Beginning in the fall of 1999, Multnomah will offer two math classes to increase the general education classes offered on campus. The college will hire Evelyn Blom to teach the classes, according to academic dean Wayne Strickland.

Multnomah students are already required to complete six credit hours of either math or science. Multnomah offers biology, but a student wanting to take math must take a class off campus. Students entering under the 1999-2000 catalogue will be required to take nine hours of math or science.

Students will be able to "mix and match" their classes, Dr. Strickland said. Students mathmatically inclined may take six hours of math and three hours of science. Students more scientifically inclined may take six hours of science and only three hours of math.

Mrs. Blom, wife of Pastor Calvin Blom of Central Bible Church, has a master's degree in math education from the University of Minnesota. The math classes offered will be contemporary math and college algebra. Each class will be worth three credit hours.

Contemporary math will cover basic math skills. "If someone wants to re-shingle his roof and needs to find out the square feet," this class will teach him how, Dr. Strickland said. College algebra will focus on quadratic equations, factoring and graphing equations. The prerequisite for algebra, according to Dr. Strickland, is either contemporary math or algebra two in high school or at another college. Only students entering during or after the fall of 1999 will be required to take math, but current students are still required to take six hours of math or science.