As mentioned in the previous “ASA at 175” blog, one of the strategic themes of our association is “The ASA as ‘The Big Tent for Statistics’.” How this phrase came into our usage, and what it means for us, is the subject of this and future blog entries.
In 2009, working on a strategic initiative to develop a tagline and other communications tools for the ASA, we asked a random sample of members a short sequence of questions. Two of these questions were:
- What other organizations do you know of that have a similar purpose or similar fundamental activities?
- What makes the ASA unique from these other organizations?
Regarding the ASA's uniqueness, many respondents indicated that the ASA was the most inclusive statistical organization with which they were familiar. For example, one respondent wrote: “ASA is more inclusive of the entire statistical community, including government, applied statisticians, liberal arts colleges, high school teachers, and research universities.” Said another: “ASA is broader in coverage of the discipline, since it includes a larger number of non-academic statisticians and biostatisticians.” While there were other areas of uniqueness mentioned by respondents, ASA’s inclusiveness was the area most cited.
One response to “what makes the ASA unique” was simply this: “’Big Tent’ for Statisticians.”
That “Big Tent” concept resonated strongly with the ASA Board when the survey results were presented to it in 2010, and it has become a guiding principle since then. The Board has regular activities and exercises to help it become more aware of the vast diversity among its membership, now totaling nearly 19,000 people in over 90 countries. Traditional categories like “academe, industry, and government” just barely begin to describe the diversity of statistical practice reflected in our membership. Within each of these broad areas, members come to be statisticians through many different paths and practice in statistics in a large and still expanding variety of ways.
At the ripe age of 175 years, the ASA is indeed the Big Tent for Statistics, and the leadership of the ASA recognizes its responsibility to fully understand the richness of this concept, and to make plans and decisions with that understanding.
In 2014, the American Statistical Association is celebrating its 175th anniversary. Over the course of this year, this blog will highlight aspects of that celebration, and look broadly at the ASA and its activities. Please contact ASA Executive Director Ron Wasserstein (ron@amstat.org) if you would like to post an entry to this blog.