Update on University Studies

1. Update on University Studies CHHS Curriculum Committee 07 March 2012 McNeill 1054

2. University Studies and Basic Studies • Integration: • US has been designed to address UNCW’s learning goals. Further, US reqs expand vertically through students’ undergraduate experiences, culminating in a Capstone course in every major. • Basic Studies had not been substantially reviewed or revised for decades and, thus, did not explicitly speak to UNCW’s learning goals.

3. University Studies and Basic Studies • Courses: • US does not duplicate exactly Basic Studies. Some new courses have been introduced and many more are in the pipeline to be included in future years. • Course inclusion in US will be a dynamic and ongoing process. • The USAC is now the Faculty Senate committee charged with the review and maintenance of US. • Basic Studies was generally an ossified curriculum, as the course inclusion/deletion process indicates: departments could only submit changes to UCC every other year.

4. USAC Statement on Implementation and Review The University Studies Advisory Committee is implementing a new general education curriculum, approved by the Faculty Senate, the purpose of which is to provide students with both breadth of knowledge and the abilities to understand the world through a multiplicity of approaches and perspectives. Courses are eligible for potential inclusion in a US component if the student learning outcomes (SLOs) for the component are met. In its review of proposals, the USAC considers how accurately and effectively course-specific SLOs align with component SLOs. The USAC’s review of proposals is also mindful of SACS requirements, which state that “credit hours are to be drawn from and include at least one course from each of the following: humanities/fine arts; social/behavioral sciences; and natural science/mathematics” (2.7.3).

5. USAC Statement on Model Syllabi For the purposes of proposal review, the USAC requires the submission of a model syllabus that includes all the SLOs, properly designated, for the components the course satisfies. The USAC does not mandate the wholesale adoption of the model syllabus; such a decision is clearly the province of each department. The USAC does, however, strongly encourage the inclusion of these SLOs on the syllabi that do get used in each iteration of the course. SLO inclusion is clearly a best practice, signaling to the students what they will achieve by taking the course and underlining for the faculty the course's place in the larger US curriculum. At the least, the USAC recommends that instructors and departments make the SLOs for their US courses prominent and accessible to students in some form. (We’ve published this statement here.)

6. Implementation reqs as of fall 2011 • Phase I (see this worksheet): • Foundations • Composition (3-6 hours) • Lifetime Wellness (2 hours) • Math and Stats (3 hours) • Foreign Language (3-6) • Approaches and Perspectives (different prefixes req’d) • Aesthetic, Interpretive, and Literary Perspectives (at least 6 hours) • Historical and Philosophical Perspectives (at least 6 hours) • Scientific Approaches to the Natural World (at least 7 hours with one lab) • Understanding Human Institutions and Behaviors (at least 6 hours) • Living in Our Diverse Nation (at least 3 hours) • Living in a Global Society (at least 3 hours)

7. Implementation reqs as of fall 2012 • Phase II: • Foundations • First Year Seminar (3 hours) • Approaches and Perspectives, cont. • Thematic Transdisciplinary Clusters (9 hours) • Common Requirements • Information Literacy (9 hours; 3 in major) • FYS and ENG201 will provide 6 hours. • Writing Intensive (9 hours; 3 in major) • Quantitative and Logical Reasoning (3 hours) • Capstone Course (1-4 hours in major) • Explorations Beyond the Classroom (at least 1 approved experience)

8. Thematic Transdisciplinary Clusters • What? • themes for fall 2012 were announced 23 January • three courses, drawn from a short list, that all address a common theme and the same SLOs • clusters include courses from within US and across all majors • Proposals due for course inclusion in Cluster themes (March 12) • When? • courses can be spread out over the student’s undergraduate career or taken in a shorter • time frame (e.g. as part of a Cornerstone Learning Community) • How? • Students: • ‘declare’ cluster at any point before graduating (online form will be available through registrar’s office) • Faculty: • departments submit courses for possible inclusion by 12 March (online forms available after 23 January) • Why? • promote the recognition of multiple perspectives • make explicit the value of integrative learning • speak to how the study of the issue can lead to creative problem solving

9. Thematic Transdisciplinary Clusters Chairs’ responsibilities: • facilitate communication between and within departments. • submit to USAC special topics courses that fit into existing clusters or signing sub waivers. • insure included courses are offered in regular rotation.

10. Explorations Beyond the Classroom • What? • one approved experience (credit or non-credit bearing) • a framework that will help students to make intentional choices to complement their • educational and vocational goals. Some of the options described below are already required • for some majors and each is currently utilized by a substantial minority of our students. In • many circumstances students will fulfill this requirement as part of a major or minor or by • integrating it into other components of University Studies. • Discovery: These options are generally credit-bearing research or creative projects that • involve close work with a faculty mentor; they frequently take the form of a Directed • Individual Study (DIS) or Honors project. • Application: These options involve applying content knowledge and skills to real-world • problems, often taking the form of work with a professional outside the classroom in a • variety of traditional applied settings, including internships, fieldwork, practicum, and • student-teaching. • Regional Engagement: These options include course-embedded service learning projects • with community-based organizations (profit or non-profit) that may not currently result • in academic credit but represent substantial opportunities for students to gain direct • experience with issues they have encountered in coursework. • Exploration Away: These options include all education exchange and abroad options • approved by the National Student Exchange Program or the Office of International • Programs.

11. Explorations, cont. • When? • at any point in a student’s career. • How? • Students • look for courses/experiences to fulfill this req at any point in their careers • Faculty • departments submitted courses/experiences to the USAC using this form and • this cover sheet 23 January. • model proposals (scroll down) • Results were sent to department chairs with a small window for re-submission • Why? • a “high-impact” practice that encourages students to integrate lessons learned within • the classroom with opportunities and challenges outside it.

12. Explorations, cont. Chairs’ responsibilities: • assign/create a course designation for Explorations experiences not currently on the books.