Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning Committee
s Minutes/Notes - Wednesday, November 7
Teague Library

Present: Margaret Hamptom, Newell Pledger-Shinn, Rick Foreman, Bob Southard, Tamara Clark (recording), Monteze Snyder, Paul Ogren (convening)

Approval of 10-31-01 minutes deferred until next week.

Agenda:
1. Divisional Meeting
2. Overview of curriculum issues
3. Approach to seeking input from students

1. Divisional / Departmental Meeting English Department
One of our problems is trying to be like a university when we are too small.
One of our strengths is the facility of communication between individuals
Open to curricular change

2. Overview of Curricular Issues
Gen Eds & Interdisciplinary Bob (CPC)

One underlying motivation for examining these issues is the lack of financial stability
In 2000, two changes were passed for Gen Eds (MIR Fine Arts)
Biggest (first?) changes in years
Changing how we do majors
Identifying places where we need more positions
Trans/non/inter-departmental majors
Worries about retention and Gen Eds
Gen Ed committee will have 1 or more suggestions for CPC by mid January

Possible Suggestions: (in no particular order)

Reduce quantity
Less than ½ of total course hours 30-32 non-language hours are goal
Have 3-4 core courses
Have 3-4 4 cr seminar type courses
Reduce all existing requirements proportionally/ equally
Have seminar type course in 1st year
Text-based seminar math-humanities then, requirement that fit under "modes of inquiry"
Finish Gen Eds in 1st year and 2nd year

GOALS:

Have coherent framework that allows for choice
In relation to off campus study:
1. reduce quantity of Gen Eds allowing more flexibility to choose off campus
2. design courses in such a way that off-campus courses fulfill gen-ed

There are concerns when shifting Gen Eds to maintain the integrity of departments
There are 2 possible directions that the suggestions could go:
Use unanimity (not consensus) or
Come up with two viable proposals to get feedback on

Margaret: Expand on idea of first year cluster-seminars
Value in having mixed-class groups for peer learning
Languages requirement expanded to language and cultural fluency -maintain it
throughout 4 years

Goals: people will take class because they want to take class
Making major/minor combo more possible
Applications to strategic planning:
Funding, staffing, retention, dept size, stability

Monteze: looking at comparative #'s on class size we are tied for 1st (w/2 other schools) in big class
We are 5th of 8 for small class
We are 5th of 8 for student/faculty ratio
Perception of class size is linked to classroom size

Seeking Input from Students
Already discussed:
Dessert with Doug, web based survey
We need to finalize what, where, & when of talking to students

Content:

Strengths & weaknesses in academic & community life
New Programs and Practices
Changes in the world & how we need to meet them
Sample questions:
What makes your time at most productive?
What do you value most?
1) Web-based: for students and staff (?)
2) Dorm Talks: set up 4 meetings @ 10 p.m. International House 1st week after Thanksgiving (Publish results in WORD)
3) Mixed constituency lunch meetings (is it possible?)