Administrators have responded to concerns about the academic rigor of this summer's Semester at Sea voyage by identifying some courses ineligible for departmental credit. These courses will be eligible for elective transfer credit and the University hopes to reduce the number of courses that require such restrictions by 2007, the first year the University sets its curriculum.
Concerns about some classes offered by the Semester at Sea program prompted the provost's office to create a new mnemonic identifying some Semester at Sea courses that will go in effect for this summer's voyage, explained Karen Ryan, associate dean for arts, humanities and social sciences in the College.
"The provost's office decided to do that because a number of the courses that were proposed for the summer voyage did not meet the standards to give them [College of] Arts and Sciences credit," Ryan said.
An official e-mail sent to academic deans fromProvost Gene Block explained the new mnemonic system where "SEMS" will be used to identify classes "which do not appropriately fit in the College or Schools."
The letter also detailed that a committee composed of members from the College, Engineering School, Education School and Nursing School was formed to facilitate faculty review of course proposals. In cases where a course proposal does not meet "expert faculty expectations, approval will not occur without adequate improvements."
The members of the committee were presented with the new mnemonic system in a meeting March 22, said Dana Elzey, committee member and materials science professor.
The new mnemonic would equate the credits received in the program with the 18 general distribution hours required for graduation, Ryan said.
"It's a separate mnemonic not inside the College of Arts and Sciences," Ryan said. "It would be like taking a USEM."
Without recognition from academic departments--indicated by a departmental mnemonic--course hours cannot be counted toward requirements for major or minor programs or other specific curricular requirements, said Spanish prof. David Gies,academic dean for the Semester at Sea summer voyage of 2007.
Still, other courses that meet the threshold for a departmental mnemonic could "possibly ... be counted toward major credit or minor credit or some sort of program credit rather than only counting as general distribution requirement toward your 120 hours," Gies said.
Elzey said there was not enough time for departments to evaluate all of the courses and this contributed to the temporary SEMS mnemonic.
"The creation of the SEMS is to alleviate the immediate concerns that the quality of the courses would not meet the departmental standards."
David Gies said the SEMS mnemonic is expected to be used until the 2007 summer voyage when he can formulate a new curriculum that fits with department requirements.
"My job is to provide courses and suggest courses that will meet U.Va.'s very high standards and I'm excited about that challenge," Gies said. "In this very difficult transition period we're in right now, until U.Va. has full control of the academic program, this seems to me ... sensible."
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