TO: Academic Staff
FROM: Susan Bender
Acting Dean of the Faculty
RE: Guidelines for Submission of Department Reconfiguration Plans
DATE: 20 April 1999
This is a request for department reconfiguration proposals, to be submitted to the Associate Dean of the Faculty beginning April 19, 1999. Each department's reconfiguration plan will be reviewed by the Associate Dean of the Faculty and Curriculum Committee to insure that as we reconfigure we (1) maintain adequate course selection for our students at all levels, (2) sustain departmental commitments to delivery of the all college requirements, and (3) preserve or enhance academic standards. The following guidelines should aid you in drafting a proposal that responds to key points of information.
For now, each proposal may consist of a narrative explaining the department's reconfiguration plan, and a projected two year schedule of classes. Proposals to revise or delete courses will need to be added once the proposal is ready for submission to Curriculum Committee. The basic model informing each plan should be that faculty teach five 3-and 4-credit hour courses per year for a total of 36 credit hours over two years. Of course, departments may also deploy 1- and 2-credit hour offerings as current practice endorses. Each department should be offering a mix of 3- and 4-credit hour classes (with 65-75% falling into the latter category), and possibly some 1- and 2-hour experiences as well.
The purpose of the current submission is to allow us to evaluate a complete plan from your department. Here the central concern will be its resource and curricular implications. Once your proposal is in final form and includes all three parts specified above, Curriculum Committee will be responding to issues of pedagogical and curricular soundness. This two-step process will of necessity be iterative, as issues arise and require clarification. Should we need to come back to you for additional clarification or revision, please do not be discouraged. Given the number of variables in play, the process is of necessity quite complex. Recall especially that although you arrive at a plan that works perfectly from a department perspective, your plan must also be reviewed as part of an institution wide endeavor. The latter point might very well surface "sticking points" that will require resolution before moving forward. Nonetheless, we believe that reconfiguration is doable and we look forward to consulting with departments and receiving department proposals when they are ready.
I. NARRATIVES will need to explain how the department's reconfiguration plan:
- responds to the departmental (or program) mission statement and objectives, including rationales for dropping some courses from the total number of courses required for the major (8 or 9 course norm for B.A. majors and 13 or fewer in professional programs and the sciences under reconfiguration).
- deepens student engagement in the discipline, while maintaining or enhancing standards for their performance.
- pays adequate attention to creating a balance between the number of seats in courses offered at the introductory and advanced levels. (There must be sufficient seats for underclass students; see CEPP memo of 9/17/98 re curriculum resources for first-year students.)
- maintains or increases to an appropriate level the number of courses that contribute to all college requirements. These should account for 40-45% of the total number of seats offered in all departmental courses. (A large number of departments routinely meet this goal at present.)
- maintains departmental contributions to interdisciplinary programs and the Honors Forum.
- accounts for an average increase of 3-4 students in course enrollments.
- incorporates a mechanism for allocating courses across all available time slots in the week.
- compares with the previous two years of department scheduling. (The Registrar's office can provide schedule information as needed.)
Please see CEPP/DOF November memo on reconfiguration for additional information on these points.
II. TWO YEAR SCHEDULES will need clearly to indicate:
- enrollment caps, with rationale. ( See CEPP memo of 9/17/98 re curriculum resources for first-year students.)
- the number of seats offered each term at the 100, 200 and 300 levels.
- those courses contributing to all college requirements and interdisciplinary programs.
- projected course releases, while providing rationale for same.
- courses that are being dropped from current departmental offerings.
III. PROPOSALS TO REVISE OR DELETE COURSES:
CEPP has drafted guidelines for revising courses from 3 to 4 credit hour offerings (attached). These guidelines should indicate how Curriculum Committee will evaluate proposals for such revisions. Moreover, Curriculum Committee has drafted a new Course Revision form that should solicit appropriate information from faculty.
