Minutes
Curriculum Committee
4:15 p.m., Tuesday, December 4, 2001
PDR F

Members: James Swartz (Chair), Gerald Adams, Pablo Silva, Bob Grey, Jerry Lalonde, Gabe Rosenberg, Kenneth Yeung, and Kimberly Smith.

 

1. The minutes from the November 20, 2001meeting were approved.


2. Each divisional representative reported on his or her conversation with the divisional chair. The divisional meetings about MAPs will start as early as next Thursday with the science division, and the other two divisional meetings will take place at the beginning of second semester. Many of the same issues were brought up during these conversations that the curriculum committee has discussed over the past several weeks. An issue for the science division will be the amount of time spent supervising summer research and/or MAPs. The issue of time for personal research versus time required to direct student research has been raised. The issue of compensation versus course reduction will also be raised. Another issue that may be raised is the problem of resources if students begin to feel they are "entitled" to do a MAP. Another question that has been raised is whether we want this to be an elite experience such as PBK. What type of student are we hoping to attract to MAPs? Will some departments require MAPs? The issue of how to measure the "outcomes" of MAPs has been raised. How far can we go with supporting MAPs before the faculty is spread so thin that the experience becomes watered-down? Will there be enough financial resources to support MAPs? The issue of how we determine if a MAP is an upper level experience, an advanced project and/ or merely an excellent experience has been raised. How will we define "culminating"?

3. The students will do an e-mail survey of juniors and seniors at the beginning of next semester. The survey is still in the design stage at this time.

4. The committee agreed that we would have progress repots from each division of the college by Feb. 12.

5. The committee began a general discussion of the proposal brought to the committee by the Dean regarding an alternative approach to changes in courses, majors, etc. The committee will continue this discussion next term.


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