Objective 1.1.1 Strategies and Benchmarks
1.1.1 The current core curriculum is defined as the "core skills, competencies and abilities" in written communication, oral communication and quantitative reasoning necessary for students "to function…as effective and informed citizens." The core curriculum will be reviewed, revised and fully evaluated and strengthened as part of UMA's ongoing self-assessment activities.
This process has already begun with the reconstitution of the Core & General Education Committee of the Faculty Senate in the spring of '06. The committee has approved outcomes in written communications and quantitative skills and will do so with oral communications by the spring of '07. After review by the colleges, Faculty Senate will approve the changes in the spring of '07. Thereafter, the committee will work with program coordinators to review, revise and strengthen the delivery of these areas of the core with attention to the needs of specific programs. As a result, core skills will become more integrated and reinforced throughout programs. In addition, they will become integrated into periodic program assessment.
The benchmark for this objective is that the core skills, competencies and abilities become integral to, and reinforced within program curricula. This will be evident by the development of new courses and the reworking of courses already on the books to integrate program outcomes with core skills outcomes. The programs will assess core outcomes along with programmatic outcomes. Additionally, the Core-Gen Ed Committee will continue to review, develop and change outcomes, with the participation of the faculty, to achieve the goal of having students function as effective and informed citizens.