The College of Arts and Sciences faculty voted May 4 to pilot a new curriculum that would change the core requirements for all students in the College.
The main requirements would come from courses within sections called “Engagements,” “Literacies” and “Disciplines.”
“Engagements” would cover Aesthetic Engagement, Empirical and Scientific Engagement and Engaging Difference and Ethical Engagement, for a total of eight credits. “Literacies” would consist of World Languages, Rhetoric for the 21st Century and Quantification, Computation and Data Analysis. Lastly, “Disciplines” would be comprised from seven different categories for 21 credits total.
The new proposal was passed with an 83 percent majority vote, with 210 in favor and 41 against.
Chad Wellmon, associate German Studies professor and chairman of the Curriculum Planning Committee, said the pilot program will last for the next two to three years with alterations made as needed and then face another vote from the College faculty.
The proposal would reform a 40-year-old College curriculum.
“I am definitely pleased with the results,” College Dean Ian Baucom said in an email statement. “The General Education Committee submitted a compelling proposal that inspired their faculty colleagues to take the next step — to pilot a new curriculum that is thoughtfully designed to better prepare students for a rapidly changing, 21st century world.”
Now the trial phase will begin and will consist of designing the courses, testing their feasibility and determining if they can be successfully implemented College-wide.
“The faculty will spend next year developing courses and then the following year we will test it on 500 students who can opt to be a part of the program,” Wellmon said. “Then the next year we will double that number to 1000 students tested. Dean Baucom would then make an independent assessment committee to assess the success of the program.”
While the decision to move forward with the pilot program received a majority of the faculty vote, there was still 17 percent who opposed the new model. However, Baucom said the process will involve many revisions and additions to the curriculum in order to address concerns that are raised.
“Raising and addressing concerns was central to the process and will be critical to the pilot phase and the on-going assessment of the new curriculum,” Baucom said. “I know the Committee was deeply interested in feedback, and the critiques they received from faculty really challenged the Committee to offer a proposal that was ambitious, realistic and focused on providing the best possible education for our students.”
In 2018, the College faculty will vote on whether to continue the pilot program, modify the program or discontinue it based on a report about the pilot program that will be made by a committee appointed by the Dean of Arts & Sciences, Baucom said.
If the faculty approves to continue the pilot program, another report will be made by the assessment committee, and the College faculty will vote in 2019 as to whether or not they want to adopt the new curriculum.
“Should they affirm the curriculum at this point, the curriculum will be required of all students entering during the 2020-21 academic year,” Baucom said.
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