| Objective | |
|---|---|
|
Replace the existing core curriculum requirements with a more coherent, developmental, integrated, and flexible model designed to engage students academically in focused learning. The core curriculum will connect students more holistically to the essential principles founded in the liberal arts and Catholic higher education, providing students with a greater sense of direction and intention in their education. A redesigned core, focused on interdisciplinary, experiential, and ethically-engaged learning, will better reflect the mission, purpose, and uniqueness of a degree from USD. | |
| Core Planning Committee (CPC) | |
|
The Core Planning Committee expanded in 2012-13 when Dean Mary Boyd invited all departments involved with the undergraduate curriculum and co-curriculum to appoint a committee representative. The Core Planning Committee membership now includes 29 faculty and 9 administrators representing the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business Administration, the Engineering Programs, Community Service-Learning, and Academic Affairs. The Vice President of Associated Students is also a committee member. | |
| Progress | |
| • | CPC expanded the Core Curriculum website, which provides information about the core redesign process, committee and task force memberships and reports, and a blog—Imagine the Core—inviting faculty to share their ideas. |
| • | The Core Proposal, which contains six principles and a set of recommendations for continuing the redesign process, was formally accepted by all campus entities involved. Subcommittees were created to address each principle and its associated recommendations. Every committee and task force has produced reports that will be posted on the website. |
| • | An innovative pilot project was launched to assess core competencies of information literacy and critical thinking using a discipline-specific, research-based approach. Results of the pilot were considered very promising for the future direction of assessment in the core. |
| • | The Core Proposal recommended that "an independent committee be formed and tasked with considering how the core will express USD’s institutional Catholic identity, ensure engagement with the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT) in its manifold expressions, both historical and contemporary, and advance the dialogue between faith and reason.” In response to this recommendation, Provost Julie Sulllivan formed a task force of faculty members to investigate the "Catholic Intellectual Tradition in the Core Curriculum." The report of the Task Force on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition in the Core Curriculum is posted on the Core Curriculum website. |
| • | Discussions concerning the optimal size for the core curriculum gave rise to questions of alternate curriculum size and organization. The timeline for developing the new core may be extended until a final decision about curriculum size has been reached. |
| Timeline | |
| • | January 2013: The CPC will hold an all-day retreat to begin the process of developing models. |
| • | Spring 2013: The CPC will continue to work with faculty as they work through suggested models, with the ultimate goal of developing a new core curriculum. |
| • | As the new core design progresses, the CPC will review the undergraduate goals and outcomes to ensure that they are consistent with the new design. |
| Measurable Indicators | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| • | Basic documents completed: | ||
| - Core Action Plan | X | ||
| - Three Experimental Models | X | ||
| - Core Proposal | X | ||
| • | Core elements reports: | ||
| - Multidisciplinary Clusters | X | ||
| - Breadth | X | ||
| - Diversity | X | ||
| - Writing | X | ||
| - Enhanced Components | X | ||
| - Smaller Core | X | ||
| - Catholic Intellectual Tradition | X | ||
