COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIONAL
POLICY AND PLANNING
ANNUAL REPORT 1999-2000
Committee Membership,
1999-2000:
Paul, Arciero
Sandy Baum
Sue Bender
John Brueggemann
Pat Oles
Phil Ortiz (Spring semester)
David Peterson (Chair)
Gordon Thompson
Kelly Sullivan ('02)
Abby Swormstedt ('00)
Eric Weller (Fall semester)
The Committee on Educational
Policies and Planning met approximately 38 times during the 1999-2000
academic year. In addition to the committee's regular meetings, it met
jointly with curriculum committee on five occasions; twice in November
to discuss "reconfiguration", and three times in February to discuss "maximum
caps" on course enrollments. The committee's numerous task forces and
sub-committees also met frequently and reported back, as appropriate,
to the CEPP at its regular meetings.
The CEPP began its work
in August reviewing the recommendations of the Asheville Curriculum Team
(Sue Bender, David Peterson, John Thomas, Gordon Thompson, Joanna Zangrando),
the five member team which attended the AAC&U sponsored Asheville Institute
on General Education (June 5-9) at the University of North Carolina, Asheville.
The group recommended that the CEPP continue the work of the previous
year, pursuing a revision of the all-College core curriculum "that develops
intellectual proficiencies within the context of the array of knowledge
domains represented in the liberal arts and that continues such development
into advanced levels of learning". The group also recommended that the
CEPP not constrain its work to a fixed one-year calendar, but rather allow
as much time as needed to ensure a "process of open, broad-ranging discussion,
focusing upon our current strengths, our shared objectives, and the intellectual
preparedness of our students". These recommendations, along with the "Report
from the Asheville Curriculum Team", were presented to Academic Staff
on August 31, 1999.
Throughout the year the
CEPP sought a variety of ways, both formally and informally, to engage
colleagues in open and constructive discussions about the curriculum.
Most notably, the CEPP led a well-attended Pedagogy Workshop on Friday,
September 24, and sponsored a lecture and workshop by curriculum consultant
Jack Meacham on November 18 and 19.
In response to the December
3rd Faculty vote in support of "reconfiguration" the CEPP met to discuss
the implications of the vote and a growing call from faculty to reduce
the size of the present core curriculum. Concerned that "reconfiguration"
will cause our current core to consume far too much (in many instances
over 50%) of a student's total course work, the CEPP resolved to redouble
its efforts to develop a draft for a new core curriculum, with an eye
toward reducing the overall number of requirements. On December 14 the
CEPP distributed to faculty (via email) a set of five questions to assist
the committee in focusing its own deliberations and to stimulate further
campus-wide conversations. A total of sixteen (16) responses were received
between December 14, 1999 and February 3, 2000; the vast majority supporting
the goals of a revised and "streamlined" core curriculum based upon the
integration of intellectual proficiencies and traditional content areas.
Throughout the Spring
semester the CEPP continued to focus its efforts on developing a draft-model
for a revised core curriculum. In March the CEPP assembled an Intercultural
Education Taskforce (John Anzalone, Jack Ling, Rob Linrothe, Phil Ortiz,
and Jill Sweet) to assist the committee with this particularly complex
aspect of the core. The taskforce was able to provide the committee with
a wealth of insights and is to be commended for its fine work.
As reported to the Faculty
(April 7, 2000) and the Board of Trustees (May 5, 2000), the CEPP believes
that it has made considerable progress toward developing the framework
for a new core curriculum and anticipates having a draft-model to present
to faculty early in the Fall 2000 semester. Members of the committee agreed
to meet periodically throughout the summer to continue this work.
In addition to its work
on the curriculum, the CEPP approved the 2002-2003 academic calendar and
reviewed proposals for four (4) new academic prizes: "The Erwin L. Levine
Prize in Government", Government Department (approved November 1999);
"The Jerome Solomon Ginsberg Memorial Award in European and International
Integration Studies", International Affairs Program (approved February
2000); "The Margaret Paulding Award in Dance", Department of Exercise
Science, Dance, and Athletics (approved April 2000); and "The Margaret
Paulding Award in Exercise Science", Department of Exercise Science, Dance,
and Athletics (approved April 2000).
CEPP representatives served
on the following committees and sub-committees during the year:
Asheville Curriculum Team
(Sue Bender, David Peterson, Gordon Thompson),
Committee on Assessment, Standards and Expectations (Sandy Baum),
Information Resources Taskforce (Paul Arciero),
nstitutional Planning Committee (David Peterson),
Intercultural Education Taskforce (Phil Ortiz),
Library Director Search Committee (Gordon Thompson),
Reconfiguration Review Sub-committee (John Brueggemann).
Finally, as Chair of the
CEPP I would like to thank each and every member of the committee for
their diligence, wisdom, and patience throughout the year. It was an honor
and a pleasure to serve with you. The committee membership for the 2000-2001
academic year will be: Adam Abramowitz ('01), Sandy Baum, Sue Bender,
John Brueggemann (Chair), Pat Fehling, Pat Oles, Lary Opitz, Phil Ortiz,
and David Peterson.
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