Committee on the Curriculum
Minutes for September 24, 1997
Present: John Hart, Curt Keedy, Curtis Johnson, Robert Owens, Roger Paget, Anne Price, William Randall, David Savage, Thomas Schoeneman. Absent: Jane Atkinson, Mine Eder, Humanities Department Representative, Student Representatives (2). Recorder: Julie McMorine.
Call to order
1/ The meeting was called to order at 3:20 pm.
Minutes from September 17, 1997
2/ The minutes from the previous Curriculum Committee meeting were not approved. Committee members are requested to send corrections via e-mail to the Recorder. The revised minutes will be distributed to Committee members prior to the next Curriculum Committee meeting, to be held on October 8, 1997.
Report from John Callahan
3/ John Callahan, Morgan S. Odell Professor of Humanities and Director of Inventing America, visited the Curriculum Committee to discuss what has happened with Inventing America since the report delivered to the faculty last year. Dr. Callahan covered a number of topics including the following:
a. As concerns writing, an estimated 20-25% of Lewis and Clark students require assistance to improve their writing skills. In response to this perceived need, four workshops have been established that concentrate on sentence structure, punctuation, and organization. These workshops have been developed particularly to help in-coming students to improve their writing skills. A referral system has also been set up.
b. An experimental "pod" system is a proposed addition to the Inventing America syllabus. The so-called "pod" or "Goldman" experiment (named after Bob Goldman, who suggested creation of the "pod" system) would have instruction on the same texts included in the standard Inventing America syllabus, but the syllabus would emphasize collaborative work via electronic media. This experiment has been approved, and it will take approximately one month (circa November 1) for the equipment to be set up and operational. The "pod" will be located in Watzek Library and operational. Concern was expressed about the experimental "pod" system, namely that the goals of the "pod" course would have to be consistent with, and the principal texts would have to be the same as, those of the traditional Inventing America course. It was suggested that the "pod" system not automatically become an accepted model for Inventing America, but rather a "pod" should perhaps be conducted during one semester, and the results should then be assessed in committee.
c. Dr. Callahan reported that Robert Stepto suggested that more science faculty be brought onto the Inventing America faculty, and that the science content of the Inventing America curriculum be increased.
d. It was also suggested that the oral component of the Inventing America curriculum be increased. More public speaking assignments should be integrated into the syllabus in order for students to develop effective oral skills (in addition to curriculum changes intended to improve students' writing skills discussed above).
e. As for student responses to the Inventing America course, students seem quite open to the course and what it has to offer. There is a sense that the course has become a tradition at the college. This is not to say this is a universal opinion; some people suggest that Inventing America too closely resembles some high school history courses. Dr. Callahan agreed that this is an issue to which the Planning Committee should pay attention in order to prevent the curriculum from becoming too scattered.
f. Dr. Callahan agreed with the suggestion that there be a full review of the Inventing America curriculum; however, he does not think that a review of just Inventing America would be useful this year. There will be a full, general education review next year, and Inventing America will comprise a substantial portion of this general education review. He welcomed a suggestion that a faculty forum be created for expressing views about Inventing America.
g. The Inventing America Planning Committee will meet again on October 6. Dr. Callahan will present another report to the Curriculum Committee at its next meeting on October 8.
Tom Schoeneman's report on Curriculum Committee business
4/ Tom Schoeneman summarized Curriculum Committee business during the 1996-97 academic year. Tom reported about the following nine issues, to which Committee devoted large amounts of meeting time (outside of the time devoted to subcommittee reports):
a. Review of Inventing America: The Curriculum Committee did not recommend any changes, although it found future faculty discussion about Inventing America necessary.
b. Recommendation to discontinue the Business Major: Last year, there was a recommendation that this major be phased out and eventually combined into the Economics Department as Business Administration professors retire. There was also wording in the resolution passed by the faculty asking the Economics Department to set up business-related opportunities such as practica. It isn't clear what has become of this initiative, and there isn't one definite interpretation of the recommendation itself. Doubts were expressed that much will happen toward discontinuation of the Business Major until retirements actually begin to occur. Concerns were also raised about the ability to attract potential business students to the College if word is out that the business major will be discontinued sooner or later. On the other hand, some Curriculum Committee members think it would be possible to have a business emphasis within the Economic Major without having an official Business Major; however, other Curriculum Committee members think this decision doesn't lie with the Curriculum Committee, but rather with the Business Department.
c. Recommendation to approve the Environmental Studies Major.
d. Procedures for routing information through and among the Course Proposal Subcommittee, General Education Subcommittee, and International Studies Coordinating Committee.
e. Clarification of criteria defining International Studies (Area Culture and Transnational) courses.
f. Tabling of April 1996 Rhetoric Subcommittee recommendation and revision of Rhetoric catalogue copy.
g. Dean Atkinsonís report on review of Institute for the Study of American Language and Culture.
h. Revision of policy and procedures for Student Designed Majors.
i. Reporting of policy on declaration of major to Faculty: Last year there was a motion that students declare their major by the end of their sophomore year. If they fail to do so, they would be moved to end of registration priority list for start of their junior year. This motion has not yet been resolved by Faculty.
Revisiting graduation honors reinstatement
5/ There was a brief discussion about reasonable cut-off points for determining student eligibility for college honors (be they GPA, class rank). Some Curriculum Committee Members find inequitable grading between departments to be the fundamental problem with determining student eligibility for honors, not the method by which eligibility is determined. Campus-wide grading reform was suggested as an essential move prior to full consideration of graduation honors reinstatement. Without grading reform, some Committee Members fear the honors system will also be inequitable. Some Committee Members are also not convinced the College needs yet another layer of honors in addition to Phi Kappa Phi, Pamplin Society Fellowships, departmental honors and other scholarships, as well as the newly-created Phi Beta Kappa chapter here at Lewis and Clark. The Curriculum Committee would like to hear Faculty feedback about these issues.
Course proposal format discussion
6/ There was a discussion the memorandum from Linda Quant (Administrative Specialist, Registrar's Office) concerning the submission of course proposals via e-mail. In the past, such submissions were conducted solely on paper. A request was made that Divisional Deans ask their secretaries to prepare proposals in electronic form (once they have cleared divisional approval), then send them electronically to the Registrar's Office. Some concern was expressed about how course proposal documentation will be routed (to whom, in what form). Anne Price said she would look into the matter.
Other issues
7/ It was suggested that Curriculum Committee meeting agendas be created prior to each meeting. Members could e-mail desired agenda items either to Bill Randall or the Recorder, who will e-mail the agenda to all Committee members before the next meeting.
8/ Bill Randall reported that Stephanie Arnold will chair the Honors Subcommittee.
9/ The Curriculum Committee will meet again in two weeks, as there will be a Faculty Meeting on Wednesday, October 1.
10/ The meeting was adjourned at 4:57 pm.
Approved 10/15/97