Ad Hoc Curriculum Implementation Working Group
MINUTES
Ad Hoc Working Group
4 December 2002
Attending: Briggs, Brubaker, Ewing, Maurer, Paul, Ryan, J. Johnson,
Manuwal
12/17 FACULTY MEETING
Need to decide by Friday 12/6 what will be presented to 12/17 faculty
meeting.
DIVISION CRITERIA FOR MAINTAINING/DROPPING COURSES
Gustafson will attend 12/6 meeting to discuss the M&E approach. Manuwal
attended this meeting to review ES Division plans, including eliminating
or consolidating courses with enrollments below 11 (undergrad) or 8
(grad), per University policy. He notes ESC490, 491, 492 have identical
descriptions may be consolidated, but will consult with Trudeau for
clarification about need for separate listings. Some courses co-listed
with other departments show small enrollments for the ESC listing but have
larger aggregate enrollments. It is unclear how credit for these courses
is tracked and whether it may be advisable to eliminate the co-listings,
although this may be perceived as reducing links with other units. This
question could be put to Debra Friedman on her visit next week.
ONE CURRICULUM OR TWO?
Information presented by Trudeau shows that PSE and other programs cannot
be merged into a single curriculum. The Faculty Senate website states
that to be considered the same major, "programs consisting of 50 credits
or more [must] share at least 50% of their required credits." Carolyn
Plumb (Engineering), former chair of the Faculty Council on Academic
Standards, confirmed that options that do not share at least 50% of
courses would not be approved. The large number of PSE prerequisites in
math, chemistry, physics and engineering (~100 credits) makes it
impossible to share >50% of credits with a broader, less restrictive
College curriculum. The sustainability of PSE as a separate major is a
separate issue. The work group discussed that each of the proposed
curricula should be held to the same standards, but that these standards
have yet to be developed.
RESTRICTED ELECTIVES
The two models under discussion are:
* "columns," associations of classes organized as sets of required or
recommended courses. Could take the form of options that could be listed
on student transcripts. Advantage: gives greater recognition of
professional education/experiences. Disadvantage: likely maintains status
quo, fails to send the needed message of curricular change, discourages
emergence of new associations within College and to other UW units, leaves
faculty and students isolated in interest areas
* "galaxy," an unstructured array of courses from which students may
design their own path of study using advising and suggested course
selections. Virtues are flexibility, many possible ways of linking with
outside units and organizations, current specialized programs can
continue. A downside is potential loss of program visibility, which may
be offset with good "navigational" tools. Maurer, on being asked
directly, stated that she would prefer the "galaxy" model because of the
flexibility and larger number of options that could be made from it. She
felt that she was aware of her interests and goals enough that she could
take advantage of the openness, although other students may be more
comfortable with more guidance. Nine of those attending plus one absentee
endorsed this model; one member abstained. .
CORNERSTONE (CORE) COURSES
Should they be offered at the 200 or 300 level? Trudeau had suggested (by
email) 200 level, as they could attract majors to the College. Brubaker
argued strongly for 300 level on the basis that these are integral to our
new identity. These courses should:
* collectively define our niche in UW (integration of biotic,
physical and social science for understanding of individual-to-regional
scales and problems)
* be meaty, substantial, collaborative,
* provide a foundation for instruction in more specialized areas
They should not be
* service courses, although they should be open to nonmajors
* designed in isolation
* an added burden of irrelevant material
* delay progress of transfer students
The working group agreed that these courses should be offered at the 300
level. Johnson suggested that courses should be under the direction of a
coordinator and several other participating faculty, with incentives
including changes in how team and interdisciplinary teaching is recognized
to prevent this new effort from merely multiplying the burden on
individual faculty. This set of courses may be very attractive to
nonmajors, so control may be required to guarantee CFR students first
access. In future, a certificate for nonmajors who complete all of the
cornerstone courses could attract very large enrollments.
Discussion turned to the content and design of the courses. Although the
previously identified topics (ecology, society/culture, economics,
analysis/measurement) are still considered most appropriate, further work
must focus on number, titles and content of course courses.
IMPLEMENTATION
The working group began a list of implementation tasks that will be
necessary once a revised curriculum model is adopted, including:
* consolidation/repackaging of course content to improve teaching
efficiency
- develop new courses
- cornerstone courses
- courses linking to other campus units
- service courses
*Criteria for course sustainability
- enrollment levels (should they be higher than University minima?)
- consideration of teaching load per faculty
- credit for team teaching, joint-listed courses, etc
- balance of above factors to allow occasional quarters off for research
or new course development (reportedly done in Biology; how this is
done under the Instructional Responsibility Policy?)
Finally, as the recommendations for the 12/17 faculty meeting begin to
take shape, the time has come to communicate these ideas to faculty,
assess response, and identify areas of concern.
NEXT MEETING
Friday, 12/6, 2:30 in 103 Winkenwerder
Agenda:
* presentation of core and restricted electives recommendations to
12/17 meeting
* core design
*discuss Agee recommendation on service courses
MINUTES
Ad Hoc Working Group
25 November 2002
Attending: Agee, Catlett, Ewing, Brubaker, Fridley, Maurer, Northey, Perez-Garcia, Ryan,
Trudeau
AGENDA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Update from EFC
Suggested survey
Summarize responses re undergraduate course on wilderness
Undergraduate curricula
Action items
1. UPDATE FROM EFC
EFC is to assist the Ad Hoc Working Group in any way it needs help. It has established one of
the two requested subcommittees: Hinckley, Ford and Paun have volunteered to develop “links
within UW.” Although the subcommittee on graduate programs has not been established, the
EFC agrees that an evaluation would be good.
If the committee has something ready to submit for a faculty vote, public notice must be made at
least 3 days in advance. As Perez-Garcia will be out of town, Chalker-Scott will be chairing
EFC. She has targeted 12/10 for receipt of documentation on points of discussion or motions
that might go to a vote at that meeting.
2. SUGGESTED SURVEY
The committee revisited the question of whether to ask the faculty (electronic survey) for
comments about the general curriculum structure presented at the Nov 17th faculty meeting.
Several members spoke against a survey, saying a) it is possible to wear out faculty with votes
and surveys; b) the recent faculty vote said “keep going.” The committee decided rather than a
survey to encourage faculty to attend its open, regularly scheduled meetings and to arrange times
for face-to-face discussions.
4. UNDERGRADUATE CURRICULUM
The committee agreed that all future curricula should be held to the same standards of
productivity and efficiency. It is the committee’s understanding that in order for programs to be
considered the same major they must have at least half of their courses in common. Trudeau will
work with PSE faculty to produce for the next meeting a statement of whether/why it is
impossible by UW rules to merge PSE with the other areas. Northey/PSE faculty will
summarize by 12/2 committee meeting their program redesign, including how they plan to
ensure its sustainability and how their large service courses will fit. The Dec 17th faculty
meeting must include a report on the PSE curriculum.
Potential elements of the broad curriculum (i.e, Curriculum A) were discussed. In general
outline, the proposed curriculum would be composed of:
~60 cr prerequisites
~20 cr four cornerstone courses (ecology, economics, social sciences, analysis)
~35 cr restricted electives
~55 cr free electives
~capstone: see below
Prerequisites: should be defined first; Trudeau will bring list of prerequisites developed last year
to 12/2 meeting.
Cornerstone courses: Wait to discuss further until prerequisites and restricted electives are
clarified. Comments included: 1) courses are not designed to be taken in any prescribed order, 2)
should be designed in consultation with each other so content complements rather than repeats.
Restricted electives: Ideas were discussed, with no conclusions. Restricted electives might be
anything CFR offers, with sufficient enrollment and some minimum number of upper division
credits. Two potential approaches: 1) formal options to directed student outcomes, or 2) an
array of courses from which students build their educational experience with strong opportunities
to link to other UW programs.
Free electives: Can be taken to “round out” a student’s university education or can be focused
toward an area of student specialization using UW courses that complement the College’s
offerings.
Capstone: Perhaps only associated with certificate programs, but required for them.
Advisors/website should provide suggested paths for students to select coursework that prepares
them for professional specialization or general education goals.
5. ACTION ITEMS:
o Trudeau will work with PSE faculty to present the definitive information at the next meeting
that, due to UW restrictions, PSE cannot be merged with other curricula
o Northey/PSE faculty will outline by 12/2 their proposed program redesign, including its
sustainability, and large service courses.
o
Trudeau will bring list of prerequisites that generally apply to nonPSE majors
o
Agee will consider potential service courses.
o
Ewing will contact the “Links with UW” group.
o Ryan will consider restricted electives course list (starting with current courses having >10
students)
Agenda for next meeting:
(-1) Wilderness course (not covered 11/25)
1.
Prerequisites
2.
Restricted electives
3.
Capstone
4.
Service Courses
5.
PSE
cfr.washington.edu