Discussion 1
Nuts and Bolts of
Semester Conversion
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CAL STATE LA
Zen and the Art of Semester
Conversion
Cheryl Ney, Associate Vice President for
Academic Affairs
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http://eigenblogger.com/2010/09/10/post1594/
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Getting Started with
Semester Conversion
Rennie Schoepflin, Director of Semester
Conversion
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Semester Conversion: Organizational and Committee Structure
Executive Sponsors-University President and Provost
Semester Conversion Project Director
University Semester Conversion Committee
Subcommittees of University Semester Conversion Committee
1. Student Advising
2. Enrollment Services
3. Information Technology
4. CSU Cross-Campus
5. Administrative Services
6. Communications
Curricular review will use existing committees within academic governance
at the department, college, and institutional levels
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Curriculum Conversion and
Advisement:
I. Operational Recommendations for submission, review,
and approval of proposals for curriculum conversion
II. E-advising
Margaret Garcia, Associate Professor, Division of Special
Education and Counseling
Steven Jones, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies
Parviz Partow-Navid, Associate Director for Semester
Conversion
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Operational Recommendations for
submission, review, and approval
of proposals for curriculum
conversion (based on Task Force
recommendations)
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Online Curriculum Proposal and Review:
• Develop and utilize SharePoint for electronic
curriculum review process and tracking with proposals
uploaded as Word documents;
• Make most recently approved course proposals
available as scanned documents in the SharePoint
archive (prior proposals will be available upon request
from college offices or from the Office of
Undergraduate Studies);
• Make all course proposals submitted for semester
conversion available as read only documents for all
faculty and staff;
• Cut and paste existing programs in the e-catalog
program into program modification proposals and use
Track Changes to indicate proposed modifications.
Training:
• During Fall 2013, make available to faculty
training in developing proposals and using the
SharePoint website.
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Objections:
• Only Department Chairs, Associate Deans, and
College EPC will be authorized to post formal
objections through the SharePoint website.
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Timeline:
• Since curriculum conversion must be
completed by May 2015 to be available Fall
Quarter 2016, course and program proposals
should be submitted by the colleges to the
Office of Undergraduate Studies for University
review no later than the start of Fall Quarter,
2014.
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Committee Structure:
• Use existing curriculum review process with
appropriate support to compensate the faculty
members serving on college and University
committees to review the course and program
modification proposals; committees would
include six five-member college curriculum
committees, three University committees (GES,
Undergraduate Curriculum, and Graduate
curriculum) with six college representatives on
each committee, and EPC .
• Increases number of units taken per student.
• Assists with identifying Course Demand with real time analysis
on which courses are being searched for the most.
• Helps students’ graduate on-time by eliminating
"filler" classes with fast, easy schedule planning.
• Advisors have more time assisting students
decide which classes to take, not the specific times
to take them.
• Eliminates laborious schedule generation for special student
cohorts like incoming freshmen and athletes.
• http://collegescheduler.com/benefits.html
• http://www.collegescheduler.com/helpvideo.html?recipient=cney@cslanet.calstatela.edu
California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) has elected to use Ad
Astra scheduling software for scheduling of academic and event
activities. One primary goal for CSULA is to enhance course access for
students in alignment with campus resources. Ad Astra scheduling
module assists in developing course schedules that optimizes the
availability of faculty and space for the benefit of students.
Accessing Ad Astra
• Please fill out the Student Administration Account request
document located at the Information Technology Services forms
page (http://www.calstatela.edu/its/forms/) and submit the form
to the University Registrar, Enrollment Services office, ADM 401.
• Use the link below to access the Ad Astra production:
http://adastra.calstatela.edu
Platinum analytics software helps to improve course availability,
retention, and graduation rate by:
• Evaluating course offerings along with student demand to
identify section addition and reduction candidates
• Providing data to refine course offering times to optimize
students’ course access
• Helping on-time completion of students' degree requirements
through the interactive Academic Planner
What-if
Analysis
Advisor
Notes
GE Revision
and the Faculty
Cheryl Koos, Chair
GE Revision Committee and GE
Subcommittee
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Institutional Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge: Mastery of Content and
Processes of Inquiry
• Proficiency: Intellectual Skills
• Place and Community: Urban and Global
Mission
• Transformation: Integrative Learning
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Proposed General Education
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge: Mastery of Content and Processes of Inquiry
Students who complete GE:
• Demonstrate understanding of the physical and natural
world.
• Demonstrate understanding of contemporary events within
political and historical contexts.
• Demonstrate understanding of the diversity of cultures and
communities in the United States and abroad.
• Demonstrate understanding of ethics and social
inequalities.
• Demonstrate understanding of a range of disciplinary ways
of knowing
GE Learning Outcomes (cont.)
Proficiency: Intellectual Skills
Students who complete GE:
• Demonstrate civic literacy that would enable them to
participate effectively in a democratic society.
• Use inquiry processes, including quantitative and
qualitative reasoning and critical and creative thinking, to
engage with contemporary and enduring questions.
• Find, use, evaluate and process information in order to
engage in complex decision-making and problem solving.
• Read, speak and write effectively.
• Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively.
GE Learning Outcomes (cont.)
Engagement: Local and Global Communities
Students who complete GE:
• Demonstrate the capacity to engage meaningfully with
diverse communities.
• Demonstrate understanding of how individuals affect
society and the environment.
• Demonstrate the capacity to make well informed, ethical,
and socially responsible decisions.
• Demonstrate understanding of the interconnectedness of
local and global communities.
• Demonstrate literacy in the perspectives and needs of
individuals and groups.
GE Learning Outcomes (cont.)
Transformation: Integrative Learning
Students who complete GE:
• Integrate academic learning with life through
project-based experiences.
• Integrate their knowledge, skills and
experience to address complex, enduring, and
emerging issues.
Fall 2013 GE Revision Committee
Agenda
• Complete draft of new GE Framework
Proposal
• Hold town hall meetings on GE Framework
draft
• Introduce GE Framework and Learning
Outcomes to the Academic Senate
The Faculty and GE
• How can the faculty participate in the
process?
• PARTICIPATE CONSTRUCTIVELY
• BE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS
• ENCOURAGE COLLEAGUES TO BE ENGAGED
IN THE PROCESS
Faculty Workload: During
and After Semester
Conversion
Philip LaPolt, Assistant Vice President for Academic
Personnel
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Faculty Workload: During and
After Semester Conversion
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What’s My Workload?
• Typical faculty workload is 12 units, plus 3 units of
indirect instructional activity.
• Under quarters, 12 units =
12 hrs per week x 10 weeks =
120 instructional hrs (x 3 = 360 hours per year)
• Under semesters, 12 units =
12 hrs per week x 15 weeks =
180 instructional hrs (x 2 = 360 hours per year)
• The academic calendar is workload neutral.
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Then what’s different?
• Quarters: three courses x four hours per week
(four-unit courses)
• Semesters: four courses x three hours per week
(three-unit courses)
4x3=3x4
• Per year, nine courses typically taught under
quarters, eight courses under semesters
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However….
• Neither the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
nor University policy define the workload of faculty,
in terms of WTUs.
• CBA: “faculty shall not be assigned an excessive
number of contact hours, assume an excessive
student load, or be assigned an unreasonable
workload or schedule.”
• Flexibility in faculty assignments is therefore
possible, within budgetary, scheduling, and
enrollment constraints.
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Achieving Flexibility
Ways of reducing the numbers of WTUs assigned to faculty
could include……
- increasing average class size and student/faculty
ratio;
- adding more large lecture classes and more very
large lecture classes with TA and GA support;
- additional external grant, foundation, or endowment
funding of release time; and
- additional general funds to supplement the
instructional budget.
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CAL STATE LA
Workload During Conversion
• Faculty will receive assigned time to do the
work of converting programs and curriculum.
• Assigned time may be used during academic
quarters (classes off) and during periods
between quarters and in summer (additional
salary).
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Basis of Assigned Time
• Assigned time will be based on the amount of
work to be done in the department.
• Basic factors considered:
– Numbers of undergraduate, graduate, and
credential programs
– Numbers of General Education and service
courses offered
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Basis of Assigned Time
• Additional factors considered:
– Conversion-Plus: transformation of
programs and curricula
– Early completion of department approvals
– Other rationale for additional assigned time
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Discussion 1
Nuts and Bolts of Semester Conversion
Questions?
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CAL STATE LA