CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
ANNUAL REPORT 1999-2000
MEMBERSHIP:
Susan Bender, Associate Dean of the Faculty
Candice Berdichevsky '00
Gerry Erchak (Chair)
Hugh Foley (Fall '99)
Kate Graney
Ann Henderson, Registrar
Charles Joseph
Joel Kurzynski '00 (Fall '99)
Rob Linrothe
Mark Manilov '00 (Spring '00)
Jon Ramsey, Dean of Studies
Monica Raveret Richter (Spring '00)
Paty Rubio
Joanna Zangrando, Director of Liberal Studies
Curriculum Committee met a total of 27 times during the
academic year 1999-2000. Four of those meetings were double-length and
took place over winter break. In addition, CC held four extra meetings
in conjunction with CEPP during the year. Also, the Self-Determined Majors
Subcommittee met 5 times. And another subcommittee, the famous Reconfiguration
Review Group (RRG) also met numerous times independent of CC itself! In
short, it was the busiest year for CC in recent memory. A brief summary
of the committee's actions follows.
1. 68 new courses were approved in various disciplines,
ranging in credit hours from 1 to 4.
2. Of these 68, 13 courses were approved as LS 2 courses.
Of these, 5were conversions from "old LS" to new LS 2. One course was
deleted from LS 2 and moved back to a discipline; one LS course was taught
as HF; and two were converted to 4 credits.
3. 141 courses were revised in some way. Of these revisions,
1 fulfilled Arts B, 3 Society A, 2 Society B, 3 Writing-Intensive, 6 NW,
3 Nature A, 4 Nature B, 4 IA, 4 ES, 2 Law & Soc., 2 WS, 7 HF, and 2 QR2.
4. 36 courses were deleted from the Catalogue.
5. "Liberal Arts Credit" was redefined and made more inclusive
and broad. CC's chair sent a memo out to all faculty on 1 Dec. '99 which
noted, inter alia, that some students were finding themselves without
enough "LA" credits to graduate. This problem stemmed from hazy, inconsistent,
and even contradictory use and definition of "Liberal Arts" over the years.
CC's solution is not to define Liberal Arts, but rather to define more
narrowly non-liberal arts as follows: Non-liberal arts courses are those
courses which focus more or less exclusively on a technical skill as an
end in itself and apart from a theoretical framework or conceptual context."
Hence many courses currently listed as non-liberal arts in the college
catalogue should be reassessed and converted (through CC, of course) to
Liberal Arts credit.
6. The following programs proposed reconfiguration plans
during the year that were approved by CC: American Studies, Anthropology,
Computer Science, Economics, Education Studies, English, History, Philosophy,
Psychology, Religion, Social Work, and Sociology. Curriculum Committee
will continue review of reconfiguration proposals in 2000-01, hoping to
have the entire curriculum reconfigured by January 2001. Remaining programs
should have their proposals in to CC by Dec. 15, 2000.
7. The programs and/or majors in item #6 above included
revisions in mission statements, major requirements, minor requirements
(where relevant), all interdepartmental majors and minors that these participate
in, and other revisions of catalogue language.
8. CC approved changes in the Asian Studies and Chemistry
minors.
9. CC approved requested changes in BI-CH major.
10. CC approved changes in the Women's Studies major and
minor.
11. CC approved changing the name of the Geology Dept. to
the Department of Geosciences.
12. CC approved new Mission Statements for Chemistry and
Foreign Languages and Literatures.
13. CC's Self-Determined Majors Subcommittee met 5 times
during the academic year. The SDM reports that 7 self-determined majors
graduated. The SDM Subcom. also accepted 11 new SDM proposals and is currently
reviewing 3 new ones. The subcommittee is comprised of Steven Frey (Chair),
Phil Boshoff, Lynne Gelber, Paty Rubio (member of CC) and Jon Ramsey.
Roy Rotheim will join the SDM Committee in the Fall of 2000. Steve Frey
will chair again in Fall 2000, with Roy Rotheim taking over as chair in
Spring 2001 (Steve will be on sabbatical).
I would like to thank all of the members of Curriculum Committee
for being so helpful and dedicated throughout an exceptionally busy and
confusing year. Ann Henderson deserves and receives special thanks for,
inter alia, maintaining and posting forms and revisions on the committee's
web page. The committee's operating code, guidelines for all requirements,
and forms can be found on our web page.
MEMBERSHIP 2000-2001:
Susan Bender, Associate Dean of the Faculty
Pat Ferraioli - 2003
Hugh Foley (Chair) - 2001
Corey Freeman-Gallant - 2003
Ann Henderson, Registrar
Eric Lewis - 2001
Rob Linrothe - 2002 (on leave Spring 2001)
Jon Ramsey, Dean of Studies
Patricia Rubio - 2002
Joanna Zangrando, Director of Liberal Studies
Two student representatives, to be apponted
Respectfully submitted,
Gerald M. Erchak, Chair, Curriculum Committee
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