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 Gros Louis |
Last year's proposal to alter the freshman curriculum in Bloomington generated both heat and light, in the Bloomington Faculty Council, at school policy committees, within the IU Student Association, the Board of Aeons and the Professional Staff Council, among many others. After nearly two decades as chancellor, I discovered that I had finally found a subject almost as controversial as parking!
Now I'm happy to report that the discussions last year have resulted in real progress. First, the Campus Curriculum Committee, chaired by Ruth Russell of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, with members from all schools, has proposed a list of courses that would satisfy most of the general education requirements for any Bloomington degree. In an era of increasing specialization, this is not a small achievement, and in fact, was the number one request of student groups.
The most popular initiative proposed last year was the freshman seminar, which would be a rigorous, three-credit course similar in intent to the Wells, Kelley, IFS (Intensive Freshman Seminar) and Honors seminars. Studies have shown and the seminars confirm that the rigorous instruction and close contact with a faculty member within a small group of students helps students approach their majors with a more engaged understanding of the level of study that will be required. A task force chaired by Don Gray and including a broad range of faculty is examining ways to implement the seminar, first as one or more pilot projects. The task force is working on format, content, cost and scheduling, and hopes to finish its work yet this semester.
The proposal for a one-credit course in the "Traditions and Culture of Indiana University" was greeted with mixed reviews over the issue of credit, but was very well received in concept. A group chaired by Bill Harwood of the University Division and Jack Rhodes of Orientation Programs has been examining a model that would begin "live" during Welcome Week, then become a partially Web-based interactive tutorial. I like the combination of technology and small-group interaction.
"Learning in Teams" was suggested as a second semester freshman initiative originally, but thanks to the school deans, that course is now projected to become a requirement within each major. I'm excited to see how well the idea was embraced and understood, even though it moves from general education to the major.
One proposal, "Approaches to Knowing," would have greatly altered the method of delivering at least six credits of the general education, and as I said at the Bloomington Faculty Council meeting on Oct. 5, that was a trial balloon that never got off the ground. In its place, however, were a number of innovative ideas; those, some of which were designed to take advantage of the increased academic emphasis in our residence halls, will be discussed by the BFC's Educational Policies Committee.
On the whole, the proposal generated the kind of discussion I had hoped to see; a busy research faculty has turned much of its attention to the freshman curriculum. From that new focus, we will all be winners.
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