Suggested agenda for 8th work group meeting, March 14, 2003

draft by H. Marcuse

  1. Last meeting was taped--for those not present: ok to tape this one, too?
  2. Discussion of SocSci chairs meeting on March 10.
    Ask depts. to send us a list of courses THEY'd like to put on new GE. Time frame?
  3. David's report on data on enrollments
  4. Stock-taking (only slightly modified from last week):
    AP for GE: only in quantitative, and WRT spec. req. with minimum score of 5 (NOT Wrt 2?).
    Criteria ["rules"] 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)
        Dan: also not restricted to UD only [Beth/soc: leave 10 spaces in UD/majors only for GE]
    3. preferably, but not necessarily, either writing-intensive or quantitative relationships
        Dan's guideline: each dept. with GE offerings must offer some courses with WRT or QNT.
    4. frequency of offering: must be offered at least 3 times once per 1 (or 2?) 5 year(s)
    new "guidelines" from Dan:
    5. topically appropriate for core or special requirement
    6. relatively broad in scope, providing an overview of a subject area
        [Harold's idea: "surveys of knowledge" would be broad; "frontiers of inquiry" focused.]
    7. appropriate for students w/o background, ergo typically LD
  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: class size limitation (20/25?), rolling 3-year review
  1. Next meetings:
    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 director
    -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)

prepared for web by H. Marcuse, 3/14/03
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