Members: James Swartz (Chair), Gerald Adams, Mark Schneider, Pablo Silva, Bob Grey, Elizabeth Dobbs, Josh Blue (01-53), Kendra Young (15-43), Joseph Nelson (09-78), and George Carroll (03-08). Guest: Helen Scott

1. The minutes from the 9/19/00 meeting were approved.

2. Application Deadline for Independent Study notice was modified and approved. This notice will be posted in the Campus Memo this fall and again in the spring. In addition an e-mail message ("the timetable for registration for Independent Study will change beginning with pre-registration for Fall 2001. With a few exceptions, students will have to pre-register for Independent Studies during the preceding semester. Rationale, details and deadlines can be found on http://www.grinnell.edu/Dean/CurCom/IndepStudyDeadline.html") will be sent to the faculty with a link to the notice. Finally this will be placed in the schedule of classes for the 2001-2002 academic year.

3. The Committee had a general discussion with Helen Scott about the independent study. Between 220 and 250 proposals for independent study (297, 387, 397, and 399) are approved each year. In approving all of the independent and guided reading projects, the Associate Dean makes certain that the students have been specific about meeting times with their faculty directors and about the product. Occasionally questions will arise about other parts of the proposal (content, bibliography). There is very little in either the Catalog or the Student Handbook defining expectations for 297, 387, 397, and 399 projects. The only description is included on the Application for Independent Study under Project Descriptions. The distinction between 297 and 397 is blurred, especially between 297 and 2-credit 397 projects. Currently we do not offer 297 or 397 in the summer. We are beginning to have 399 summer projects from Social Studies and Humanities as we begin to develop MAPs. Currently, there is no distinction between summer 399 and academic year 297/397. Sometimes summer 399 projects are continued for credit into the academic year as 297/397. Several questions were raised. What is the role of these independents in our curriculum in light of the MAPs? What criteria should be used to evaluate independent study? What is the difference between guided reading and independent study? What is the impact on faculty loads from directing a number of these projects per semester? Should we limit the number of projects a faculty member can sponsor per term? Do we need to develop a set of guidelines that can be used to review and evaluate the merits of these proposals? Students are often not clear about the distinction among independents as they are defined in the Catalog. Everyone agreed that independent study was an important part of a Grinnell education. In addition, the committee agreed that we need to expand the discussion about independent study before we can make any recommendations. In order to facilitate this discussion, Helen Scott agreed to expand on the material that she gave the committee. We will continue this discussion when she has prepared this new material.

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