Faculty Senate Meeting
April 6, 2016 – 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM
Butler Board Room
1) Chair’s Report – Larry Engel (2:30)
a) March 2, 2016 Senate Minutes*
2) President’s Annual Report – Dr. Neil Kerwin – (2:45)
3) Provost’s Report – Scott Bass (3:15)
4) General Education Update – Cindy Bair Van Dam & Peter Starr (3:30)
5) Changes to Retirement Contributions– Beth Muha, Doug Kudravetz and Berry Schmidt
from CAPTrust (4:10)
6) CFG Faculty Manual Changes – Lacey Wootton (4:25)*
7) Grade Grievance Policy – Lyn Stalling & Michael Keynes (4:45)*
Minutes
Faculty Senate Meeting
*** The complete recording for this meeting can be March 2, 2016
found at http://www.american.edu./facultysenate/agendas-minutes.cfm
Present: Professors: Larry Engel, Todd Eisenstadt, Lacey Wootton, Karen Baehler, Kyle
Brannon, Rachel Borchardt, Cindy Bair Van Dam, Chris Edelson, Maria Gomez, Olivia Ivey,
Kelly Joyner, Billie Jo Kaufman, Gwanhoo Lee, Mike Limarzi, Jun Lu, Mary Mintz, John
Nolan, Arturo Porzecanski, Andrea Pearson, Steve Silvia, Chris Simpson, Kate Wilson, Provost
Scott Bass, DAA Mary L. Clark.
Professor Engel called the meeting to order at 2:38 PM
Chair’s Report – Larry Engel
Professor Engel welcomed everyone to the meeting. He stated the meeting was being held at the
new law school and the campus was very impressive. Professor Engel then turned the meeting
over to Dean Grossman for his welcome.
Dean Grossman welcomed the Senate to the Washington College of Law (WCL) and stated that
he would hope that the Senate would consider returning more often. He gave thanks to Billie Jo
Kaufman for her all her work and commitment to the college. Dean Grossman gave an overview
of the state of WCL and the collaboration with the law school and other schools and colleges on
main campus. He also mentioned the growth in diversity with minorities and women.
Professor Engel thanked Dean Grossman and gave the floor to Librarian Mary Mintz who
presented a resolution from the Senate to Dean Grossman. The resolution reads:
Whereas Claudio Grossman has announced his intention to return to a regular faculty
position after serving as dean of the Washington College of Law for more than two
decades since his initial appointment in 1995;
Whereas Dean Grossman has brought profound distinction upon himself, the Washington
College of Law, and American University through his dedication to promoting
international human rights through his service on the United Nations Committee Against
Torture, a body which he has chaired since 2008;
Whereas Dean Grossman has served in many capacities on the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, including as its
president, and served on many country missions for the commission;
Whereas Dean Grossman currently serves as the president of the Inter-American
Institute of Human Rights;
Whereas Dean Grossman’s work on international human rights has been recognized
with many awards and honors, including an honorary doctoral degree from Fairleigh
Dickinson University and commendations from the governments of Colombia,
Guatemala, Peru, and The Netherlands;
Faculty Senate • March 2, 2016 Minutes
Page 1 of 5
Whereas as a practicing attorney, Dean Grossman has provided advice and counsel in
cases and causes at the highest levels, including the International Court of Justice, and
has won recognition from his peers, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the
National Hispanic Bar Association;
Whereas Dean Grossman’s leadership in legal education has been recognized on the
national and international levels and he has been cited four times as one of the most
influential legal educators in the United States;
Whereas Dean Grossman significantly expanded the Washington College of Law in
enrollments, programs, and facilities and has led the relocation of the law school to
larger and better campuses twice in his career;
Whereas the whole of American University has benefitted from his presence and
leadership at this institution;
And whereas Dean Grossman’s accomplishments represent a great personal triumph
over the adversity he faced as a member of the Allende government in Chile when that
government was overthrown, and he made a new life for himself and his family first in
The Netherlands and then in the United States;
On behalf of the entire faculty, the Faculty Senate commends Dean Grossman and
expresses its appreciation to him for his many contributions in his many endeavors and
wishes him well as he returns to his focus as Professor and Raymond Geraldson Scholar
for International and Humanitarian Law.
The resolution passed on a unanimous voice vote. Dean Grossman thanked the Senate for the
resolution.
Feb 10, 2016 Faculty Senate Minutes Approval – Professor Engel opened the floor for
discussion and approval of the February 10, 2016 minutes. The Senate VOTED and the minutes
were approved 16-0-0.
Professor Engel stated the following on his remaining items:
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Visitors/Agenda Items for Remaining Senate Meetings - May 11, 2016 additional Senate
meeting. Standing committees will be giving annual updates. The Grade Inflation, Term
Faculty Manual Language, diversity Working Group and RiSE will also provide an
update.
Vice Chair Election Results – Andrea Pearson was elected vice chair of the Senate for
AY 2016-2017. The Senate VOTED 19-0-2 in favor.
Update on Grade Inflation (GI) and Term Faculty Manual Language (TFFML)
Committees – The TFFML committee has created two sub committees, 1) to begin
drafting promotion language for the Professorial Lecture track and 2) will go through the
2011 ad-hoc Term Faculty Report reviewing what sections of the report may be
applicable to the Faculty Manual. Their work will continue in the fall. Grade Inflation is
moving along and has a very detailed outline with research and recommendations. The
committee is working on a survey with the Career Center on perception of grades from
the outside. Chairs of both committees will be at the May 11 meeting to report on their
current actions.
Faculty Senate • March 2, 2016 Minutes
Page 2 of 5
Provost’s Report – Scott Bass - Provost Bass stated gave the following updates and
information:
 Four senior level searches are in progress. The first round interviews for WCL, KSB
have been completed and the VPUG internal search is complete and awaiting a final
report from the interview committee. The dean for the School of Education search has
completed interviews with four candidates.
 Work on the tenure files are in progress and are being handled one school or college
at a time. The CFA has completed its work and moved the information on in a timely
fashion. Promotion files will follow.
 The visit to The Cleveland Clinic has been planned and will report back to the Senate.
 At the February BOT meeting University LibrarianHere is Davenport gave a great
talk on implications of technology on the library and was of great interest to the
members of the BOT. An additional presentation was on the Office of Merit Awards
that works with undergraduate and graduate students on how to prepare for applying
for merit awards, and national and international distinction. In the most recent round
of Presidential Management Fellows, American University is number one. For the
fourth year in a row a goal was set to be in the top tear listed in the Chronical,
independent of size, for the Fulbright Student Scholars and we had 12 last year being
tied with Univeristy of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Peace Core Volunteer
listing of numbers places AU at number 2.
 Enrollment numbers compared to last year are up 2,602 applicants for the first year
class. Early decision is 87 above last year’s number which means approximately 40%
of the class has been selected. This will mean for a very competitive selection
process.
Ombuds Report and Assistant Dean Position – Dean Clark stated that the position will
be an Associate Dean of Academic Affairs from the Provost’s office. This position will
work closely with Dean Clark on term faculty initiative’s and may include compensation,
faculty manual language review, and advice and counsel. Further information was given
on the application process.
Professor Martinez who spoke representing the Ombuds Committee report stated that the
new position presented by Dean Clark has a great deal of merit but is not an alternative to
an AU Ombuds person. Professor Martinez stated the following points of importance for
the Ombuds position:
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Impartiality and being outside of the administrative reporting structure except for
reporting to the President
Trained professional person who will help navigate, coach and listen
Ability to collect data on trends and report them to the President
Librarian Marien stated that last spring the Senate requested the ad-hoc committee to do
some research and come back with how the position would be structured. The committee
did so by looking at best practices. Librarian Marien stated that it is the hope that the
Senate will endorse further development to be considered in the next budget cycle. The
Faculty Senate • March 2, 2016 Minutes
Page 3 of 5
Senate engaged in further comments and discussions on this matter and VOTED 16-3-3
in favor. Professor Engel stated he will send the report to the President.
Libraries and Technology – Nancy Davenport
University Librarian Nancy Davenport stated that there are many parts to running a
library. She said they include, people, space, technology, elections and other sources.
The librarians and staff have an very large amount of appointments to help students with
research both in person and through an online chat service that supports the many new
online classes. Librarian Davenport informed the senators of the many other items that
fall under the library as an attempt to show the importance of how technology is effecting
the library/university and its future. Budgetary issues were also discussed and included
licensing fees and acquisition costs especially for online sources.
Faculty Senate By-Law Revisions – Lacey Wootton
Professor Wootton stated that the remaining by-law changes be presented and approved
to complete the review. The following changes were discussed:
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1X.B Standing Committee, 1. Undergraduate Curriculum Committee –
Language was written to clarify the various levels of review; “After the unit has
responded to the committee’s recommendations, the committee forwards its
recommendations to approve, modify, or reject the proposal to the next level of
review.” This same language was approved to include in the 2. Graduate
Curriculum Committee section. The Senate VOTED 19-0-0 in favor.
6. Committee on Learning Assessment – Deletion of the language, “to submit a
written report to the Faculty Senate each December” in last bullet. This does not
reflect practice.
C. Special and Advisory Committees, 1. Committee on Faculty Grievances –
“Its function, as stipulated in the Faculty Manual, is to investigate and evaluate all
formal grievances filed by members of the faculty and to issue a report specifying
its conclusions and recommendations, which is then sent to the grievant and to
either the university president or provost…” This language was edited to clarify
process.
2. The Faculty Hearing Committee - Language was deleted to help accurately
state the committee charge. Deleted language was, “involving termination of
continuous tenure appointments or probationary or special term” and replaced
with “involving full-time…. The Senate Executive Committee draws individual
hearing panels from the elected members of the Committee to hear cases.” The
Senate VOTED 18-0-0 in favor on the last three bullets.
3. Committee on General Education – Language was changed to clarify the role
of the Vice Provost of Undergraduate Studies on the General Education
Committee. “Serving as ex officio non-voting members will be the Vice Provost
for Undergraduate Studies, the chair (or designee) of the Faculty Senate
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and the General Education Librarian.”
Faculty Senate • March 2, 2016 Minutes
Page 4 of 5
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4. The Honors Advisory Committee - Extensive editorial language was changed
for clarity and to outline the new process of the committee’s director position.
D. Board of Trustees Representatives of the Faculty Senate – “academic
Affairs Committee” was added to clarify the responsibility of the Chair of the
Senate as a BOT rep.
Article X. Eligibility for and Nominations and Election to the Senate and Its
Committees. A. Eligibility – “The Faculty Hearing Committee” was added to the
list in this paragraph for accuracy.
B. Nominations and Elections for Campus-Wide Positions – Reference to the
Committee on Faculty Grievances was deleted as its seats are now represented by
each school or college, and additional language was edited for clarity on process.
The Senate VOTED 18-0-0 in favor on the last 5 bullets.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:59 PM
Faculty Senate • March 2, 2016 Minutes
Page 5 of 5
Executive Committee Agenda
March 23, 2016, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Senate Conference Room
1) Chair’s Report – Larry Engel (10:00)
2) Provost’s Report – Scott Bass (10:15)
3) CFA Instructions for AY 2016-2017 – Steve Silvia (10:30)*
4) CFG Faculty Manual Changes – Stacey Marien (10:40 – 10:50 Tentative depending on
Approval)*
5) Grade Grievance Policy – Lyn Stallings & Michael Keynes (10:50)*
6) General Education – Peter Starr & Cindy Bair Van Dam (11:00)
7) Outside Funding and Undue Influence – Student Duncan Gilchrist (11:45)
 Handouts Provided
Executive Committee Minutes
March 23, 2016
Present: Professors Larry Engel, Lacey Wootton, Andrea Pearson, Olivia Ivey, Jun Lu, Maria
Gomez, John Nolan, Provost Scott Bass and DAA Mary L. Clark
Professor Engel called the meeting to order at 9:30 AM
Chair’s Report – Larry Engel
Professor Engel stated the following:
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Efforts to execute a process for what is expected from ad-hoc and working group
committees that are created. This would include reports and updates to Senate leadership.
Further discussion will follow at the April Executive Committee meeting.
Short update on the RiSE Initiative and the trip to the Cleveland Clinic.
Professor Wotton stated that the meeting with the Chairs and Division/Program Directors was very
informative. Several suggestions were received from the group on how to improve the
understanding of the time commitment for the senators and various Senate committee members and
what additional information would be useful when recruiting faculty to serve.
These items were for information only and will not be brought forward to the Senate.
Grade Grievance Policy – Lyn Stallings and Michael Keynes
VP Stallings stated that the review of this policy was to make clear the grievance process. The
provided language was reviewed and some editorial changes were made.
This item will be presented to the Senate for review in April.
CFA Instructions Memo for AY 2016-2017 – Steve Silvia
Professor Silvia stated that he did make changes to the instructions memo but they were editorial
only. No substantive changes were made and it was agreed that the changes did not need Senate
review.
This item will not be presented to the Senate since the changes are grammatical and for clarification
only.
Provost’s Report – Scott Bass
Provost Bass stated the following:
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Letters have gone out to admitted students
The next years merit increase will be 1.5% to base
WCL has a new dean, Camille Nelson and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies will
be Jessica Waters.
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A document policy for Freedom of Expression from the President was presented for faculty
feed-back. The Executive Committee agreed it should be reviewed by the entire Senate. This
document is not a faculty document but a school administrative policy statement.
This information will be presented at the Senate meeting in April.
CFG Faculty Manual Changes – Lacey Wootton
Professor Wootton presented three Faculty Manual changes for Senate review. They include:
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Pg. 17, section iv. Committee on Faculty Grievances – Language to clarify exactly
what grievances are under the CFG.
Pg. 50, section 5. Appeal Process – Language to change the length of time a grievant
has to respond to the Presidents response.
Pg. 52, section 19. D iv. Committee’s Report and Disposition – Language provided
to clarify availability of General Council
These items will be presented to the Senate at the April meeting.
Outside Funding and Undue Influence – Student Duncan Gilchrist - Student Duncan
Gilchrist presented to the Executive Committee a statement of concern on outside funding. The
issue was discussed and it was decided to continue discussion with students, faculty, and
administration to clarify and discuss the meaning of Academic Freedom.
This item will not be brought to the Senate for review as the resolution was to work in a small
group.
General Education Update – Peter Starr and Cindy Bair Van Dam
Professor Bair Van Dam and Dean Starr presented an update on the General Education
program. Financial implications were discussed and it was decided to bring the current report
forward to receive a sense of the Senate at the April meeting.
This item will be presented at the April Senate meeting.
Professor Engel dismissed the meeting at 11:30 AM
ReimaginingGeneralEducation:TowardaNewAUCoreCurriculum
BriefSummaryofFeedbackandChanges
TheGeneralEducationTaskForceandGeneralEducationCommitteesincerelythanktheAUcommunity—faculty,staff
andstudents—fortheirconsideredresponsestoourproposal.Followingfourtownhallsandseveralmeetingswith
stakeholdersacrosscampus,wemettodiscussyourmanysuggestions.Whilemuchofthefeedbackwaspositiveabout
thedirectionofourproposal—studentsareexcitedaboutthetwoAUExperiencecoursesandtheDiversitycourse;
facultyareespeciallyenthusiasticaboutComplexProblems—manyexpressedconcernsaboutparticularpiecesofthe
proposal.Muchofthefeedbackonthelastdraft(circulatedonNov.30th)centeredonthefollowingconcern:
• AUx1seemslikeit’scoddlingstudentsanddoesn’tseemtohaveacademiccontent
• AUx2seemstohaveapoliticalagenda
• AUxcoursesshouldbetaughtbyfaculty,notstaff
• CriticalInquiryshouldn’tbeanindependentHabitofMindcategory—allclassesshouldincludecriticalinquiry
• Cross-culturalorglobalunderstandingseemstobemissing
• Social-scientificinquiryappearstobeleftoutofthecurriculum
• Thetimelineforrollingthisoutseemsrushedanddoesn’tleavetimeforfacultyanddepartmentstoadjust
• Theprocessforproposingcoursesisunclear
Inanefforttorespondtothemanysuggestions,wemadechangesthroughouttheproposal.Thefollowinglist,
however,highlightsthemoresignificantchanges:
TheName:WeproposecallingourprogramAUCore,ratherthanGeneralEducation.Nearlyeveryoneagreesthat
GeneralEducation,asatitle,meanslittle,yetcarriesnegativeconnotations.Wearestillopentootherpossibilities,so
pleasekeepyoursuggestionscoming.
Timeline:Wenowproposepiloting8sectionsofComplexProblemsand4sectionsoftheAUExperienceinFall2016;in
Fall2017wewillrolloutthefullcomplementofComplexProblemsandAUExperiencecoursesforallincoming
students;inFall2018,thefullprogramwilllaunch.ForstudentswhoenrollpriortoFall2018,HabitsofMindscourses
willbemappedbacktoFoundationAreasintheoldGeneralEducationprogram.Thisslowertimelinewillgive
departmentsandfacultyanadditionalyeartopreparenewcoursesandfortheintegrationofAUCorecoursesinto
theirmajors.
AUExperienceI&II:Coursecontentisbeingdevelopedforanonlineplatformbyfacultymemberswithexpertisein
eacharea.Bothcourseswillblendacademiccontentanddiscussionmethods,muchthewaytraditionalcoursesdo.
AUx2,inparticular,nowfocusesoninclusion,withtheexplicitgoalofcreatingacommunityoflearners.Thestaffingof
discussionleadersforAUxisacomplexconcerninvolvingothercampusinitiativessuchastheReinventingtheStudent
Experience(RiSE)project,andwilllikelybesolvedoutsideofthisproposal.Thatsaid,alldiscussionleadersforAUx1&
AUx2willbehighlycredentialedandcompletetraininginadvanceofleadingthesecourses.
HabitsofMind:WemovedCriticalInquiry,asaHabitofMind,intotheComplexProblemscourse.Thisseemslikea
morenaturalfit,asthesecoursesareintendedtointroducestudentstouniversity-levelinquiry.Tomakespacefor
culturalandsocialinquirywithinthecurriculum,wecreatedthecategoryofCulturalInterpretation.Wealsoexpanded
anothercategoryintoSocio-HistoricalUnderstanding.Thesenewcategoriesshouldallowmanydisciplinestomount
coursesacrosstheHabitsofMind.Ourgoalhasbeentomoveawayfromdisciplinarysilos.Wehopethatthissetof
fivecategoriessupportsthenotionthatvariouswaysofknowingcutacrossmanydisciplines.
CourseApprovalProcess:Wehaveincludedadescriptionofanew,moreinclusiveAUCoreCommitteeaspartofthis
proposal.Tocreateasuccessfulprogram,wewillneedfacultyfromacrosstheuniversitytohelpusdevelopspecific
learninggoalsforeachcategoryofcourses,aswellasastreamlinedcourseapprovalprocessthatyieldsinteresting,
ambitiouscourses.
Details:ManyspecificconcernshavebeenaddressedattheendoftheproposalinanFAQsection.
ReimaginingGeneralEducation:
TowardaNewAUCoreCurriculum
DraftofMarch14th,2016
OurMission
StudentscometoAmericanUniversityhopingtomakeapositivedifferenceinacomplexworld.Tofurtherthis
aspiration,weseektofosterwithinthemhabitsconducivetocritical,multi-perspectiveengagement.Nosingle
academicfieldordisciplinehasalloftheanswers,althougheachprovidesimportantinsights;nosingularpointof
viewcommandsamonopolyofvaluableideas.So,therigorousdevelopmentofeffectivecitizensmustalways
combinethecapacitytounderstandtherelativepromiseandproblemsofourindividualperspectiveandthecourage
toexploretheperspectivesofothers.Byaddressingthechallengesofthepresent,weaimtoeducatestudentsso
thattheybecomecapable,informedparticipantsinthegreatconversationthatdefinesthefuture.
Throughourcommitmenttoarobustliberaleducationcore,weencourageourstudentstoengagewithcomplexity,
valuediversity,andunderstandchange.Weseektodevelopourstudents’individualintellectualcapabilities,while
challengingthemtoexpandtheirviewandextendtheirwaysofknowing.Thefollowingproposalseekstoreimagine
liberaleducationatAmericanUniversitybygroundingtheessentialskillsandhabitsofminditprovideswithinthe
complexworldourstudentsseektoserve.
OurProposal
OurcurrentGeneralEducationprogram,designedin1989andrevisedagainin2009,exposesstudentstoabroad
baseofknowledge.Thataim,however,hasbeenunderminedbyextensivegrantingofGeneralEducationcreditto
studentswithhighAPscoresandwidespreaddoublecountingofcoursestowardbothGenEdandthemajors.The
resultisthatourstudentsexperienceourGeneralEducationprograminwildlydifferentways—sometakingallten
courses,otherstakingasfewasfour.Whilethenumberofcoursesstudentstakevaries,theirattitudestowardthe
programcoherearoundonecentralidea:GenEdisanobstacle,alistofrequirementstotickoffbeforetheycantake
coursesintheirareasofinterest.
Inrevisingtheprogram,ouraimistocreateanintellectualcorethatallstudentsparticipateinequally.Wehavetried
tobalancethreecentralvaluesatthecenterofliberaleducationreform:acurriculumthatfocusesonwhatstudents
shouldknowandbeabletodoupongraduation;acurriculumthatcreatesan“effectivecitizen,”someonewho
understandsconnectionsamongideasandcanengageinaglobalsociety;andamodelofcuriositythathelps
studentsunderstandhowdifferentdisciplinesaskandanswerquestions,creatingasetofintellectualhabitsand
skills.Toachievethesegoals,wehavedesignedacorecurriculumthathighlightsmetacognition,thatis,making
studentsawarethatlearningisarecursiveprocessthathappensovertime,equippingthemtoparticipatemore
deliberatelyinthatprocess.Perhapsthemostimportantthingastudentlearnsinourproposedprogramishowto
learn,whetherthatlearningcomesfrombooks,fromteachers,orfromeachother.
OurworkcomplementstheReinventingtheStudentExperience(RiSE)project,whichaimstofocusandimprove
students’experiencesduringtheirtimeatAU.(Thefourdevelopmentalstagesinthegraphbelowderivefromthe
RiSEproject’sstudentlife-cyclemap.)Inparticular,ourproposalisbuiltaroundadevelopmentalarcthatstartswith
afirst-yearexperienceandfoundationalskills,highlightsessentialhabitsofmind,thenintegratestheseskillsand
habitswiththemajor,culminatinginacapstone.Ateachstage,thecurriculumofferssustainedattentiontoequity,
diversity,andinclusion.Wealsoseektoaddresscurrentdeficitsinquantitativeliteracy,writing,andinformation
literacytrainingthatwereidentifiedbyrecentcampustaskforces.Byreducingthenumberofoverallcreditsand
1
creatingmoreflexibilityastowhen
studentstaketheircorecourses,we
aimtoexpandstudents’abilityto
pursuedoublemajorsandminors,as
wellastostudyabroad.We
encourageunitsacrosscampusto
reviewthesizeoftheirmajorstothe
sameend.
Althoughtheproposedmodelis
holisticindesign,trackingour
students’intellectualdevelopment
frommatriculationtograduation,itis
helpfultothinkofthecoursesthatit
comprisesinthreebroadcategories:
• Asequenceofcoursesmostlytakenoutsidethemajor:ComplexProblems,fiveHabitsofMindcourses
QuantitativeLiteracyI,WrittenCommunicationandInformationLiteracyI,andAUExperienceIⅈ
• Asetofsecond-levelintegrativecourses,oftenwithinexistingcoursesinthemajor:QuantitativeLiteracyII,
WritingandInformationLiteracyII,aDiversitycourse,andaCapstone;and
• Anoptionalsetofone-creditprofessionalskillsmodules,someforcredit.
ThisdrafthasbeentheworkofanadhoctaskforceandtheGeneralEducationCommittee(listedbelow).Overthe
summerof2015,thetaskforcemetbi-weeklytostudycurrentscholarshipinliberaleducation,examineprograms
fromacrossthecountry,meetwithoutsideexperts,andwriteafirstdraftoftheproposal.InFall2015,theGeneral
EducationCommittee,comprisingfacultyfromAU’sprimaryundergraduateschools,metrepeatedlytodiscussand
furtherrevisethedraft.Theco-chairsofthetaskforcealsometwithrepresentativesofmanycampusoffices,withan
eyetowardanticipatingimplementationissues,andmetwithstudentleaders.Anewdraftwasthencirculated
campus-widetofaculty,staff,andstudents,whoofferedfeedback.Thefollowingrevisionattemptstoincorporate
manyofthesuggestionsofferedatthesesessions.
Inordertodiscusstheserevisions,thetaskforceandGeneralEducationcommitteeinvitesyoutoasecondroundof
conversationsabouttheproposal.Wearehostingtwocoffees,whichwehopewillallowfacultytotalkwitheach
otherabouttheproposalandhelpusfurthersharpenourideas.Thecoffeeswillbeheldon:
Wednesday,March23rd3:30-5:00,BattelleAtrium
Monday,March28th11:00-12:30,BattelleAtrium
Ourgoalistoimplementanewcoreprogramforallundergraduatestudents,includingtransfers,whoarriveon
campusinFall2018.Studentswhoarrivepriortothatdatewillbesubjecttocurrentrequirements.Weplantorun
six(ormore)sectionsofComplexProblemsandfoursectionsofAUExperienceI&IIasapilotinthe2016-2017
academicyear.Thefollowingyear,weproposerollingoutafullsetofComplexProblemsandAUxcoursesforall
incomingstudents.Inbothcases,studentswillbeabletoapplyComplexProblemsandAUxtowardthecurrentGen
Edrequirement.TheentirecurriculumwilllaunchinFall2018.Thisexpandedtimelinewillgivefacultytimeto
developnewcoursesandmakeadjustmentsastheydesire.Asdirectionsemergefromthecampus-wide
conversation,theProvost’sOfficeandschoolswillcontinuallyassessthefinancialviabilityoftheproposed
curriculum.
Welookforwardtohearingyoursuggestionsandconcerns.
2
GeneralEducationTaskForceMembers
CindyBairVanDam,GeneralEducationCommitteeChair,co-chair
PeterStarr,Dean,CollegeofArtsandSciences,co-chair
JesseBoeding,AssistantDeanforUndergraduatePrograms,Kogod
SchoolofBusiness
LauraBonDurant,AssociateDeanofAcademicServices,Schoolof
Communication
MaryClark,DeanofAcademicAffairsandSeniorViceProvost
MaryFrancesGiandrea,GeneralEducationCommittee,History
BradGilligan,Manager,GeneralEducationProgramandAssessment
JenGumbrewicz,GeneralEducationCommittee,Justice,Lawand
Criminology
PatrickThaddeusJackson,AssociateDeanforCurriculumand
Learning,SchoolofInternationalService
SarahFrancesKnight,GeneralEducationCommittee,Biology
Celine-MariePascale,AssociateDeanforUndergraduateStudies,
CollegeofArtsandSciences
LynStallings,ViceProvostforUndergraduateStudies
JessicaWaters,AssociateDeanforUndergraduateEducation,School
ofPublicAffairs
GeneralEducationCommitteeMembers
CindyBairVanDam,HurstSeniorProfessorialLecturer,College
WritingProgram,Chair
EllenFeder,Professor,PhilosophyandReligion
MaryFrancesGiandrea,AssistantProfessor,History
BradGilligan,Manager,GeneralEducationProgramandAssessment
LindseyGreen-Simms,AssistantProfessor,Literature
SusanGlover,AssistantProfessor,Government
JaneHall,AssociateProfessor,SchoolofCommunication
MattHartings,AssistantProfessor,Chemistry
JillKlein,ExecutiveinResidence,KogodSchoolofBusiness
SarahFrancesKnight,ProfessorialLecturer,Biology
TeresaLarkin,AssociateProfessor,Physics
MaryMintz,AssociateLibrarian,UniversityLibrary
MirjanaMorosini,Instructor,SchoolofInternationalService
WilliamQuirk,ProfessorialLecturer,WorldLanguagesandCultures
TomRatekin,AssistantProfessor,Literature
JenniferSteele,AssociateProfessor,SchoolofEducation
E.AndrewTaylor,AssociateProfessor,PerformingArts
JohnWilloughby,Professor,Economics
FoundationCourses
ComplexProblems(3credits):A1st-yearspecialtopicsseminar,typicallytaughtinfallsemesterbyfull-timefaculty
fromacrosstheuniversityandcappedat19students.Allstudents,includingtransferstudents,musttakeaComplex
Problemsseminar,andmoststudentswillliveinalearningcommunitywiththeirComplexProblemsclassmates,
supportedbyoneRAforeverytwoComplexProblemscourses.Asignaturegatewaytothegeneraleducation
curriculum,thesecourseswillintroducestudentstotheprocessofuniversity-levelinquirythroughtheanalysisof
oneormorecomplexproblems.ComplexProblemscourseswilldemonstratethevalueofapproachingimportant
problemsandissuesfromavarietyofperspectives,oftenfrommultipledisciplinesandincludingmultiplevoices,an
intellectualhabitthatwillpreparestudentsforfutureacademicwork.Acorepromiseoftheeducationweseekto
deliveristheunderstandingthatcomplementaryperspectives,despitetheveryrealtensionsbetweenthem,can
providearichertextureandmorenuancedwaytomoveforwardintheworkwe’repreparingourstudentstodo.
AlthoughmanyComplexProblemscourseswilldrawheavilyonthesocialsciences,othersmaybegroundedinthe
sciencesorartsandhumanities.Asthetopicandfacultyinterestwarrant,ComplexProblemscoursesmayincludea
DC-basedexperience.ComplexProblemscoursesmaycountasfreeelectivesinthestudent’smajorbutmaynot
serveasfoundationcourseswithinthemajor.
AUExperienceI(1credit):Aone-creditrequiredandgradedcourse,takenbyallstudentsintheirfirstsemesterat
AmericanUniversity.Coursecontentwillbedevelopedbyafull-timefacultymember.Thiscollaboratively-taught
coursewillbeofferedinahybridformatandsupportedbyanupper-classpeerleader.Drawingfromthedisciplines
ofpsychologyandsociology,andfromstudentdevelopmenttheory,thecoursewillhelpstudentsnavigatetheir
academic,social,culturalandpsychologicaladjustmenttouniversitylifeconsistentwiththeUniversity’slearning
outcomes.Theseinclude:CulturalCompetencyandEffectiveCommunication(communicatingacrossdifferencesof
race,culture,sex,gender,disabilityandsexualorientation;understandingtheperspectivesofothers;exploringand
expressingidentities),CivicEngagement,CollaborationandEthics(findingandcreatingcommunityoncampus;
respondingtoconflictandadvocatingforoneselfandothers,whichincludesbystanderintervention;leadingwithin
one’scommunity),andPersonalGrowth(embracingchangeandmakingindependentdecisions;health,wellnessand
resilience;self-assessmentandexplorationofcareergoals).
AUExperienceII(1credit):Aone-creditrequiredandgradedcourse,takenbyallAUstudentsintheirsecond
semester,normallywiththesamestudentsandinthesamehybrid,discussion-intensivemodeasAUx1.AUx2will
delvemoredeeplyintothesociologicalandpsychologicalaspectsoftheindividualandsocietyintroducedinAUx1,
3
withspecialattentiontoissuesofdiversity,inclusion,andcommunity.Readingsandassignmentswillexploresocial
constructionsandsocietalengagementwithissuesofraceandidentitythroughhistoricandcontemporaryliterature,
film,anddata.Historicaleventsandmovementsinvolvingarangeofracialandethnicgroupswillbestudiedtobetter
understandandhavemeaningfuldiscussionaboutinequality,racialization,racerelations,andintersectionality.
Studentswillbeencouragedtoapplywhattheylearntotheirindividualandcollectivesituationinthemulti-cultural
environmentthatisAU.Thegoalofthiscourseistoequipstudentstobecomepartofacommunityoflearners
whosememberscomefromavarietyofbackgroundsandbringwiththemavarietyofexperiences.Adeeperdegree
ofreflexiveself-awarenessisaprerequisiteforlearningfromoneanotherandforcollaboratingtoaddresspressing
challenges.
WrittenCommunication&InformationLiteracyI(3-6credits):SatisfiedbyWRTG-100and101orWRTG-106.All
studentsmustcompletetheWRTG-100andWRTG-101sequence,unlesstheyearna4orhigherontheAPora5or
higherontheIB,inwhichcasetheymaytakeWRTG-106.Thiscoursesequencefocusesonlearninghowtomake
effectivewritingchoices,includingformulatingoriginalthesesandwell-supported,effectivelyorganizedarguments.
Studentswilllearnhowtowriteinseveralacademicgenresandhowtoproduceerror-freeprose.Inaddition,they
willacquiretheconceptualknowledgeneededtonegotiateacomplexinformationecosystem,whichincludesweb
sites,socialmedia,databases,visualmedia,andothersourcesofinformation.Studentswilllearnabouttheirroleand
responsibilityincreatingnewknowledge,inunderstandingchangingdynamicsintheworldofinformation,andin
usinginformation,data,andscholarshipethically.
QuantitativeLiteracyI(3-4credits):BecausestudentscometoAUwithdiversebackgrounds,interests,andgoals
therewillbeavarietyofpathsfordifferentstudentstoimprovetheirquantitativeskills,suchasMATH-15x,MATH160,MATH-170,MATH-211,MATH-221,MATH-222,STAT-15x,orSTAT-202.StudentswhoearnhighscoresontheAP
orIBexamwillreceivecreditfortheircourseworkandbeplacedatahighercourselevel;however,theywillnot
placeoutoftheQ1requirement.Iftheypossessmost,butnotall,ofthenecessarybackgroundforsuchacourse,
theymaytakeoneormoresupplemental1-creditmodules(tobedeveloped)concurrentlytomeettheseskill
requirements.MoststudentswillsatisfytheQuantitativeLiteracyrequirementinyearone,althoughunitsthat
scaffoldajuniorresearch-methodscourseontopofSTAT-202mayprefertheirstudentstakethisrequirementinthe
sophomoreyear.
HabitsofMind
HabitsofMind(16credits):HabitsofMindcoursesformtheheartoftheproposedcorecurriculum.Thisdistribution
emphasizescurrentgeneraleducationlearningoutcomesyetpreservesexposuretoabroadrangeofdisciplinesby
limitingtoonethenumberofHOMcoursesastudentmaytakeinanygivendepartment.Studentsmaycountone
HabitofMindcourse—requiredorelective—towardeachmajororminortheypursue.Enteringstudentsmaynot
applyAPcredittowardtheirHabitsofMindrequirements.(Notethattherestrictionsabovedonotprecludea
studentfromtakingaHabitsofMindcourseinthesamedepartmentasaComplexProblemscourseand,if
applicable,applyingoneorbothformajorcredit.)
AnydepartmentmayofferacourseinanyofthefollowingHabitsofMind(withthelikelyexceptionofNaturalScientificinquiry).Whilethecategoriesmight,atfirstblush,suggestdisciplinarysilos,weencouragealldepartments
toconsiderhowtheymightdevelopcoursesforseveraldifferentHabitsofMind.
• CreativityandAestheticSensibility(3credits):
CoursesofferedinthisHOMwillattendtoideassurroundingtheintention,context,audienceandmodesof
artisticexpression.Studentswillalsolearnhowtoexpressappreciationfor,orunderstandingof,thearts
throughconsiderationoforengagementwiththecreativeprocess.
4
•
•
•
•
CulturalInterpretation(3credits):
StudentsinCulturalInterpretationcourseswilllearnhowtocriticallyanalyzethevalues,ideas,thought
systems,andpoliticsofvariouslocal,regional,orglobalcultures.Studentswillapplymethodsandtheories
ofanalysisinordertolearnhowtoevaluatecategoriesofdifferenceandcommunicateclearlyabout
them.Suchworkmayincludequantitativeorqualitativeanalysis.
EthicalReasoning(3credits):
Coursesinethicalreasoningwillexplorequestionsaboutwhatisrightorwhatisgoodineverydaylifeasin
professionalpractice,andprovidetoolsthathelpstudentsidentifyethicalquestionsandevaluateclaims
concerninghumanconductandvalues.
Natural-ScientificInquiry(4credits,withlab):
CoursesinthisHOMwillrequirethatstudentsparticipateinscientificinquiryandbeabletocommunicate
clearlyabouttheelementsofthescientificprocess.Studentswillunderstandthatscientificinquiryisbased
oninvestigationofevidencefromthenaturalandphysicalworld,andthatscientificknowledgeand
understandingevolvesbasedonnewevidenceanddiffersfrompersonalandculturalbeliefs.
Socio-HistoricalUnderstanding(3credits):
InSocio-HistoricalUnderstandingcourses,studentswillexaminepastevents,societies,institutions,orideas
intheirspecificcontextsanddeveloptheabilitytoanalyzethemcritically.Coursesmyalsodrawonhistorical
perspectivetoevaluatecontemporaryissuesandproblems.
IntegrativeCourses
Whereverpossible,thefollowingrequirementsmaybesatisfiedbycourseswithinthemajor,eitherbyexistingcourses
thatfullymeettherelevantlearningoutcomes(TBD),existingcoursesthataremodifiedtomeetthoseoutcomes,or
bysubstantiallynewcourses.(PleasenotethatpertheRegistrar’sadvice,the“coursetype”labelisthenewtermfor
courseswithattachedcategories.)
DiverseExperience:a3-creditcoursewithaDcoursetypeofferedinthemajororminor,inaHabitofMindcourse,
orinafreeelective.Thesecoursesattendtoissuesofpower,privilegeandinequalitythatareembeddedinsocial,
cultural,and/oreconomichierarchies,including(butnotlimitedto)thosearoundrace,class,genderandsexual
expression,andability.ThesecoursesshouldbuildontheintellectualskillsdevelopedinComplexProblemsandthe
diversitycontentintroducedinAUExperienceII.
WrittenCommunicationandInformationLiteracyII:a3-creditcoursewithaWcoursetype.W2courseswillbuild
onthewritingandinformationliteracyfoundationsofferedinCollegeWritingseminarsbytrainingstudentsinthe
writingconventions,researchexpectations,andtechnologicalresourcesmostcentraltotherelevantdiscipline.More
specifically,studentswillrefinetheirargumentation,organization,andproofreadingskillswhilelearningthe
disciplinaryorprofessionalconventionsoftheirfield.Studentswilllearntorecognizetheroleofresearchand
informationinmakingnewdisciplinaryknowledge,thinkingcriticallyabouthowinformationiscreated,valued,
stored,andsharedinspecificdisciplinaryconversations.Studentsinthe(relativelyrare)majorswithnoappreciable
writingcomponentmaypursuethiscreditinarelatedfieldorthroughcustom-madecourses(e.g.,Writingforthe
Arts).AlthoughmostmajorswilldesignateaspecificcourseorcoursesinthemajorasarequiredW2,anyW2maybe
appliedtowardtheuniversity’sgraduationrequirement.Unlessotherwisespecifiedbythemajor(s)orminor(s),
studentswhopursueanycombinationofmajorsandminorsneedonlycompleteasingleW2.
QuantitativeLiteracyII:alternatively,a3-creditcoursewithaQcoursetypeinthemajororrelatedarea,ora
combinationofthree1-creditmodules(tobedeveloped,manyinahybridorintensiveformat)pertinenttothe
5
student’sfieldofstudy.Q2coursesshouldadddepthorotherwiseextendinstructionaloutcomesfromQ1courses.
Forexample,inaQ2courseofferedwithinanacademicdepartmentorschool,thegoalsofinstructionwouldlikely
stressapplicationswithinadisciplineorspecialization.Inthecaseofmajorswhoseresearch-methodscoursesare
onlypartiallyquantitative,thesecoursesmaybesupplementedbyoneortwo1-creditmodules(onsuchtopicsas
modeling,algorithms,GIS,etc.).IntheabsenceofaQcourseinthemajor(e.g.,intheartsandhumanities),students
maysatisfytheQ2requirementbytakingaQcourseinarelatedfieldoraQcoursespecificallydesignedforthis
purpose(possiblyincollaborationwiththemajordiscipline)byadepartmentinwhichquantitativereasoningismore
central.
Capstone:3-creditcapstoneproject/course,likelyinthemajor,drawingonmanyoftheHOMspreviouslyacquired.
Inmajorswithoutcapstonecourses,independentstudies,signaturework,orotheralternativesmaybecreated.
Optional‘Toolkit’Courses
ToolkitCourses:courses,normallyone-credit,designatedinthecataloguebyaTcoursetypeandofferedinavariety
offormats(includingonline,hybridandintensive).Toolkitcourseshelpstudentstoacquireanddemonstrateboth
employer-relevantcompetenciesandgenerallifeskills.WiththeexceptionoftheFinancialLiteracysequence,which
isspecificallydesignedforfirst-andsecond-yearstudents,toolkitcoursesareintendedforjuniorsandseniors
seekingtobuildupontheirliberalartstrainingastheymoveintocareersandsubsequenteducation.MostToolkit
courseswillnothaveprerequisites.Exceptionsmaybemadeinthecaseofprerequisites(suchasSTAT-202orSTAT203)thatlargenumbersofundergraduateswilllikelyhavetaken.Weexpectthemajorityofthesecoursestobe
offeredforagrade,thoughsomewillnaturallylendthemselvestobeingofferedpass/fail.InadditiontoToolkit
courses,theuniversitywillofferaseriesofoptionalnon-creditCareerEdgeworkshops,ontopicstobedeterminedin
dialoguewiththeCareerCenter.
Thefollowingareexamplesofpotentialtoolkitcourses.(Incaseswhere3-creditcoursesonthesesubjectsalready
exist,Toolkitcoursearenotintendedtoreplacethem.)Toolkitofferingswillevolveovertime,largelyasafunctionof
studentdemand.
FinancialLiteracy
• FinancialLiteracyI:FinancialPlanningandtheTimeValue
ofMoney(currentFIN-197)
• FinancialLiteracyII:Debt,InsuranceandSavings(current
FIN198;FIN-197isprerequisite)
• FinancialLiteracyIII:PersonalInvesting(currentFIN199;
FIN-197isprerequisite)
CommunicationandInterpersonalProductivity
• PublicSpeaking
• EffectiveInterpersonalOralCommunication
• Collaboration:TheArtofTeamwork
• TheArtofMediation
• StepUP!Training
• UnconsciousBiasTraining
ResearchandAnalysisSkills
• SurveyResearch:Design,DataCollection,Analysis
• SPSSStatisticsFundamentals(currentSTAT-396)
• StataFundamentals
• NvivoFundamentals
DigitalSkills
• TheArtofOnlinePresentation(currentUGST-196)
• FundamentalsofWebDesign
• VideoEditing
• DesigningMobileApps(hasbeenofferedasKSB-132)
• Programming(hasbeenofferedasKSB-132)
• DataVisualization
• SocialMediaSkills(hasbeenofferedasKSB-132)
• MicrosoftCertification
OrganizationSkills
• ProjectManagement
• AccountingFundamentals
• Entrepreneurship
• Ecommerce(hasbeenofferedasKSB-132)
CareerPlanning
•
•
•
CareerExploration(currentUGST-100)
FoundationsofCareerDevelopment(currentKSB200)
PersonalBrandingandtheCareerCampaign(current
KSB-300
6
AUCoreCommitteeStructure
Werecommendthatthecommitteecontinuetobeledbyafull-timefacultychairona3-yearrotatingcycle.Wealso
proposethatthecommitteebecomprisedoffacultyfromacrosscampus,sothatallcollegesanddepartmentshavea
voiceinthecurriculum.Inordertoincludebroadrepresentationfromacrosscampus,butkeepthecommitteesmall
enoughtobenimble,weproposeacouncil/subcommitteestructure.Weproposethatsixsubcommitteesbecreated,
eachwiththeresponsibilityofdevelopinglearninggoalsandapprovingcourseswithintheirarea:Writingand
InformationLiteracy,QuantitativeLiteracy,AUExperienceandComplexProblems,HabitsofMind,Diversity,and
Toolkit.Eachsubcommitteewouldbemadeupof2-3(ormore)facultyfromacrosscampus(andstaffwhen
appropriate)whohaveexpertiseintheseareas.Onememberofeachsubcommitteewouldchairtheirsubcommittee
andserveontheAUCoreCouncil.Thecouncilwouldfunctionasasteeringcommitteeandmakepolicydecisions,
muchlikethecurrentGeneralEducationcommittee.Becausethiscommitteestructurewouldrequirethe
participationofnearly20faculty,werecommendthatoncetheprogramisrunningina“steadystate,”thespecific
subcommitteestructurebereconsidered.
FrequentlyAskedQuestions:
Whatisthetimelineforstartingthenewprogram?
Wearepiloting8sectionsofComplexProblemsand4sectionsofAUExperienceIandIIinFall2016.InFall2017we
proposerollingoutthefullcomplementofComplexProblemsandAUExperiencecoursesforallincomingstudents.
StudentswhocompletebothcourseswillbeabletowaivetwocoursesinthecurrentGeneralEducationprogram.In
Fall2018,thefullprogramwilllaunch.Thisslowertimelinewillgivedepartmentsandfacultyanadditionalyearto
prepare.
Whatisthepurposeofthepilot?
Thepilotwillhelpusrefinethelearningoutcomes,curriculum,andlogisticsbeforeweattempttorollouttheentire
generaleducationcurriculum.Asofnow,confirmedComplexProblemscourseswillbetaughtbyClaireGriggs(JLC),
RobertJohnson(JLC),KarlKippola(PERF),JillKlein(Kogod),BenStokes(SOC),andDavidVine(Anthropology).Andrea
Brenner(Sociology)isdevelopingthecurriculumforAUx1andafacultymembertobenamedwilldevelopthe
curriculumforAUx2.
WhatwillhappeninFall2017and2018whenwe’re“inbetween”programs?
IncomingstudentsinFall2017willstilltakecoursesinourcurrentGenEdprogram,butwillbeallowedtocount
ComplexProblemsandAUxastwocoursesinthecurrentGenEddistribution.Ifpossible,byFall2018allgeneral
educationcourseswillbeHabitsofMindcourses,butwillalsobemappedbacktotheFoundationAreasforstudents
completingtheirrequirementsthroughtheoldGenEdprogram.
Howwillcoursesbeapproved?
Toeasethetransition,thenewAUCorecommitteewilldesignastreamlinedprocessfortransitioningexisting
coursesintotheHabitofMinddistribution.Similarly,wewilldeviseasimplifiedprocessforvettingComplex
Problemscourses.Wehopetoworkwithothercampuscommitteesandofficestodevelopasimplersystemfor
proposingcoursescampus-wide.
Whatistheroleoffacultyindevelopingthelearninggoals?
Bycreatingsubcommitteescomprisedoffacultyexpertsfromacrosscampus(see“AUCoreCommitteeStructure”
above),weplantodeveloplearninggoalsforeacharea(QuantitativeLiteracy,WritingandInformationLiteracy,
Diversity,ComplexProblemsandHabitsofMind)thatmeetthehighstandardsweexpectforourstudents.Because
wewillhaveanextrayeartodevelopthelearninggoalsandworkwithfacultytocreatenewcourses,wewillhold
campus-wiseroundtablediscussionsnextyearabouteachHabitofMind,aswellasWritingandInformationLiteracy,
QuantitativeLiteracy,andDiversity.
7
Whatkindoffacultysupportwilltherebeasweprepareforthisnewprogram?
Bestpracticesatotherinstitutionstellusthatopportunitiesforongoingfacultyconversationsaboutlearninggoals,
pedagogy,andassessmentareessential.Inthismomentofcurriculartransformation,itisimperativethatwecome
togetherrepeatedlytotalkaboutourworkasteachersinourcorecurriculum.TheAUCoreCommitteewillwork
withCTRL,instructionaldesignersandothercampusofficestofacilitatetheseconversations.
Whyisthereafocusonlearninggoalsratherthancontentareas?
Tomorefullyunderstandwhywearemovinginthisdirection,werecommendyoureadfromourbibliography
(below).Inparticular,werecommendPaulGaston’s“GeneralEducationReformed:HowWeCanandWhyWeMust”
andAAC&U’s“GeneralEducationMapsandMarkers:DesigningMeaningfulPathwaystoStudentAchievement.”The
shortanswertothisquestionisthatwitheasieraccesstoasubstantiallylargerbodyofknowledgeandinformation,
studentsoftenfindthemselvesoverwhelmedandrelyonless-than-idealstrategiesformakingsenseofthisseaof
information.Byexplicitlyteaching“habitsofmind,”wehopetoequipstudentswiththeintellectualskillsnecessary
tosuccessfullyandsoundlymakeuseoftheinformationandknowledgeavailabletothem.
Doesanyonecollegebenefitmorefromthisreformthanothers?
Historically,CASmountsbetween69-72%ofGeneralEducationcourses.Kogodtypicallyoffers4-6%,SOCoffers57%,SISoffers8%,andSPAoffers7-11%.WeexpectHabitsofMindcoursestofallgenerallywithinthesehistorical
proportions.ThedistributionofComplexProblemswillfollow,roughly,thedistributionofintendedmajors.
Arethereopportunitiesforteamteaching?Tandemteaching?
Currently,itisn’tfeasibletocreateteamteachingopportunitiesintheAUCore.Wehopetorevisitthatoptioninthe
future.However,facultywhoseHOMcoursesexaminethesametopicwhileemployingcomplementaryhabitsof
mindmayopttotandemteachandofferperiodiccommonprogramming.Thisoptionmightincludeworkingwith
facultyatAUAbroadinstitutions.
CanmydepartmentofferToolkitcourses?
Yes.Toolkitcoursesareintendedtobecoursesopentostudentsfromanymajor,anddepartmentsareencouraged
todevelopcoursesthatwillappealtostudentscampuswide.
What’shappeningtoUniversityCollege?
ThecoreexperiencebehindtheUniversityCollegeisacourse-basedliving-learningexperiencepairedwithan
experientiallabandsupportedbyastudentprogramassistant.ThenewAUCorecurriculumattemptstoscaleupthis
experiencetoallstudents.WhilesomeofthetraitsofUniversityCollegearenotfeasibleuniversity-wide,enoughof
theexperiencewillbeavailabletoallstudentsthattheUniversityCollegeexperienceisnolongernecessary.Forthat
reason,wehaveagreedthatitwillendwhenthenewcurriculumbegins.
WhichcoursesdoUniversityHonorsandFredrickDouglasDistinguishedScholars(FDDS)studentshavetotake?
TheUniversityHonorscoursesequencealreadyencompassesthelearningoutcomesassociatedwithComplex
ProblemsandthefiveHabitsofMindscourses,soFDDSandHonorsstudentswillnotneedtotakethesecoursesas
well.Theywill,however,needtomeettheAUx,Quantitative,Writing&InformationLiteracy,Diversity,andCapstone
requirements.
HowwillAUScholarsandCommunity-BasedResearchScholars(CBRS)fitintotheAUCorecurriculum?
SpecificsectionsofComplexProblemswillbeopenonlytostudentsineitherAUScholarsorCBRS.Whenever
possible,wewilltrytohaveasecondsectionofthesamecourseopentoallstudents,sothatcertainComplex
Problemstopicsaren’texclusivetotheseprograms.
8
HowwillthisproposalaffectStudyAbroad?
Asiscurrentpolicy,studentswillbeexpectedtocomplete80%oftheirAUCorecourses(notincludingW2,Q2,Dand
Capstonecourses)priortostudyingabroad.Studentsmayapplyuptosixcreditsofcourseworkabroadtowardtheir
generaleducationrequirements,assumingthosecoursesaredeemedtoarticulate.
HowwillstudentschoosetheirComplexProblemstopic?
Weexpecttoofferupover100sectionsofComplexProblemseachfall.Incomingstudentswillbeallowedtochoose
theirtopten,andwewillattempttomatchthemwiththeirpreferences.Thisissubjecttothemanylogisticalissues
tiedtocreatinglearningcommunitiesandmatchingroommates.
Canstudentsoptoutoftheliving-learningcommunities?
Althoughwedonotencourageit,werecognizethatsomestudentswouldprefernottolivewiththeirComplex
Problemsclassmates,sowewillhaveawayforthemtooptout.
Howwilltransferstudentsbeaffectedbythisreform:StudentswhotransfertoAUwillberequiredtotakeComplex
ProblemsandAUExperienceinnon-residentialcohortsdesignedspecificallyfortransferstudents.BecausetransfercreditarticulationstandardsaredifficulttoapplytoHabitsofMindcourses,thenumberofHabitofMindcourses
transferswillberequiredtotakewilldependonhowmanycreditstheybringwiththem.Forexample,weimaginea
systeminwhichstudentswhotransferwith0-14creditsmusttakeallfiveHOMcourses;thosewhotransferwith1529musttakefourHOMcourses;thosewhotransferwith30-44creditsmusttakethreeHOMcourses;thosewho
bringin45+creditsmusttaketwoHOMcourses.
ASelectedBibliography
AAC&U.“GeneralEducationMapsandMarkers:DesigningMeaningfulPathwaystoStudentAchievement.”
Washington:AmericanAssociationofCollegesandUniversities,2015.Print.
AAC&U.“TheLeapChallenge:EducationforaWorldofUnscriptedProblems.”Washington:AmericanAssociationof
CollegesandUniversities,2015.Print.
Arnold,GordonB.andJanetT.Civian.“Theecologyofgeneraleducationreform.”Change.29(1997):18-23.
Bole,William.“ShapingtheCore:Eighteenfacultyhavepairedupforafreshapproachtothecommoncurriculum.”
BostonCollegeMagazine.(Spring2015):13-15.Print.
Diaz,NataliaA.andAnnaKrenkel.“BalancingGeneralEducationandMajorRequirementsatPrivate,Religious
Institutions.”EducationAdvisoryBoard.(2014):1-17.Web.
Fuess,ScottM.andNancyD.Mitchell.“GeneralEducationReform:OpportunitiesforInstitutionalAlignment.”The
JournalofGeneralEducationReform.60.1(2011):1-15.Web.
Gaston,Paul.“GeneralEducationTransformed:HowWeCan,WhyWeMust.”Washington:AmericanAssociationof
CollegesandUniversities,2015.Print.
Hachtmann,Frauke.“TheProcessofGeneralEducationReformfromaFacultyPerspective:AGroundedTheory
Approach.”TheJournalofGeneralEducationReform.61.1(2012):16-38.Web.
HartResearchAssociates.“ItTakesMoreThanaMajor:EmployerPrioritiesforCollegeLearning.”(2012):22-29.
Web.
HartResearchAssociates.“RecentTrendsinGeneralEducationDesign,LearningOutcomes,andTeaching
Approaches:KeyFindingsfromaSurveyamongAdministratorsatAAC&UMemberInstitutions.”(2016):1-15.
Web.
Mardirosian,Haig.“TheReformsinGeneralEducationatAmericanUniversity.”NewDirectionsforHigherEducation.
125(2004):39-49.Web.
Merriam,Susan,EricTrudel,SimeenSattar,MariaSachikoCecire,andMichelleMurray.“IntegrativePathwaysat
BardCollege:ConnectingCoreExperiences.”PeerReview.AAC&U.(Fall2014/Winter2015):23-25.Web.
Wehlburg,CatherineM.,ed.IntegratedGeneralEducation.SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass,2010.Print.
9
Proposed Faculty Manual Changes
Pg. 17, section iv. Committee on Faculty Grievances
Current Language as written in Faculty Manual
The committee represents the Faculty Senate in matters any faculty member, faculty committee,
teaching unit council, or administrative officer refers to it. The committee is the primary
instrument in university governance for faculty review of grievances. It accepts the submission of
a grievance on any subject relating to a faculty member’s professional functioning at American
University. It reviews grievances presented to it and makes recommendations for settling them, in
accordance with the procedures specified in the relevant sections in this Manual. The committee
refers grievances regarding discrimination or sexual harassment to the Dean of Academic Affairs
for resolution in accordance with university policies. At the discretion of the committee, there
may be additional instances in which grievances are referred to the appropriate party. The
committee’s recommendations provide means for resolving differences affecting the interests and
welfare of faculty members and the university.
Proposed Language with Additions Highlighted
The committee represents the Faculty Senate in matters any faculty member, faculty committee,
teaching unit council, or administrative officer refers to it. The committee is the primary
instrument in university governance for faculty review of grievances. It accepts the submission of
a grievance on any subject relating to a faculty member’s professional functioning at American
University. It reviews grievances presented to it and makes recommendations for settling them, in
accordance with the procedures specified in the relevant sections in this Manual. Except in cases
filed under the Appeal Procedures for Denial of Reappointment, Tenure, or Promotion of
Tenure-Line Faculty and Certain Multi-Year-Contract Term Faculty as outlined in this Manual, the
committee refers grievances regarding discrimination or sexual harassment to the Dean of
Academic Affairs for resolution in accordance with university policies. At the discretion of the
committee, there may be additional instances in which grievances are referred to the appropriate
party. The committee’s recommendations provide means for resolving differences affecting the
interests and welfare of faculty members and the university.
Rationale for Change
Clarification of policy
FS Meeting 4-06-2016
Proposed Faculty Manual Changes
Pg. 50, section 5. Appeal Process
Current Language as written in Faculty Manual
5. The Committee on Faculty Grievances will submit its findings and recommendations in a
written report that is supported by a majority vote of the full Committee. This report must include
the majority and minority views and the recommendations supported by the majority. The chair
of the Committee will send it along with a copy of the appeal to the President; the chair will send
a copy of the report to the faculty member, and Provost or Dean of Academic Affairs. The faculty
member will have one week to submit to the President a written response to the report.
Proposed Language with Additions Highlighted
5. The Committee on Faculty Grievances will submit its findings and recommendations in a
written report that is supported by a majority vote of the full Committee. This report must include
the majority and minority views and the recommendations supported by the majority. The chair
of the Committee will send it along with a copy of the appeal to the President; the chair will send
a copy of the report to the faculty member, and Provost or Dean of Academic Affairs. The faculty
member will have 14 calendar days to submit to the President a written response to the report.
Rationale for Change
The CFG felt that two weeks was a more reasonable amount of time to write a response.
FS Meeting 4-06-2016
Proposed Faculty Manual Changes
Pg 52, section 19. D iv. Committee’s Report and Disposition
Current Language as written in Faculty Manual
The Committee on Faculty Grievances will record its findings and recommendations in a written
report. The committee will consult Office of General Counsel to consider any legal issues before
the report is finalized. Ordinarily the committee will submit the report and a copy of the grievance
to the Provost and send a copy of the report to the grievant. If the Provost is the subject of the
complaint or has had substantial involvement in the issues giving rise to the complaint, the
committee will submit the report and a copy of the grievance to the President instead of the
Provost. The grievant will have one week to submit to the Provost (or, if the report was submitted
to the President, the President) a written response to the report.
Proposed Language with Deletions Stuck Though and Additions Highlighted
The Committee on Faculty Grievances will record its findings and recommendations in a written
report. The Office of General Counsel is available for consultation throughout the grievance
process. The committee will consult Office of General Counsel to consider any legal issues before
the report is finalized. Ordinarily the committee will submit the report and a copy of the grievance
to the Provost and send a copy of the report to the grievant. If the Provost is the subject of the
complaint or has had substantial involvement in the issues giving rise to the complaint, the
committee will submit the report and a copy of the grievance to the President instead of the
Provost. The grievant will have one week to submit to the Provost (or, if the report was submitted
to the President, the President) a written response to the report.
Rationale for Change
Legal Counsel recommends this change; the CFG consults with Legal Counsel as needed anyway.
FS Meeting 4-06-16
Proposed Change to the Current Academic Grade Grievance Policy
Submitted by: Lyn Stallings, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Michael Keynes, Associate Dean of Graduate Studies
Date: April 6, 2016
Rationale: The current policy is out of date and cumbersome. This new policy streamlines
the process and takes formal committee review out of the department in which the
complaint has been made.
Policy on Student Academic Grievances
I.
Policy Statement
This Policy on Student Academic Grievances (“SAG Policy”) applies only to final course
grades. Grades on individual assignments and exams may not be grieved until a final course
grade is assigned and only if they impacted the final course grade.
Judgment regarding a student’s academic performance in a course is a faculty responsibility
and is not grievable. In other words, disagreement with the instructor’s professional
judgment about the quality of academic work is not a basis for a grievance.
Students may grieve a grade only if:
a. there was an error in calculation, or
b. the instructor failed to comply with the syllabus or published revisions to the
syllabus, other written and established course requirements, and/or university
policy which had a material impact on the final course grade.
If there is evidence that the final course grade resulted from a violation of the University’s
discrimination policies, students should follow the processes in the University’s
Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy.
Failure to meet any of the above criteria immediately terminates the process.
Each academic unit appoints the appropriate designee(s) for students to contact concerning
grade grievances (“SAG Designee”). The SAG Designee might be a Chair, Director, or
Associate Dean.
Students must initiate discussions with their instructors over their final course grades. If no
informal resolution can be reached, students may ask the SAG Designee of the instructor’s
unit to facilitate a discussion or informal resolution.
Instructors are expected to change grades if they have made an error in calculation.
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II.
Resolution Process
A. Consultation and Informal Resolution
i. If a student disagrees with a course grade, the student must notify the
instructor within ten (10) working days from the posting of the
course grade. Both parties are encouraged to resolve the issue in an
informal manner.
ii. If no informal resolution can be reached or if the instructor is
unavailable for a discussion, the student may seek the assistance of
the SAG Designee within the school or college that the course is
offered.
iii. After consulting with the student and the instructor, the SAG
Designee may do any of the following.
1. If the grade was computed in error or did not comply with
the syllabus or a published revision to the syllabus, other
written and established course requirements, and/or
university policy, the SAG Designee will recommend
corrective actions, including recalculating the grade. If the
instructor does not agree with the corrective action, the
student may file a formal grievance.
2. If there is evidence that the final course grade resulted from a
violation of the University’s discrimination policies, the SAG
Designee will refer the case to the Title IX Officer who will
review the case in accordance with the University’s
Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Policy.
3. If there is no basis, as described in Section I, for the
complaint, then the SAG Designee may dismiss the case.
The student may write an appeal to the Dean of the academic
unit. The Dean may refer the case to a formal grievance or
deny the appeal. If the Dean denies the appeal, the case is
closed.
B. Formal Grievance Process
i. Preliminary Procedures
1. If the student is allowed to file a formal grievance, they may
provide a written grievance (“Formal Grievance”) with the
appropriate Associate Dean within the office of the dean of
the school in which the course or program is offered. The
Formal Grievance must fully describe the nature of the
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complaint, including any supporting documentation, informal
resolution efforts, and the conclusion of the SAG Designee
or Dean.
2. A Formal Grievance must be filed within twenty (20) working
days from the posting of the final course grade or five (5)
working days upon the conclusion of the informal resolution,
whichever is later.
3. Upon receipt of a Formal Grievance, the Associate Dean will
a. notify the parties and the student’s academic and
teaching unit of the Formal Grievance,
b. convene a Formal Grievance Review Committee to
review the Formal Grievance, and
c. allow the parties reasonable access to the case file(s).
ii. Formal Grievance Review Procedures
1. The Formal Grievance Review Committee consists of two
instructors. Committee members generally should not serve
on cases involving their teaching unit/program. Either party
may request that a Committee member be disqualified from
service on the grounds of conflict of interest. The Associate
Dean will have the sole authority to dismiss Committee
members.
2. A Formal Grievance Review (“Review”) is ordinarily
scheduled within fifteen (15) working days from the receipt
of the Formal Grievance. The student may waive in writing
the right to appear for the Review. Otherwise, if the student
fails to appear for the Review, the Committee must dismiss
the case with prejudice unless the student can demonstrate
that he or she was detained for reasons beyond the student’s
control. If the responding instructor does not appear, the
Review may proceed in that person’s absence.
3. The Formal Grievance Review Committee will assess the
basis for the complaint, as described in section I.
4. The Formal Grievance Committee will monitor the length of
the Review and may limit the presentation of irrelevant or
redundant information.
5. Parties to the Formal Grievance Review shall have an
opportunity to state their cases, present evidence and
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witnesses, ask questions, and present a closing statement. The
Formal Grievance Review Committee, at its discretion, may
call additional witnesses, request documents, and take other
action to facilitate a fair review.
6. The student has the burden of presenting a grievance that is
supported by clear and convincing evidence.
7. Either party may be accompanied by an advisor, whose role
in the Review is limited to consultation with the party he or
she accompanies. Advisors have no active or speaking role in
the Formal Grievance Review. Because the purpose of the
Formal Grievance Review is to provide a fair review rather
than a formal legal proceeding, participation of persons acting
as legal counsel or any representative capacity in the grievance
process is not permitted.
8. All Formal Grievance Reviews are closed to the public.
9. It is not the task of the Committee to substitute its judgment
for the responding instructor’s professional judgment about
the student’s performance in the class. The Committee may
require the instructor to take corrective action consistent with
its findings. These actions may include but are not limited to
recalculating the grade, resubmitting academic work, and
changing a grade to “I” pending resubmission of academic
work. If the instructor is unavailable to take corrective
actions, the Associate Dean has the authority to correct the
grade or take other corrective actions.
10. The Formal Grievance Review Committee will issue its
decision, in writing to the applicable Associate Dean for
either undergraduate or graduate studies.
11. The Associate Dean will communicate the Committee’s
decision, including the rationale and remedies (if any), in
writing to the parties. The decision of the Committee is final
and may not be appealed.
12. The Associate Dean is responsible for implementing the
decision of the Committee.
C. Records
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i. All records pertaining to a grievance case shall be maintained for a
period of three years by the office of the dean of the academic unit in
which the grievance occurred.
ii. The student and instructor involved shall be given reasonable access
to the case file before, during, and after the proceeding.
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