Charge for the Core Implementation Committee

Charge to the ad hoc Core Implementation Committee, 2021–2022

A new Core curriculum, Four Courses with Optional Electivity, was passed by the faculty on May 8, 2020. To help guide the development and delivery of this new curriculum, the FEC has formed an ad hoc faculty implementation committee for the 2021-2022 academic year to continue the work of the previous Core Implementation Committee from the 2020-2021 academic year.

The committee is charged with working closely with academic departments, appropriate standing and ad hoc committees, and the Dean of Faculty to:

Direct the development of the Impact Course by:

  • reviewing materials created by the impact course development team (ICDT) to ensure that recommendations and guidelines are being considered and incorporated into pilot course(s)
  • gathering individual draft course learning outcomes from the ICDT for planned pilot courses and placing these new pilot courses and their learning outcomes into some larger curricular context, using goals for the Core and learning outcomes from other Core courses
  • collaborating with the Assessment and Accreditation Committee to review and provide feedback on assessment questions proposed by the ICDT for spring 2022 pilots, in the context of overall Core learning goals, and to present the findings of this assessment in late spring 2022
  • exploring ways to incentivize student participation in the pilot Impact Course(s) in spring 2022
  • proposing a date after spring 2023 for bringing to the faculty a vote on whether to retain the Impact Course as a Core requirement and drafting criteria upon which a recommendation to retain the course could be made

Continue the work of the previous CIC by:

  • recommending on-going funding and staffing to deliver the curricular excellence to which the college aspires, especially for sustaining new Core offerings (e.g. Biology 52, Chemistry 23, and the Impact Course(s))
  • recommending sustainable models and mechanisms for staffing, funding, and scheduling for the Core, including a model for sustainable offerings of the Impact Course
  • proposing an ongoing mechanism for monitoring the time students and faculty spend in the Core
  • mapping student pathways through the Core and their major with an eye toward revising advising guidelines, in collaboration with departments, the CCD, the ADAA, and the Registrar
  • proposing new Core grading policies and contingencies for students not passing Core courses in the expected semesters

The committee is asked to send progress reports to the FEC at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

Charge to the ad hoc Core Implementation Committee, 2020–2021

A new Core curriculum, Four Courses with Optional Electivity, was passed by the faculty on May 8, 2020. To help guide the development and delivery of this new curriculum, the FEC has formed an ad hoc faculty implementation committee for the 2020-2021 academic year. The committee is charged with working closely with academic departments, appropriate standing and ad hoc committees, and the Dean of Faculty to:

  • work with the DCC to understand the downstream impact of the new Core on each department
  • work with the CCD, ADAA, and Registrar to map student pathways through the Core with an eye toward revising advising guidelines
  • recommend the appropriate unit count for Core courses
  • work with OIRE to recommend a model for ongoing assessment of the time students and faculty spend in the Core
  • recommend sustainable models (staffing, money, and calendar) for the Core
  • recommend an appropriate timeline for implementing the new curriculum
  • evaluate whether the requisite funding and staffing are in place to deliver the curricular excellence to which the college aspires
  • consult with the faculty and make recommendations about the nature of the new “impact” course, including considering questions such as,
    • will the course be a capstone course, a course chosen from a menu of options, or something else?
    • what faculty expertise will be required to deliver the course?
    • will additional faculty be required to deliver the course content?
    • how will this course be supported monetarily, administratively, and through staffing such that it does not wither after an initial burst of enthusiasm?
    • what person or entity will be responsible for overseeing the success of this course?
    • should a sunrise and/or sunset condition be put in place for the course?

The committee is asked to send progress reports to the FEC at the end of the fall and spring semesters.