Visionary Pragmatism

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commitment to Visionary Pragmatism

The seeming contradiction inherent in the title "Visionary Pragmatism" is designed to reveal an abiding tension between the two sides of our mission as educators at a polytechnic university:

(1) our charge to educate students to take leadership roles in society and in the professions; and (2) our responsibility to inspire these same students with an exalted sense of human possibility, high hopes, and sublime aspirations. Toward the end of bridging these two high callings within a single curricular structure, we offer the following recommendations.

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BACKGROUND / PREFACE

In January 1994, Vice President Koob, in consultation with the Academic Senate Executive Committee and President Baker, appointed the Curriculum and Calendar Task Force and charged it with establishing principles for baccalaureate programs across the campus, constructing a template within which the programs will revise their curricula, integrating the co-curriculum with the baccalaureate degree, and guiding the process of change in curriculum and calendar.

To address these goals, the Task Force requested that 1994-95 be declared the "Year of the Curriculum" and presented the campus with Visionary Pragmatism to prompt discussion of the curriculum and related issues across the university. The Task Force scheduled forums on curriculum, met with various campus groups, and called for written responses to Visionary Pragmatism by the end of Winter Quarter so the document could be revised and forwarded to the Academic Senate for deliberation and adoption of a set of principles for curricula at Cal Poly.

Each of the colleges and the UCTE, ASI, Student Affairs, Staff Council, Academic Senate committees, the Kennedy Library, and Professional Consultative Services responded to Visionary Pragmatism with well-considered and detailed comments. The responses reaffirmed Cal Poly's core values--the integration of the pragmatic emphasis of a polytechnic university with the goals of the arts and sciences to impart vision, inspire intellectual desire, and promote the importance of continuous learning. The university must continue to keep learning at the center of its endeavors, emphasizing active learning methods through a philosophy of learn-by-doing, and preserving valuable student/faculty interrelationships. These core values reflect unique characteristics that are widely recognized as important to the campus, students and their families, alumni, and employers.

The Task Force considered the comments and suggestions from the campus. What follows are the Characteristics of a Cal Poly Graduate, and Curricular Goals with Operational Guidelines which encourage development of these and other characteristics.

The challenge before us is continuously to examine our traditions and practices to ensure that our energies and resources are directed toward offering an outstanding student-centered undergraduate education.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A CAL POLY GRADUATE

Cal Poly graduates possess a number of particular skills, capacities, aptitudes, knowledge, and abilities that will enable them to fulfill their various callings, and to think creatively. In addition to their knowledge, skills, and applications we want them to take on leadership roles; forge new, unforeseen syntheses; and offer their unique contributions to the world.

Graduates of Cal Poly will:

a. possess a uniquely balanced and integrated knowledge and understanding of technology, mathematics, sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

b. be skilled at appropriate applications of theoretical concepts.

c. apply inquiry, engage in discovery, and express creativity.

d. apply critical thinking to identify and analyze issues and prioritize alternatives in order to develop effective solutions.

e. understand the interrelationship of their personal, civic, and economic roles.

f. understand and function in an increasingly multicultural, multiracial, and international environment.

g. be able to access, analyze, and productively utilize a variety of forms of information relevant to any topic under consideration.

h. effectively communicate with others--orally, in writing, visually.

i. have the desire and capability to be involved in self-guided, life-long learning activities.

j. contribute to improving the quality of the physical environment.

k. be prepared to anticipate, formulate and adapt to frequent and rapid changes.

l. participate in wellness, health, and physical related activity.

m. demonstrate leadership and the ability to collaborate with others in the service of attaining mutual goals.

n. accept personal responsibility for the fulfillment of their obligations and the consequences of their actions.

o. demonstrate tolerance for and support of constructive ideas, attitudes, and behaviors that differ from their own.

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CURRICULAR GOALS

1. Cal Poly's primary goal is to enhance learning. This goal should permeate all of the following goals.

Learning is a process, not a product. It is a process of reacting to perceptual input by accommodating it into one's existing cognitive structure. The process of learning generates products or outcomes.

The focus of instruction and of the university at large must be to do whatever is possible to enhance the process of learning such that the quality and quantity of desired outcomes is exemplary.

Academic programs and their courses are designed to generate various types of learning outcomes, depending on their instructional objectives and the content covered. Four major categories of learning outcomes are recognized as appropriate and are specified below. Although few courses would be designed to produce learning outcomes in all four categories, several categories of outcomes will be appropriate for many courses.

The four major categories of expected learning outcomes are:

A. Cognitive information and skills.

This category consists of two types of cognitive outcomes:

(1) the acquisition of factual information, which the student is expected to comprehend, recognize and remember; and

(2) cognitive skills, or "higher order" mental abilities, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, synthesizing, analyzing, transforming factual information; and evaluating hypotheses.

B. Attitudes and Values.

Examples of this category are: responsible and productive attitudes to learning, self and others; morals and ethics; appreciation of multicultural perspectives and values; interpersonal tolerance; belief in social and civic justice and responsibility; aesthetic appreciation; and a positive attitude regarding cooperation and conflict resolution.

C. Performance, procedural, and physical skills.

Examples: effective oral, written, and visual communication; laboratory and field procedures and techniques; and exhibition of proficient physical performance.

D. Appropriate and effective social skills.

Examples: establishing and facilitating cooperative group functioning; effective interaction; conflict resolution; socially acceptable communication skills; community service skills; and small and large group leadership.

2. The learning and teaching environment should incorporate the following educational approaches and practices that Cal Poly values highly, and which distinguish its programs:

2.1 Integrating technological and humanistic areas of study.

Example: offer interdisciplinary as well as disciplinary courses.

2.2 Incorporating opportunities for independent learning.

Example: require an appropriate capstone senior project.

2.3 Preserving valuable student/faculty interrelationships.

2.4 Including practical applications of theory ["learn by doing"].

Example: employ laboratory and field experiences, as appropriate by discipline.

2.5 Teaching and fostering critical and creative thinking.

2.6 Encouraging and supporting appreciation for social and intellectual diversity, and providing instruction in effectively communicating in and interacting with a socially diverse environment.

2.7 Teaching and emphasizing oral and written communication skills.

Example: include meaningful, and meaningfully assessed, writing components across a broad range of classes in the major and in the general education program.

2.8 Developing and employing technological and computer-related electronic information processing skills.

Example: teach students how to access and evaluate information.

2.9 Encouraging life-long learning.

2.10 Teaching and modeling appreciation, conservation, and enhancement of the earth and our physical environment.

2.11 Developing and encouraging leadership skills.

Example: provide opportunities for students to work together on projects.

2.12 Providing effective training for skilled professional career work.

2.13 Developing habits of wellness and a healthy lifestyle.

2.14 Providing opportunities for learning experiences that provide for the practical application of the academic experience.

Example: cooperative education and internships.

2.15 Enhancing opportunities for student interactions with faculty and career professionals.

3. The university experience should integrate a broad range of learning environments and personal development experiences.

Individual personal development results from the complex combination of cognitive processes which constitute learning, and learning frequently interacts with social contexts. Cal Poly should take advantage of the learning potential inherent in the wide range of activities and programs that students engage in, and should establish deliberate collaborations among the activities that facilitate the attainment of the categories of learning outcomes recognized in Goal #1. Such collaborations and partnerships should help to improve the quality of learning outcomes produced by the classroom experience as well as by students' daily activities.

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES

Support for the Learning Environment

3.1 Develop academic courses for community service and leadership experiences.

3.2 Enhance facilities for informal student gatherings and study areas.

3.3 Enhance learning environment infrastructure -- library, multimedia, information technology.

3.4 Participate in activities that meet student needs, e.g., clubs, programs concerning diversity issues, development of co-curricular activities for special purposes.

Orientation

3.5 Provide at several levels--university, college, department, and program.

3.6 Provide a significant learning experience and a substantive introduction to university study during student orientation. Examples: lectures, faculty involvement, a university convocation, advanced reading assignments.

3.7 Consider adopting a Freshman Year Experience that combines orientation, advising, study skills and coursework to assist students with their educational goals.

Academic Advising

Advising can be conceptualized with two functions: (1) a technical level in which the student is given directions for satisfying curricular and other university requirements, handling substitutions, taking examinations; and, (2) discipline-oriented advising, provided by the faculty to their students in such areas as course electives, course content concerns, career aspirations, and preparation for graduate school.

To accomplish these goals, the university needs to:

3.8 Offer proactive, consistent and accurate advising throughout the student's undergraduate experience.

3.9 Request colleges and programs to designate coordinators for advising.

3.10 Employ effective assessment and monitoring systems for advising programs.

3.11 Support faculty/staff/peer mentoring for students in whatever context it occurs.

Personal Advising

In concert with academic advising, personal advising can be critical to successful adjustment, personal development and involvement of students in the university community. Personal advising involves the awareness of the whole student and is not to be confused with psychological counseling. Personal advising addresses personal concerns and needs as they affect academic progress, offering a balance of challenge and support. Issues may include instructor communication, time management, financial aid strategies, involvement in co-curricular activities, specialized services for disabled students, cross cultural communication, and the encouragement of enrollment in academic support classes and services.

3.12 Assist students in viewing their options and problem-solving plans of action, rather than giving advice.

3.13 Offer personal advising to students as a necessary enhancement of academic advising offered within colleges.

Academic Support Services

3.14 Provide an appropriate range of academically related services to enhance student learning and achievement. Examples: workshops, small group, and individualized instruction and assistance focusing on basic skills, writing skills, English language skills, Senior Project issues, and other special academic issues and concerns.

Cultural and Intellectual Events

3.15 Offer cultural and intellectual activities of interest to the entire university community.

3.16 Review on a regular basis the scope and adequacy of Cal Poly's emphasis on the number and variety of cultural and intellectual activities available on the campus, and the resource allocation to support them.

Cultural Diversity

3.17 Review on a regular basis the scope and adequacy of Cal Poly's emphasis and resource commitment to activities that foster understanding, appreciation, and sharing of cultural diversity.

3.18 Provide a variety of learning opportunities for faculty, staff and students to discuss racism, sexism and classism.

3.19 Support and encourage an environment in which staff, faculty, and students work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and unconstrained academic interchange.

3.20 Support the continuing development of courses that fulfill the United States Cultural Pluralism requirement and courses that enhance global awareness.

4. Curricular and instructional practices should be effective in terms of attaining their designated learning goals.

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
(also see Appendix I Course Proposal Form and Appendix II Measuring Learning)

Program Implementation and Improvement.

4.1 Review programs on the basis of accurate information about student learning outcomes and attitudes.

4.2 Review programs systematically and frequently to determine how well they are fulfilling the goals and principles set forth in this document.

4.3 Consider evaluative information from such constituencies as alumni, employers, advisors, student affairs, and external experts from accrediting agencies, professions, and other colleges and universities.

Specialized Accreditation.

4.4 Pursue specialized accreditation when it is consistent with university and program learning goals and educational outcomes.

Course Development and Review.

4.5 Occur frequently, be peer-based, and focus on the course goals, expected learning outcomes, and instructional methods.

4.6 Be consistent with the principles set forth in this document by utilizing the Course Proposal form (see Appendix I).

Teaching Strategies and Review.

4.7 Continue in the Cal Poly tradition of learn-by-doing and active methods of instruction involving interaction between faculty and students.

4.8 Employ a variety of teaching strategies to address different learning styles (see Appendix II Measuring Learning).

4.9 Utilize teaching portfolios in the RTP process and merit salary deliberations.

4.10 Include measures of teaching effectiveness which demonstrate evidence of the extent to which students achieve course objectives.

5. An effective general education program is central to a quality university education.

In recognition of our first goal "to put learning first," we offer the following suggestions applicable to any general education program.

 

GE&B Faculty

5.1 Recognize General Education and Breadth as a distinct academic program with a designated faculty and invested with responsibility for designing courses and maintaining the program's integrity. The GE&B faculty, who are members of existing academic departments and programs, should be identified and designated by the administration in consultation with the university faculty.

5.2 Allow GE&B faculty to propose curriculum changes following the curricular review process established for other academic programs.

5.3 Encourage a sustained effort by the GE&B faculty to innovate, improve, and respond to new requirements for general education.

GE&B -- The Program

An undergraduate education should achieve a wholeness that includes general education and specialized study in a major. Students should not be required to study subjects in general education that they have already studied in their major. Neither should they be encouraged to "extend" the major by taking additional courses associated with the major which also satisfy general education requirements. Rather, students should be required to study subjects in general education that contribute to the breadth and wholeness of their undergraduate education. For example, students in the arts and humanities should be required to complete general education courses that ensure their understanding of science and technology; conversely, students in science and technology should be required to complete general education courses that ensure their understanding of the arts and humanities.

All Cal Poly graduates should have a sound understanding of science and technology, and where this is not part of the major, the general education program should require this study. This knowledge of science and technology reflects the unique character of the university and is the special stamp of its graduates.

All curricula, with their relationship of specialized study to general education, should prepare students in terms of the "Characteristics of the Cal Poly Graduate."

5.4 Exercise flexibility and creativity within the provisions of Executive Order 595 in designing programs and courses to meet the general education requirements.

5.5 Create a dynamic GE&B program which allows for continuous intellectual growth and the flexibility to adapt to changes.

5.6 Encourage opportunities for innovative and/or interdisciplinary courses.

5.7 Offer a balanced study of verbal communication and reasoning skills, quantitative skills, science, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and technology.

5.8 Offer students the option of various tracks of study to satisfy the GE&B requirement, such as area studies, technology and society, great ideas, civilization.

5.9 Require students to complete the basic verbal communication and quantitative skills in their freshman year to provide them a solid academic foundation for their future coursework.

5.10 Allow students the maximum number of course choices to fulfill all GE&B requirements, unless the degree program has a compelling rationale to specify particular courses, for example, prerequisites).

5.11 Allow courses required for the major and also approved for GE&B to be double-counted to satisfy the requirements for both the major and GE&B.

5.12 Consist of a total of 72 units in the GE&B program.

5.13 Award letter grades to GE&B courses and not allow courses to be graded Credit/No Credit.

5.14 Evaluate GE&B courses, as with other academic programs, in terms of their effectiveness in producing the learning outcomes for which they are designed, as well as the congruence of those outcomes with program requirements, and with the desired characteristics of Cal Poly graduates.

6. Curricular and academic program practices, policies, and procedures should be efficient in attaining their designated goals, consistent with maintaining academic quality.

The university must consider and address the pragmatic concerns about the efficiency of the higher education process raised by students, their families, public policy makers, and employers. Some of these concerns include:

- uncertain state funding to higher education coinciding with increases in the college-age population;

- increased concern with cost, value and accountability;

- increased concern with access and success of students; and

- increased concern with time to graduation.

Institutional roadblocks must be removed to aid student progress. Requirements for degree programs and general education as set forth in Title 5 and EO 595, as well as the requirements of institutional and specialized accreditation, are much less restrictive than many suppose, and grant the university considerable latitude in the design of its programs.

 

OPERATIONAL GUIDELINES
(also see Glossary of Curricular Terms)

6.1 Communication among all university groups is essential for the successful and efficient attainment of curricular goals (e.g., electronic communication, liaison groups).

Curriculum Flexibility

6.2 Encourage programs to include adviser-approved electives and free electives in addition to the core coursework required by the major.

6.3 Identify and eliminate institutional impedimenta which constrain students who wish to graduate in four years (five years for BArch and BLArch). Examples of such impedimenta include: courses with unjustifiably low success rates (especially freshman courses), curriculum program requirements that force student enrollment in an inadvisable combination of courses; inappropriate and/or unnecessary prerequisites; poorly planned scheduling of required coursework; inadequate advising.

6.4 Allow students to transfer from one major to another without undue hardship and loss of credit applicable to the receiving degree program.

Transfer and Placement Credit

6.5 Permit students who have satisfied general education and major lower division requirements at a community college to graduate in a timely manner from Cal Poly. For example, the normal expectation for such a transfer student will be to have the equivalent of two years of coursework remaining, with the exception of 5-year programs.

6.6 Maintain current articulation agreements with community colleges.

6.7 Design curricula with sufficient number of lower division courses to permit community college transfers to receive credit for major coursework.

6.8 Award credit toward completion of the program for all standardized Advanced Placement credit earned by the student with a test score of three or higher.

6.9 Permit students to satisfy requirements through competency testing that meets appropriate academic standards and is administered at the program level.

Student Advising

6.10 Provide accurate and effective advising to facilitate student progress.

6.11 Provide appropriate advising to students who are deficient in course completions and academic progress and offer practical means for remediating such deficiencies.

Course Design

6.12 Standardize course units to 4 units for courses of one mode of instruction (lec, act, lab, sem), and 4 or more units for courses of more than one mode of instruction (e.g. lec/lab, lec/act). For a definition of the "Carnegie Unit," please refer to the Glossary.

Rationale for 4-unit courses include:

(a) The reduced number of different class preparations by each faculty member allows greater attention to each course.

(b) The reduced number of classes taught during each term and each year by each faculty member encourages greater focus of time and energy.

(c) The reduced number of students contacted by each faculty member allows for greater interaction with each student. (Faculty members have fewer students who take more units per class.)

(d) Course credits would articulate more efficiently for students transferring from semester campuses (a 3-unit semester course equates to 4.5 quarter units).

(e) Students would register for fewer courses per term while maintaining or increasing the number of credit units earned in each course.

(f) Students would have fewer scheduling complications, books and materials to purchase, papers and projects to accomplish, exams to take, and assignments to complete.

(g) Students would have fewer barriers toward completion of their degrees.

These changes would occur while preserving the following:

(h) The number of credits in a degree program would remain the same.

(i) The number of SCU taught would remain the same.

(j) The number of faculty members required to teach the curriculum would remain the same.

(k) The number of laboratory units would remain the same with no diminishment of Cal Poly's traditional commitment to hands-on education.

6.13 Reflect efficiency and logic in terms of course numbering and sequencing with consideration given to the appropriate course level, lower division vs. upper division, and the effect on transfer students from community colleges (see Glossary of Curricular Terms for explanation of Cal Poly's course numbering system).

6.14 Determine appropriate class size according to content, level, and instructional mode as prescribed by the program faculty.

Curricular Content Efficiency

6.15 Total number of units for each degree program between 186 and 192, unless designated as a five-year program.

6.16 Eliminate needless repetition of material within programs, and duplication of subject matter taught in courses among programs.

Three-Part Curriculum Structure

The curriculum should consist of three parts:

6.17 
   (1) Major;
   (2) General Education and Breadth; and 
   (3) Free Electives.

Curricular Review and Development Process

6.18 Examine and revise campus curricular review processes to allow for the most timely and efficient process to accommodate curricular changes.

6.19 Place authority for courses and curricula with the program and college faculty. Significant curricular changes (e.g., new academic programs, changes to courses required by other programs) will continue to be reviewed by the appropriate Academic Senate committees.

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GLOSSARY OF CURRICULAR TERMS

The following definitions are based on those proposed by the Academic Senate Curriculum Committee and adopted by the Academic Senate (AS 388/92/cc, May 26, 1992) and the Curriculum Committee's response to "Visionary Pragmatism." These definitions replace those currently in the Campus Administrative Manual (CAM 400).

CARNEGIE UNIT OF CREDIT

A unit of credit represents how much time a typical student is expected to devote to learning per week of study and a norm is one unit for three hours of student work per week.

One unit of Credit equals:

1 hour of lecture (seminar, recitation) and two of study, or
2 hours of activity and one of study, or
3 hours of laboratory, or
3 hours of independent study (supervision).

COURSE NUMBERING SYSTEM

Courses are generally numbered according to the plan shown below.

010–099 Nondegree credit or short courses. 
100–299 Courses primarily for freshman and sophomore students.
300–399 Courses primarily for advanced undergraduate students with prerequisite coursework.
400–499 Courses for advanced undergraduates. Certain 400-level courses can be used in graduate programs. 
500–599 Graduate courses. 
600–699 Courses for professional advancement within a special field. They do not carry credit for degree requirements in any of the curricula.

MAJOR

1. A major is defined as a program of study that provides students with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to pursue a specific career or advanced study and leads to a degree in that subject.

2. Major courses are:

(a) courses having the prefix of the major program and/or college; 
(b) prerequisite courses; 
(c) courses from any other prefix or discipline which are required in the major field of study; (d) courses that count toward the major GPA.

3. The minimum number of units required in the major must meet Title 5 requirements:

B.S. = 54 quarter units in the major (minimum of 27 units at 300-400 level)
B.A. = 36 quarter units in the major (minimum of 18 units at 300-400 level)
B.Arch., B.L.Arch. = 68 quarter units in the major (minimum of 41 units at 300-400 level)

4. The maximum number of units designated as "major units" is determined by subtracting the minimum number of units in the major as designated by Title 5, GE&B units and free electives from the total number of units. The program faculty determine how many of the remaining units will be designated as "major units."

5. A minimum of 15 units should be designated at 100-200 level.

6. Major core courses compromise the basic knowledge in the discipline and are required of all students in the major. These courses may be augmented by a concentration, minor or adviser approved electives which provides the following advantages: allows students to design a section of their curriculum, tailoring it to their specific career goals and interests; retains faculty and departmental control of the major; and facilitates students who change majors or transfer by integrating previous course credit into the student's program without compromising the core knowledge required by the curricula.

7. Major core courses shall comprise at least half of the required courses in the major.

8. Courses in the major which fulfill General Education & Breadth requirements shall be listed in the major course category with a reference (as an asterisk) to the GE&B area.

CONCENTRATION

1. A concentration is defined as a coherent and specialized course of study within a student's major degree program which presupposes knowledge of the major discipline.

2. A concentrations is:

(a) a formally recognized course of study with program requirements stated in the catalog and "official" curriculum displays (electronic and paper); 
(b) submitted to the Chancellor's Office; 
(c) indicated in the CSU Admission Booklet; and 
(d) noted on the student's transcript, but not shown on the diploma.

3. A concentration consists of a minimum of five designated courses and a maximum of less than 50% of the total units in the major.

4. Concentrations are optional. Curricula that offer concentrations should allow students the choice to select either a concentration, or adviser-approved restricted electives , or a minor to complete their major course requirements.

5. No single course should appear in every concentration: it should be included in the major core.

ADVISOR APPROVED ELECTIVES

1. Adviser approved electives are defined as a coherent course of study which is relevant to but not necessarily within the student's major discipline.

2. Adviser approved electives may include transfer and/or change of major units.

3. Unlike concentrations, adviser approved electives are not a formally structured set of courses and, as such, there is no title assigned that would appear on the student's transcript.

MINOR

1. A minor is defined as a coherent course of study which stands alone from a major and provides a student with broad knowledge of and competency in an area outside the student's major. A minor may not be taken in the same major as the student's degree program (e.g., a student majoring in history may not complete a minor in history, whereas a student majoring in crop science may complete a minor in plant protection).

2. A minor consists of 24 to 30 units with at least half of the units from 300-400 level courses and at least half of the units must be taken at Cal Poly.

3. Not more than one-third of the courses in a minor can be graded Credit/No Credit (CR/NC), except for courses which have mandatory CR/NC grading.

4. A minimum 2.0 GPA is required in all units counted for completion of the minor (foreign language minors must have a 2.75 GPA).

5. The minor will be completed along with the requirements for the bachelor's degree. Courses in the minor may be used to satisfy major and general education requirements.

6. Students who wish to complete a minor are to contact the department offering the academic minor as early as possible in the program and fill out the appropriate agreement form. The minor is declared when the student requests a graduation evaluation in the Evaluations Office.

7. The completion of the minor will be noted on the student's transcript but will not be shown on the diploma. In no case will a diploma be awarded for the minor.

GENERAL EDUCATION AND BREADTH (also see Curricular Goal #5.)

GE&B requirements which can be met by Major courses shall be designated by a reference an asterisk and the following comment: "This requirement is met by taking the major courses marked with an asterisk (*)."

FREE ELECTIVES

1. All baccalaureate curricula will contain a minimum of 12 units of free electives unless the program is recommended for an exemption by the Academic Senate and the exemption is approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

2. A free elective is a course chosen solely by the student with no curricular restrictions.

UPPER DIVISION REQUIREMENT

1. At least 60 units of the total bachelor's degree units, for both the B.A. and the B.S., shall be at the 300-400 level.

 
COURSE PROPOSAL: Appendix I
(A separate copy of the Course Proposal is available for printing.)

__________________________________________________________

Course Prefix, Number, Title

 

C. C/S # _____ You may indicate the C/S number or Academic Programs Staff will complete this item.

COURSE PROPOSAL APPROVALS

______________________  _________________________ _________________________  _____________________________
Department Head/Chair   College Curriculum Chair     College Dean     Associate V.P. Academic Affairs

Office Use: Senate Curriculum Committee ____  USCP Committee ____  GE&B Committee ____  Academic Senate ____

 

II. Course Content

A. Provide an expanded outline of the course content.

B. Explain why the course content is organized the way it is.

 

III. Expected Learning Outcomes

Courses are designed to generate various types of learning outcomes, depending on the content covered. Of the three major categories of learning outcomes listed below describe those which are applicable to the course that you are proposing.

(Note: Not all courses would be designed to produce learning outcomes in all categories.)

A. Cognitive information and skills.

This category consists of two types of cognitive outcomes:

(1) the acquisition of factual information, which the student is expected to comprehend, recognize and remember; and

(2) cognitive skills, or "higher order" mental abilities, such as problem solving, critical thinking, synthesizing, analyzing, transforming factual information; and evaluating hypotheses.

B. Attitudes and Values.

Examples of this category are: responsible and productive attitudes to learning, self and others; morals and ethics; appreciation of multicultural perspectives and values; interpersonal tolerance; belief in social and civic justice and responsibility; aesthetic appreciation; and a positive attitude regarding cooperation and conflict resolution.

C. Performance, procedural, and physical skills.

Examples: effective oral, written, and visual communication; laboratory and field procedures and techniques; and exhibition of proficient physical performance.

D. Appropriate and effective social skills.

Examples: establishing and facilitating cooperative group functioning; effective interaction; conflict resolution; socially acceptable communication skills; community service skills; and small and large group leadership.

IV. Methods of Evaluating Student Learning Outcomes

A. What methods and instruments are used to determine how well the students achieve the Expected Learning Outcomes as described in Item III?

(Examples: lab exercises, panel discussions, oral presentations, problem solving tasks, written work; simulation and role playing, demonstrations of physical competence; independent/group projects)

V. Methods of Instruction

A. What are the primary methods of instruction?

(Examples: labs, experiential activities, fieldwork; collaborative group work; lecture, seminar, recitation; electronic instructional technology; incorporation of staff and Student Affairs resources.)

B. Why are these instructional methods appropriate for helping students attain the Expected Learning Outcomes as described in Item III?

VI. Course Goals in Relation to Programs

A. In which program(s) will this course be included and how will this course integrate and support the program goals and criteria?

(Programs include: major, support, concentration, minor, GE&B B, U.S. Cultural Pluralism)

Courses that fulfill the United States Cultural Pluralism requirement are based on the following criteria:

1. Emphasis on one or more of these four U.S. Cultures: Asian American, African American, Hispanic American, American Indian;

2. Attention to general issues of gender, diversity, equity, ethnocentricity, and ethnicity; and the relationships to problems facing contemporary society, especially those resulting from racism, discrimination and cultural conflict;

3. Application of rigorous pedagogical, scholarly methods and standards as evidenced in substantive exams, reports, papers, and projects; and

4. Attention to critical thinking skills which will allow students to address cultural, racial, and gender issues in a sensitive and responsible manner and to evaluate their own attitudes.

VII. Student Reading Materials

List the major reading materials that will be required of students, especially those items to be placed on Reserve in the Kennedy Library.

VIII. Facilities and Student Materials

A. Facilities and Equipment. If the course content or teaching methods will require facilities other than a standard lecture or laboratory classroom, please indicate what will be needed.

B. Student Materials. If students will be required to purchase materials other than those normally expected (books, pens), please indicate what will be needed.

(Note: If students will be expected to pay a Miscellaneous Course Fee, please contact the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, x2246, for a MCF form.)

APPENDIX II

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MEASURING LEARNING

Each curricular program should develop a system for:

(1) obtaining information about the extent to which students have attained the learning objectives set for them, as well as for gathering information regarding student attitudes, needs, and progress, insofar as these issues pertain to attaining the program's designated learning outcomes; and

(2) ensuring that such information is considered in the process of developing and revising courses and curricular programs.

Operational Guidelines

(a) Employ (and develop, as needed) valid classroom testing techniques and procedures, and include tasks which realistically and authentically represent the actual task conditions under which a course's learning outcomes can be expected to be applied.

(b) Systematically assess learning progress via an appropriately frequent schedule of data collection.

(c) Determine and coordinate mechanisms for employing feedback into program revision cycles.

(d) Assess the extent and effect of the implementation of procedures designed to improve instruction by employing procedure/process/program evaluation techniques and appropriate social experimental designs that control for non-instructional effects on learning outcomes.

(e) Develop valid and realistic course evaluation processes for each of several legitimate purposes, such as providing information for students, instructor feedback, program improvement, and RPT.

(f) Employ entry skills testing information for developing curricular objectives and to inform instructional design.

(g) Analyze differences in feedback given by significant demographic subgroups, and accommodate this information in instructional procedures and design.

(h) Engage in and support the development of learning outcomes specifications across sets of classes and/or departments to supplement course-specific goals, and design instruction to incorporate such outcomes in order to encourage academic integration, and to produce information about the attainment of broadly conceived educational goals. (General education classes may be the best starting point for this endeavor.)

(i) Track course deviation history to determine redundancies and irrelevancies.

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