Minutes

University Curriculum and Academic Policy Committee

December 1, 2005

Members present:

Carolyn Bocian, Rosemarie Bosler, Cindy Chance, Lee Chiang, Bobbie Dorr, Anne Henderson, Suellen Meara, Cristina Parsons (chair), Iliana Restrepo, John Volpe

The minutes of the November 3 2005 meeting were approved.

I. Program Assessment and Evaluation: Progress Reports

Cristina Parsons informed UCAP members that the Biology program’s 2^nd year report had been evaluated by Bobbie Dorr and Carolyn Bocian, and revised by Anne Henderson. She asked committee members to review the revised evaluation and vote via email on its approval.

John Volpe and Rosemarie Bosler reported that they had evaluated the Religious Studies and Theology 3^rd year report. They found that it was not fully acceptable as a 3^rd year report, due to its descriptive rather than analytical character and its paucity of substantive recommendations for program improvement. Cristina Parsons indicated that she would distribute the RST evaluation, along with the program’s 3^rd year report, to UCAP members for review and approval. The report and evaluation would then be given to the Dean of CAS and the Vice President of Academic Affairs to decide on any further action.

Cindy Chance and Anne Henderson reported that they had reviewed the History program’s 3^rd year progress report and found that it needed further work before being submitted in final form. They recommended that UCAP respond to the History program’s progress report by requesting that the program relate its reported assessment activities and results to the objectives listed in its first year report; collect and analyze missing data; and make recommendations for program improvement.

The Language and Cultural Studies program has submitted a preliminary first year report. Lee Chiang volunteered to review the report before the January 2006 UCAP meeting. Cindy Chance, chair of the Liberal Studies program, reported that she wished to do further work on the LST program’s 1^st year report before submitting it.

UCAP granted the Mathematics program’s request for a one year extension for submission of its 2^nd year report.

The committee then turned to the issue of overdue assessment reports. Members discussed the extent to which heavy faculty workloads contributed to delays in completing reports. The committee also reviewed specific cases of overdue and missing reports. Cristina Parsons contacted delinquent programs with a request for information, and obtained the following responses:

• Women’s Studies: Chair Jamey Piland submitted a proposed timeline for submission of the program’s 2^nd year assessment report. UCAP decided to ask the program to review its earlier 1^st year report in light of spring 2006 data, and to submit the 2^nd year report by May 30 2006.
• Political Science: no word from the program on its progress
• International Affairs: no word from the program on its progress
• Communication: no word from the program on its progress
• Physics: promised to provide an update
• Human Relations: promised to provide an update

II. Middle States Assessment Work

Cristina Parsons reported to committee members that she had completed a report on assessment of parity between day and evening/weekend class offerings, based on analysis of course syllabi and tests. This report will be incorporated into the assessment of educational offerings in Trinity’s Middle States Self Study.

The meeting was adjourned at 1.15 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Anne Henderson