Undergraduate Faculty Approves Academic Life Proposal
A Message from President Kenneth P. Ruscio:
I am pleased to announce that on Nov. 5, 2007, the faculty approved an Academic Life Proposal. When we implement it in the 2009-2010 academic year, this proposal will:
- Establish the minimum requirements for a bachelor’s degree at 36 academic courses instead of 38; our peer institutions typically require 32 or 34 courses.
- Establish an average course load for faculty of 5.5 per year, instead of six.
- Adopt a four-week spring term during which students will enroll in only one intensive course, instead of the current six-week spring term in which students take two courses. We will retain some existing six-week, off-campus courses.
- Encourage faculty to develop new innovative courses and pedagogy in all segments of our calendar, especially courses uniquely suited to the four-week spring term. A course-development fund will be available especially for courses for spring term.
The adoption of the plan will allow us to rededicate ourselves to academic programs focused on innovative pedagogy, curriculum development and the best possible teaching in the liberal arts tradition.
