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C.W. Post Undergraduate Core Curriculum Survey

Administered by the Core Curriculum Review Committee

A Standing Committee of the C.W. Post Faculty

Spring, 2000

The Core Curriculum Committee is charged with general oversight of the C.W. Post undergraduate core curriculum and is to report to the faculty via the Faculty Council on the efficacy of that curriculum, making recommendations for continuation or change as the Committee deems necessary. The present core curriculum has been in place, relatively unmodified, for many years. During 1998-1999, the Committee conducted an opinion survey that garnered a small, but highly articulate response. The Committee wishes again to survey faculty opinion about the core curriculum from as many points of view as possible. Our survey is based on the issues raised in last year’s survey as well as our own research into the core curricula of other institutions around the country. We trust that each faculty member will give this survey close attention. Please complete this survey. We need to know what you think.

Do not place your name on the questionnaire. Please be assured that your responses will

remain anonymous. The demographic information you provide will enable us to deepen our understanding of your responses to questions regarding the core curriculum.

Please return your completed questionnaire to _________________________, by _________

I. ABOUT YOURSELF

1. Gender: ___ F ___ M

2. Age: ___25-34 ___35-44 ___45-54 ___55- +

3. Racial/Ethnic Background:

___African American ___Asian/Pacific Islander ___Hispanic

___Native American/Alaskan ___White ___Other____________________

4. First language, if not English: _______________________________________________

5. Graduate Degrees and Institution/Country:

Degree University Country

________________________________________________________________________

6. C.W. Post Academic Unit (Department, College or School):

________________________________________________________________________

7. Current Faculty Rank (Check all that apply):

___ Instructor ___Assistant Prof. ___Associate Prof. ___Professor

___Department Head ___Other (Specify) ______________________________________

8. Do you have tenure at C.W. Post? ___ Yes ___ No

9. Total number of years you have been a member of a teaching faculty at C.W. Post:

____ Years

10. Total number of years you have been a member of a teaching faculty at a college

or university other than C.W. Post: ____ Years

II. KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE C.W. POST UNDERGRADUATE CORE CURRICULUM

1. Prior to this survey, were you aware that C.W. Post had an undergraduate core

curriculum?

___Yes ___No

2. How knowledgeable of the C.W. Post undergraduate core curriculum are you?

___ Very ___ Somewhat ___ Not at all

3. Does your academic unit offer one or more courses in the C.W. Post undergraduate

core curriculum?

___ Yes ___ No ___ Don't know

4. Have you taught a course in the C.W. Post undergraduate core curriculum?

___ Yes ___ No ___ Don't know

5. Have you taught a course in the core curriculum at another college or university?

___ Yes ___ No ___ Don't know

6. Have you ever been directly and formally involved in the design or evaluation of a core curriculum? ____Yes ____ No Please explain:

_______________________________________________________________________

PLEASE REVIEW THE CURRENT CORE CURRICULUM AREA GROUPINGS AND COURSES (Attached)

III. OPINIONS ABOUT THE C.W.POST UNDERGRADUATE CORE CURRICULUM

1. Do you think C.W. Post should have an undergraduate core curriculum?

___ Yes ___ No ___ No opinion

2. If you answered 'Yes' to the above, how strongly do you agree that the current

C.W. Post undergraduate core curriculum should be reexamined?

___ Strongly agree ___ Somewhat agree ___ Somewhat disagree ___ Strongly disagree

3. The following items are among the most frequently cited objectives of a University’s Core

Curriculum. Using the following 3 rankings, please indicate how crucial you think these

objectives are for Post’s Core Curriculum:

“A”- should be a central, primary objective of the core curriculum

“B”- should not be central, but is an important secondary objective of the core curriculum

“C”- should not be an objective or focus of the core curriculum

_____ Acquisition by the student of a common body of knowledge

_____ Develop ability to examine a problem or issue from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

_____ Foster ability to view one’s life experiences in wider contexts

_____ Develop critical and analytical thinking skills.

_____ Facilitate the development of effective oral communication skills.

_____ Develop and refine writing skills.

_____ Develop ability to apply appropriate research methods for investigation

and problem-solving.

_____ Provide skills needed for independent learning, inquiry, and scholarship.

_____ Expose students to the universe of human knowledge, including those academic

disciplines to which they might otherwise not be exposed.

_____ Develop understanding of the value of primary sources and texts

_____ Provide exposure to the ideas and methods of the natural sciences

_____ Develop literacy and competency in information technology (computers and

communications)

(List continues on the next page.)

_____ Develop quantitative reasoning, including numerical competency

_____ Integrate scientific, technological and mathematical competencies.

_____ Develop ability to critically evaluate information resources for authenticity and validity

_____ Develop an understanding and appreciation of literature and the arts.

_____ Promote understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and environments

_____ Promote understanding and appreciation of international and global issues

_____ Promote understanding and appreciation of moral and ethical issues and values

_____ Prepare students for responsible citizenship

If there are any other objectives that the C.W. Post core curriculum should include, please list them:

____________________________________________________________________________

4. Which of the following orientations or perspectives should be incorporated in the core

curriculum? (Check all that apply)

___ Other ______________________________________________________________

5. In your opinion, what guidelines or criteria should be used to determine the eligibility of

courses for inclusion in the core curriculum?

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Currently there are seven major area groupings of disciplines and courses identified in the core curriculum (e.g., laboratory sciences, language and literature).

6. Do you think the current area groupings of disciplines and courses should be

reexamined?

___ Yes ___ No

7. Should any current area groupings

___ be eliminated (please specify) ___________________________________________

___ be added (please specify) _______________________________________________

___ be consolidated (please specify) __________________________________________

8. Should any courses in any area grouping

___ be eliminated (please specify) ___________________________________________

___ be added (please specify) _______________________________________________

___ be moved to another area (please specify) __________________________________

9. Currently, the minimum total number of required credit hours in the core curriculum is

44. Do you believe the total number of required credit hours a student must complete

in the core curriculum should be:

____fewer than 44 hours (specify___) ____more than 44 hours (specify___)

____stay the same

10. The current area groupings have differing numbers of required credits. Should each

area grouping have an equal number of required credits? ___Yes ___No Please explain:

____________________________________________________________________________

11. Each area grouping has unique guidelines to be used by the student for selecting courses

in that area. For example, Laboratory Sciences requires 8 credits taken in sequence. Do

you ___ agree or ___ disagree with the current guidelines? Please explain:

____________________________________________________________________________

12. In general, universities across the country have utilized one of four possible core

curriculum formats, which are sometimes varied and combined in many ways. Please

rank these formats from 1-4 according to what you think would be the most desirable

format for CW Post. [#1 is the most desirable format, and #4 is the least desirable

format.]

____ Designated Core Courses: Some colleges and universities require students to fulfill their core requirements by choosing from a menu of courses or course sequences offered by individual departments which are specifically designed for the core program. Carefully defined criteria are established for the faculty developing the core offerings (based on the program goals and other characteristics) in addition to the establishment of a clear set of requirements to help students make their choices appropriately.

____ Thematically-Focused Interdisciplinary Courses: Many institutions have created courses for their core programs which involve examining a particular theme or issue from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. Each course involves input from several disciplines across the Humanities, Science, and Social Science divisions. Each course builds on the one before, and assignment design and evaluation are also integrated in a variety of ways. Students may select from a range of thematically focused courses or course sequences to fulfill part of their core requirements. The tight thematic focus of such courses ensures that students achieve significant depth and treatment of their topics while cutting across boundaries between concentrations in a purposeful way.

____ Course Clusters (or Learning Communities): This is an alternative to the single interdisciplinary course. In this format, groups of two or three courses in separate departments are planned together around a common theme. The material studied and the assignments given in the separate courses are designed to complement each other in various ways. In many institutions, the work students do in the individual courses is supplemented by work in a common seminar, often led by a special tutor responsible for coordinating the whole cluster.

____ Capstone Courses: Many colleges and universities have instituted some form of capstone experience as part of their core programs, e.g., a special graduating-year seminar often based on an interdisciplinary approach to a particular topic or theme. This allows students to bring together the work they have done in their studies as a whole. Capstone projects may include exhibitions or performances, or application of knowledge and skills to working on problems in their community.

13. What area concentration or course not currently in the core curriculum would you

like to see added?

Area Concentration: ______________________________________________________

Course: ________________________________________________________________

14. What do you think is the single most important issue that should be addressed by

core curriculum planners?

_______________________________________________________________________