Developing Criteria for Requirements

Introduction

In April 2011, the faculty of LMU voted to adopt a new Core Curriculum.  The approved Core proposal articulated the overarching philosophy, goals, and learning outcomes for the new Core, and outlined the curriculum requirements.

In order for courses to be developed that meet the new Core Curriculum requirements, clear defining criteria must be articulated that can be used to determine whether a course meets a given requirement.  This document spells out the process by which those criteria will be developed and approved.

Structures:  Faculty Working Groups

During the Fall semester of 2011, 11 working groups will be constituted, covering the various components of the new Core Curriculum.

The charge of the groups will be to develop descriptions of requirements and inclusion criteria for courses in the new Core, based on the philosophy, goals, learning outcomes, and descriptions that appear in the Core Curriculum proposal that was approved by a faculty vote.

In general, working groups for each category will be comprised of faculty from within the topic or discipline AND representatives from significantly different perspectives.  However, the person outside the discipline should have a demonstrated understanding of and interest in the topic. The working groups may consult with individuals outside of their groups who have expertise relevant to the work of the groups.

Attached is a list of the working group categories and the composition of each.  Each working group will contain a member of the UCCC or the Implementation Task Force who will serve as a liaison between the working group and the UCCC/Task Force and ensure consistency in the criteria.

The Core Implementation Task Force (CITF) will select members of the working groups in consultation with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee.

Process for Developing Criteria for Core Curriculum Requirements

Each working group will be guided by the descriptions of the Core requirements contained in the Core Curriculum proposal, as well as by the overarching philosophy, goals, and learning outcomes of the new Core.

Following the template below, each group will craft a description that clearly spells out the purpose and content of courses that meet the requirement, the defining features of the requirement, and the learning outcomes that requirement is expected to foster.

In keeping with the spirit of the Core Curriculum proposal, the descriptions should not be so narrow as to limit the teaching of courses that satisfy the requirement to faculty in a single discipline.  Moreover, it should be emphasized that the charge of the groups is to develop criteria that will be used to approve courses, not to anticipate or identify specific courses that would satisfy the Core.

In keeping with the spirit of the Core Curriculum proposal, descriptions and criteria should address skills, perspectives, and ways of knowing as much as content.

Descriptions and criteria will be submitted to the University Core Curriculum Committee by the end of Fall 2011 for final approval.  Upon approval of the criteria by the UCCC, the working groups will disband. 

Instructions and Template for the Working Groups

Each group should begin by examining the description of its respective requirement in the Core Curriculum proposal.

Based on that description, the group should articulate a clear set of criteria that proposed courses must meet in order to be included in the Core.  The criteria for each requirement should be one (1) page in length, organized according to the template below, and contain:

I. Description of purpose and content – This section should be one paragraph that describes the purpose of the requirement and the general type of content that would be included in courses that meet this requirement.  Questions that should be addressed in this paragraph are: 1) What is this requirement trying to accomplish? 2) In general, what type of content knowledge should be covered? 3) What skills or perspectives should courses in this category focus on? 4) What general types of activities, experiences, or pedagogies should be included?

II. Defining Characteristics – Describe characteristics that courses in this category must have; that is, describe any type of content, activities, or pedagogies that are required in order for a course to count for this requirement.  Your description should include an estimate of how much weight should be given to an essential component.

III. Learning Outcomes – What should students know, be able to do, and value by the end of any course in this category?  Note that individual courses may have additional learning outcomes that are specific to that course.  This list should contain only those learning outcomes to be addressed in any course that counts for this requirement.