Suggestion for Fields of Study (Subject Areas)
May 18, 2015
The 66 or so fields of study (subject areas) reflect our curriculum. Our curriculum shifts over time as faculty are
hired, leave the college, or evolve different expertise. The current list is the much the same as when the original
DTF (?) set them up (1996?) and has not been updated to reflect recent shifting.
Key questions:

How do we define field of study?
A topic or discipline offered within the Evergreen curriculum. These should be analogous to chapter
headings within a book, rather than an index. They are the means by which students sort and interpret
our curriculum.

Who ‘owns’ the list?
At this time, I don’t know who is in charge of the list. I suggest the curriculum deans and PUCs, in their
role as representatives of the faculty, take ownership—by which I mean I suggest they take
responsibility for maintenance of the list.

When should something be added to the list?
I suggest that a new field of study should be added when
-
-
There is a sustained presence of the curriculum (a minimum threshold of programs each year
believed to have checked it if available)
 __ per year, __ out of ___ years (to allow for rotations)
 Requires consideration in comparison to what is already checked (is this in addition to or
in replacement of another field)
There are multiple faculty that teach, and award credit, within that field (__minimum)
Because the field must be recognized by both faculty within the discipline and the external world
(current students, prospective students, accrediting body, …), I suggest that that PUCs consult with
Admissions and Advising and send the amendment to the Deans/Provost for final approval.
Each new addition should include a definition of what it means to study that discipline at Evergreen and
identification of its relationship to other fields on the list (appropriate cluster and Related Category).

When should something be retired from the list?
I suggest that fields of study should be removed from the list when
-
There is no longer a sustained presence in the curriculum (a minimum of __ programs per year)
There are no longer multiple faculty that teach, and award credit, within that field (__minimum)
Administratively, we will need to develop rubric of search continuity (what happens when datasets
spans years?) Should searches and datasets including a retired field be connected to a continuing field
instead? I don’t know of a public interface that spans years and would be affected.
Suggestion for Fields of Study (Subject Areas)
May 18, 2015

What happens when a term should be changed?
We will need to know if the original term should never have been used (errors such as Communication
vs. Communications) and the impact upon the current definition and clustering.

How often should changes be made?
We reinvent the programs and courses within our curriculum each year, but we also need to
communicate the (relative) stability of our curriculum as a whole. I suggest that additions and
removals be considered every __ (3-5?) years and amendments on a case-by-case basis. This will also
allow for the technological delay to implement changes.
Related questions:


When should a field be selected?
- When they are the primary focus of a program
- When faculty plan to award credit in that area
- When it describes the academic content the faculty provides, rather than how a student could
apply it to an individual project
- When a student pursuing additional studies in the topic will have been prepared for additional
studies.
How are these used?
The choices faculty make drive how the curriculum is presented to current and prospective students as
well as others seeking to understand Evergreen.
- Online catalog (field of study filters, #)
- Academics page intro to students
- Print catalog (matching your interest pages, description header)
Next Steps I hope to see:
Now (Spring)
PUCs revise this draft
Summer
Kat uses draft to run scenarios and statistics to see how suggestions in draft
would play out
Fall
PUCs review and revise draft if necessary
Fall
Draft shared with IR, Advising, Admissions, Provost and others for feedback
Winter
Enact (as much as able within tech constraints, request case for additional
modifications as necessary) by asking faculty for suggestions (Kat has been
keeping a list of faculty suggestions so far).
Winter
Related Category/clusters of fields of study conversation (impacts to faculty
directory, planning summaries, and admin reports).