Partial Transcript: We don't know who will listen to this and when, I wonder if you'd talk a little bit more about the ombuds.

Segment Synopsis: Worked as ombudsman out of Provost's office after retirement. Started out of the Provost's office. One position, broken four ways. Retired faculty and academic staff. Position required neutrality, and that neutrality is the source of the ombudsman's power. Similar problems to grievance work. Did not see students.

Keywords: Ombuds Office; Provost; Roger Howard; academic staff; faculty; grievances; labor relations; post-doctorate

Partial Transcript: Steve, I have just a couple more things. The first is why retire when you did?

Segment Synopsis: SB retired when he felt it was time. Caused by various forces. Unavoidable interactions with a particular chair. Language program was scrapped. Other internal political issues made it time.

Keywords: Chinese students; Department of Mathematics; ESL student; TA training; retirement

Partial Transcript: Another thing I wanted to ask, I should have asked it before "Why Retire"...

Segment Synopsis: Talks about due process and the times he was in trouble. The first was when he let the student speak in front of class on political issues and the other time when SB taught a class off campus during a strike. Discusses meeting with Dean Cronon about loyalty. Received letter of reprimand. Continued conversation with Irv Shain. SB resisted, indicating he would fight unfair punishment. During his career, SB never felt his academic freedom imperiled. Most difficult committee he was ever on focused on faculty speech code. SB's job was to find examples of hate speech in classroom. Never found an example. Code finally produced but then tossed out by faculty senate.

Keywords: Department of Mathematics; Hillel; Irving Shain; Sifting and Winnowing; TAA Strike; academic freedom; diversity; due process; faculty committee; faculty discipline; faculty governance; faculty senate; faculty speech code

Partial Transcript: Well I think that ends our time for today.