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Committee Charge

This committee is charged with the dual responsibility of planning and coordinating a campus-wide conversation about strengths and weaknesses of the present University Studies Program and finding means for better evaluating the encompassing goals and general skills and competencies of the liberal arts core of the undergraduate curriculum. 

First of all, this charge calls upon its members to engage a broad range of faculty across the University in the task of proposing ways to revise and update the general education core of the undergraduate curriculum.  To this end, a series of events will be scheduled to mobilize faculty and student interest, support, and contributions to the enrichment of the core of undergraduate education at this University (i.e. films, speakers, forums, panels, focus groups and surveys).  Secondly, the committee is called upon to recommend means to incorporate a culture of assessment into that new or revised framework of courses comprising the general education core.  That is, methods should be identified and proposed that: (1) generate valid and reliable mechanisms for assessing on a regular basis the student learning outcomes associated with the broad goals of the general framework and specific components of any new or revised liberal arts core; and (2) provide opportunities for evaluating student development throughout their undergraduate experience achieved through newly instituted reforms.

This work should build upon previous and continuing work to review of the undergraduate curriculum--including the University Studies Program Self-Study report, the USP External Review Committee interim and final reports, and the College of Arts and Sciences' self-study and final report.   The committee is urged to involve the USP Committee, the Undergraduate Council, and other appropriate councils and committees of the Senate in furthering the above stated responsibilities.  

It is anticipated that the work of the committee will span most of academic year 2005-06.  Some of the committee’s recommendations will necessitate further work by faculty committees and teams to delineate the particular substance of general recommendations for general education reform and assessment.  The committee however is called upon to adhere to a timetable that yields an integrated and coherent framework and set of recommendations that may be taken to the Senate Council and University Senate for review and action by April 2006.