Baccalaureate Core Committee

Voting members present: Aidas Banaitis, Geoffrey Barstow, Daniel Faltesek, Colin Johnson, Matthew Kennedy, Rene Reitsma, Randy Rosenberger, Kari-Lyn Sakuma, Thomas Shelly, Kaplan Yalcin
Voting members absent: Kelsey Emard, Jack Istok, Lori McGraw, Ifeoma Ozoede, Justin St. Germain,
Ex-officio members present: Assessment & Accreditation – Heath Henry; Ecampus – Karen Watte
Guests: Pat Ball, Kristin Nagy Catz, John Edwards, McKenzie Huber, Michael Jefferies, Caryn Stoess

Core Education Policy

• Learning Outcome Assessment
  • Proposed Policy: All courses participating in general education must patriciate in regular course learning outcome assessment.  Failure to assess student learning leads to decertification. Assessment happens on the level of the course, not the individual section, I.e. all sections of the same course use the same type of instrument. Assessment and accreditation will provide rubrics, which will be developed in consultation with faculty in those content areas, with the advice and consent of the committee to assist units in assessment. Units determine which course elements are aligned with particular learning outcomes. It is possible for a single assessment to align to multiple outcomes. At the time of submission for course approval, the assessment plan (not the individual questions, papers, presentations, performances, etc.) must be in place. Assessment data will be collected on a regular basis. Instructors will be notified early in the assessment term that they will need to collect data. 
    • Reports should include both the relevant summary document designed by Assessment and Accreditation and a representative sample of student work. These materials are due two weeks after the end of the assessed term. 
    • For courses which are offered most terms, assessment will be in a term which is not spring. For courses which meet only in spring, spring term will be assessed. 
      • Comment from chat: Would the addition of the word 'broad' imply that it is not a specific assessment that needs to match across every section, but is meant to be inclusive of a variety of assessments within a type? 
        • Friendly amendment: "Assessment happens on the level of the course, not the individual section, I.e. all sections of the same course using the same broad type of instrument."

Action: Motion to approve the proposed Learning Outcome Assessment Policy; seconded. The motion passed with 11 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition and 0 abstentions.

• Variance Approval
  • Currently we defer to individuals in the chain of custody of the proposal and/or the co-chairs
  • Pros:
    • Avoids pressure on Director of Core Education and Baccalaureate Core (DCEBC)
    • Optimizes governance 
  • Cons
    • Slower
    • May expose DCEBC to pressure/Blame
  • Faculty Senate delegates power to the Executive Committee (EC), EC may not violate an expressed negation by the Senate (structural legislative veto). 
  • Flexibility is useful here as there may be requests that are handled carefully due to health or privacy matters. There are other requests that need the full committee.  
  •  This balances the need for expedience and flexibility with engagement. At no point is DCEBC a single decision maker.  
  •  Policy needed for multiple rules including WIC. 
  • Proposed Policy: Approvals for variances will be made by the DCEBC in accordance with the directives of the committee or in consultation with the co-chairs depending on the nature of the request and/or need for maintaining timely operations.  

Action: Motion to accept the proposed policy; seconded. The motion passed with 11 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition and 0 abstentions.

Course Reviews

• MST444 – Writing for Marine Studies
  • The curriculum cycle has closed so the proposal cannot be advanced.
  • Instructions for the writing assignment lacked detail – it had information that was taken directly from the syllabus.

Action: Motion to send back, citing issues around the lack of detail in the instructions for the final assignment; seconded. The motion passed with 10 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition and 0 abstentions.

• BHS323 – Microbial Influences on Human Health
  • The curriculum cycle has closed so the proposal cannot be advanced.
  • The due date for the final paper revisions was missing from the syllabus.

Action: Motion to send back and request that the due date for revisions be added to the syllabus; seconded. The motion passed with 10 votes in favor, 0 votes in opposition and 0 abstentions.