Suggested agenda for 7th work group meeting, March 7, 2003

draft by H. Marcuse [version with HM's post-meeting notes]

  1. Approval of minutes. Can we tape meetings for transcription?
  2. Announcements: Notes on HFA chairs meeting on 3/3/3 were distributed on e-mail.
    New core area X under consideration: "frontiers of knowledge"
    New e-mail alias: gegroup@mail.lsit.ucsb.edu (sends to all of us)
  3. Summary so far (are we in agreement on this? other issues I've missed?):
    AP for GE: only in quantitative, and WRT spec. req. with minimum score of 5 (NOT Wrt 2?).
    Criteria for inclusion on list of core courses:
    1. must be open to non-majors on first registration pass
    2. no prerequisites EXCEPT one other GE course (intended for sequence courses only)
    3. preferably, but not necessarily, either writing-intensive or quantitative relationships
    4. frequency of offering: must be offered at least once per 1 (or 2?) year(s)
  1. Area A: update description to include information technology (etc.).
  2. Area B: no change (or: raise AP score from 3 to 4, then high school grade from C to B?)
  3. Area C: Leave at 3 courses. Pare down list as per criteria.
  4. Area D: discuss chairs' feelings about reduction from 3 to 2 (pedagogic rationale);
    made more palatable by possibility of divisional courses in new core Area X.
  5. Area E: various options.
    1. (TF) remove subdivision, reduce from 3 to 2 courses, pare down list. (WCiv as special req.)
    2. (Dan) 3 courses in 3 subdivisions: WCiv, Non-WCiv, "intersections"
  6. Areas F and G: various options
    1. (TF) leave as they are with new descriptions, pare down list
    2. (Harold): combine and reduce from 4 to 3 courses, subdivision or (preferably) not
    3. Reduce further to 2 courses; new offerings in new core Area X.
  7. Special requirements
    quantitative: raise minimum AP score from 3 to 4.
    ethnicity: no change in existing; possible addition of 2nd as spec. requirement or core area
    nwc: no change, or new subcategory of Area E under Dan's proposal
    Proposals: Western civ.; interdisciplinary/comparative
    Writing-intensive
  1. Writing intensive requirement
    1. What is wrong with existing? (no quality control, definition too rigid, need more upper division)
    2. Need for different divisional definitions that depts. and course review committee can work with
        Can we form subcommittees? (# words, # assignments, # revisions/drafts, % of grade)
    3. Once approved for WI, a course MUST always fulfill this requirement (or not?)
    4. Resource issues (TAs, class size, instructor training, bio-bib 'credit')
  2. Next meetings:
    Mar. 10: noon-12:30/:45, 2217 Cheadle: meeting with Social Science chairs. WHO WILL ATTEND?
    Mar. 14: -convolute of ethnicity, WCiv., interdisc; issue of new core vs. spec. req.; plan 2nd HFA mtg.
    Apr. 11: Implementation and management options
    -position of GE administrator
    -impacts on enrollment (new areas, AP) [need data!]
    -how to review existing list (roles of administration, departments, ad hoc review committee)
    -GE web site with updated syllabi
    -inclusion on bio-bib (meet with CAP)

    3. prepared for web by H. Marcuse, 3/14/03
    back to work group main page