"Keeping Faith": A Plan to Strengthen the University Core Curriculum


Keeping Faith A Plan to Strengthen the University Core Curriculum at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 2001-2006 March 30, 2000
Executive Summary The Plan Core Problem 1: Budgetary Resources Core Problem 2: Course Sufficiency Core Problem 3: Instructional Quality Core Problem 4: Learning Technology Conclusion Since 1996, the University Core Curriculum has become a vital feature of undergraduate education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It provides a well-structured educational experience each year for more than 18,000 students, whose learning in the Core is regularly monitored and assessed. Moreover, the program is being enhanced by on-going initiatives, like the Writing Literacy Project, the Block/Saluki Advantage in the dormitories, and the proposed Problem-Based Learning track. But the past four years have also brought to light some obvious problems. The most significant of them are in budgetary resources, course sufficiency, instructional quality, and learning technology. That is to say, concerns remain with 1. the imposing expense of a new program, 2. the chronic shortfall in scheduled sections of required courses, 3. the high turnover in instructional staff, and 4. the limited extent of web-based instruction. These issues must be addressed. To strengthen the University Core Curriculum, we need to recruit and to retain a larger cadre of committed faculty, whose participation in the program is more carefully coordinated and who can make better use of the new interactive-learning technologies. This cost-effective goal promises a more rigorous, innovative curriculum in the next five years. It can be achieved best by close attention to some new and better targeted resources (about $260,000 per year), more reliable staffing and flexibly scheduled courses, better curricular integration and classroom instruction, and further development of web-based and distance education. Once we have focused on these objectives, our students are sure to recognize the distinctive opportunities that a student-centered, research university makes possible for them. Such modest initiatives will make for better recruitment and retention, because our students will know why they came and why they stayed. By "keeping faith" with our students in this way, we are also "keeping faith" with the late SIU President Delyte Morris's ambitious vision for SIUC. The entire University community will be the better for it. To that end, this planning document was prepared at the special request of former Interim Provost Thomas F. Guernsey in September 1999. Addressed to the University community, including administrative and faculty leaders who make a difference, these recommendations are the product of deliberations by the University Core Curriculum's two advisory councils and a specially convened planning committee during the 1999-2000 academic year. Their members are: Director, University Core Curriculum Jim Allen, History Core Curriculum Planning Committee Brian Atchison, Undergraduate Student Government Dave Blakesley, English, Communication Across the Curriculum Bill Dyer, Zoology, College of Science Judy Drolet, Health Education, Faculty Senate Deanna Fassett, Graduate and Professional Student Council Susan Logue, Library Affairs Kyle Perkins, Linguistics, Academic Affairs Virginia Rinella, Pre-Major Advisement Diane Taub, Sociology, College of Liberal Arts Core Curriculum Executive Council Claudia Blackman, Physical Education Jim Garofalo, Administration of Justice (Fall 1999) Genie Gatens-Robinson, Philosophy Carma Gorman, Art and Design (Spring 2000) Joan McDermott, Administration of Justice Bill Muhlach, Zoology Dave NewMyer, Aviation Management and Flight Virginia Rinella, Pre-Major Advisement Frank Sanders, Physics Core Curriculum Advisory Representatives Sara Long Anderson, Food and Nutrition Brian Atchison, Undergraduate Student Government David Blakesley, English Norma Ewing, College of Education Jonny Gray, Speech Communication Chris Koeppel, Graduate and Professional Student Council Susan Logue, Library Affairs Dennis Lowry, Journalism Kyle Perkins, Academic Affairs Beverly Stitt, Women's Studies Joe Yucas, Mathematics Acknowledgment The generous assistance of Todd Bernhardt and Brenda Yucas in the Core Curriculum office is gratefully acknowledged. Back to Contents