Since its April 6 report to the Faculty Senate, the Curriculum Committee met on April 7 and April 27. With regard to the following, the committee:

Course Inventory and Modification

Reviewed 58 Course Inventory (47) and Modification (11) Requests: COBA (1), SOM (2), COSM (9), CECS (9), CEHS (12), COLA (25) -- approved 54 and returned 4 for additional clarification.

Undergraduate Program Changes

Approved an Electrical Engineering Program (CECS) change to delete CHM 122 and reduce the required graduation credit hours from 203 to 198 credit hours.

Approved an Early Childhood Education Program (CEHS) change to add MTH 244 (3 hours), correct MTH 143 (from 3 to 4 hours), and increase graduation hours from 195 to 199 hours. The Program was reviewed at length in the December and January meetings of the UCAPC. It was also presented to the Faculty Senate and approved. At that time, the current change was discussed and anticipated as a future submission.

New Undergraduate Programs

Reviewed revisions to an International Business Major Program (COBA) proposal. In addition to several modifications to the March 4 proposal, it was requested that the proposal be submitted to other units for review. All modifications were incorporated and reviews and letters of support were received from Donna Schlagheck, Director, International Studies Program and Marquerite MacDonald, Executive Director, University Center for International Education. The revised proposal was approved.

Approved a proposal for a Certificate in Women's Studies (COLA) Program pending incorporation of a comprehensive evaluation component as called for in the Guidelines for Preparing Undergraduate Certificate Programs. The proposal was accordingly revised and approved.

Reviewed the proposals for a B.A. in English - concentration in English with an emphasis in Language Arts Education Program and a B.A. in Social Science Education Program (COLA). Both proposals are undergoing additional review with anticipation that final approval will be made in May.

General Education Program

Assessed the General Education Task Force Report and Recommendations for revisions to the General Education Program. Donna Schlagheck, Co-Chair of the GE Task Force, accepted an invitation to give a presentation to the committee. Following discussion, the committee felt that, among other things, the recommendations: (1) produce a more balanced program, (2) create more flexibility and better position the GE curriculum for the future (3) focus more on student competencies than on course content, (4) provide a mechanism for including diversity in the curriculum, and (5) maintain, if not enhance, Writing Across the Curriculum Program opportunities. The committee noted the absence of a specific assessment plan and recommended the development of such a plan with milestones and time lines for ongoing assessment. Overall, the committee supported the recommended revisions.

Began review of the report and recommendations for Diversity in General Education submitted by the Committee on Diversity in the Curriculum, chaired by Bill Rickert, Dean, COLA. The report and recommendations have been distributed to all faculty and have been made available to faculty and staff on the UCAPC web site (www.wright.edu/admin/uucapc/ucapc.htm). They have been submitted to the Provost for review by that office and the council of deans. They are currently under consideration by the General Education Oversight and Assessment Committee. During May, UCAPC will continue to review the recommendations of the committee and feedback from the university community. Based on such, it will again report to the Faculty Executive Committee and then the Faculty Senate on June 1, 1998.

Discussed the need for the creation of a General Education Committee as a standing subcommittee to UCAPC. The GEC would have responsibility for recommending action and policy to the UCAPC for the General Education Program. Creation of the committee also addresses the need for a faculty member serving as a director of the GE Program. The committee is currently reviewing a draft proposal which would be submitted as an amendment to the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws.

Writing Across the Curriculum Program

Heard a report from Joe Law, WAC Committee chair and Director of the WAC Program. The WAC Committee met on February 27 and April 24, 1998. Work continues on developing a means of assessing the WAC Program. A questionnaire is being finalized for distribution this spring to all faculty teaching WI courses. In addition, the committee reviewed two portfolio submissions and three proposals for independent writing projects in the major. For the latter, it is developing guidelines to be distributed to department chairs. Finally, the committee discussed the proposed GE reform. The consensus was that the goals of WAC and the proposed program remain consistent and that implementation of WAC in the new structure does not appear problematic.

Academic Policy

Per the April 6 request of the Faculty Senate, evaluated the benefits of conducting additional faculty surveys regarding the possible implementation of a plus/minus grading system. The committee felt that the input gathered in previous study of the issue was supportive of its recommendation that it would not be beneficial at this time to change the WSU grading policy. The committee recommends to the Faculty Senate that additional surveys or studies not be undertaken at this time.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for Monday, May 18, 12:00 noon, 032 Rike.