Liberal Learning Advisory Council Minutes Fall 2000

Minutes Arranged by Date

December 13, 2000

Present: R. Anderson (Secretary), W. Behre, V. De Jesus, R. Fangboner, K. Finkral (Chair), D. Knox, D. Kobrynowicz, L. McCauley, M. Ritter, D. Vandegrift, Y. Watson

Minutes from November 29th were approved as submitted.
Bob Anderson agreed to put detailed information on how to fill out and submit course proposals on the website. Bob also agreed to engage Craig Blaha in a website makeover that would further address the listing of classes for each semester, and to keep students and faculty better informed about course updates and the like.
Bob Anderson handed out a sheet detailing the variety of ways Perspectives on the World requirements can be met. He agreed to keep that updated and to put it on the web.
Bob Anderson distributed results from the ETS Academic Profiles Test showing improvement from First to Second year in areas of humanities, social science, reading, writing, thinking, and especially mathematics. Questions of comparability were raised, as were questions of cause and effect. The consensus was that it is difficult to pin down the source of such student gains, and that assessment in general is extremely difficult.
Bob Anderson gave information to each member indicating that service learning seemed to increase students knowledge of what it means to be human, to be a member of a community, to be moral, ethical, or just, and to relate to members of diverse populations.
Bob Anderson passed around information regarding reading and mathematics requirements from institutions similar to TCNJ. Observations included the fact that many institutions have fewer requirements in those areas than we do.
An assessment committee consisting of Diane Kobrynowicz, Don Vandegrift, Bill Behre, Matthew Ritter, Ray Fangboner, and Bob Anderson was established. Bob Anderson agreed to convene it, but not before the beginning of the Spring semester. Questions to be considered include:
- What do we want to know?
- What are we doing now?
- What should we be doing?
- What is feasible?
- Who should actually do assessment?
Adjournment was at 1:50. The next meeting was set for January 24, 2001. Everyone agreed to have a happy new year, whether they wanted to or not.

November 29, 2000

Present: R. Anderson (Secretary), R. Fangboner, K. Finkral, D. Knox, L. McCauley, S. Mitchell, A. Pfenninger, D. Vandegrift, Y. Watson

The minutes of the November 8th meeting were approved as submitted. The vote was 5 in favor, none opposed, and one abstention.
Bob Anderson was appointed as liaison to the Committee on Academic Programs (CAP).
Western diversity distribution was added to the previous approval of HIST 267, America’s Moving Frontier for History under Perspectives on the World. The vote was 6 in favor, one opposed, and no abstentions.
The request of the History Department to add Western diversity distribution approval to HIST 217, Medieval Women was tabled pending receipt of an up to date syllabus and a rationale for the diversity request from the department.
Bob Anderson agreed to provide data on the availability of Perspectives on the World courses in terms of the various categories, and other relevant information on assessement.
Adjournment was at 4:30 sharp. The next meeting was set for December 13th at 12:30.

Courses Approved

HIST 267 (Western diversity added)

Courses Returned

HIST 217

November 8, 2000

Present: R. Anderson (Secretary), W. Behre, R. Fangboner, K. Fay, K. Finkral (Chair),
D. Knox, D. Kobrynowicz, L. McCauley, S. Mitchell, A. Pfenninger, E. Redler,

The minutes of October 25th were approved as submitted.
Bob Anderson distributed several course proposals from previously approved history courses that the history department would like have reviewed for the addition of diversity distribution approvals.
Kevin Fay, student member, was welcomed to the council.
Lauren Komsa, student member, was deleted from council membership.
By unanimous vote of 10 to 0 council members requested that the History Department provide non-Western justification statements for HIST 201 and 231, and Western justification statements for HIST 217, 267, 271, 272, and 291.
Further discussion of HIST 217 and 267 suggested that diversity rationales might be contained within the original proposals.
Continued discussion of strategic planning focused on the Rhetoric sequence. No motions or proposals were considered.
Adjournment was at 3:00. The next meeting was set for November 29th at 3:30 in Holman 311.

October 25, 2000

Present: R. Anderson (Secretary), W. Behre, R. Fangboner, K. Finkral (Chair), S. Mitchell, A. Pfenninger, E Redler, H. Robboy, D. Vandegrift, Y. Watson

The minutes of October 18th were approved as submitted.
A preliminary discussion of the diversity distribution requirement within Perspectives on the World focused primarily on the Western diversity distribution requirement. Bob Anderson distributed minutes from December 2, 1992; September 25, 1996; and October 16, 1996 when the Western diversity distribution requirement was previously discussed. He pointed out that although it may seem obvious that students here would know about Western culture, in fact students have little to compare it with. As the “default” civilization we may confuse peculiarly Western habits of thought and modes of living as “natural” in some way, thereby losing sight of the richness of human diversity. The basic requirement for courses meeting the Western diversity distribution requirement is that they must be “self-consciously” Western in their orientation. It is also helpful for such courses to offer a comparative approach so that students can contrast the Western with other approaches.
A request by the Department of History to add non-Western diversity distribution credit to two courses and Western diversity distribution credit to five others was discussed in general and historical terms, but a full consideration was postponed pending the accumulation of additional information.
Bob Anderson agreed to provide copies for the next meeting of the seven relevant course proposals and/or meeting minutes for each of the History courses under consideration in item 4 above.
Adjournment was at 4:30 in full sunlight. The next meeting was set for November 8th at 12:30 in Holman 311.

October 18, 2000

Present: R. Anderson (Secretary), W. Behre, R. Fangboner, K. Finkral (Chair), D. Kobrynowicz, L. Komsa, L. McCauley, S. Mitchell, A. Pfenninger, E. Redler, H. Robboy, D. Vandegrift, Y. Watson

Members introduced themselves and welcomed Ray Fangboner, Diane Kobrynowicz, Lauren Komsa, Susan Mitchell, Erika Redler, Howard Robboy, Don Vandegrift, and Yvonne Watson as new to the council.
Keith Finkral was elected Chair by unanimous vote.
Bob Anderson was elected Secretary by unanimous vote.
The following meeting schedule was adopted for Fall 2000:

October 18: 2:00 to 3:00
October 25: 3:30 to 4:30
November 8: 12:30 to 1:50
November 29: 3:30 to 4:30
December 13: 12:30 to 1:50

In addition to the above dates and times, council members agreed to hold the “OPEN” time on the first Wednesday [which has subsequently been set for 3:30 to 4:30] for additional meetings if needed.
Bob Anderson distributed a packet including a brief history of the General Education Program (with his own observations), the original 1992 general education proposal as approved by governance, the 13 goals and 72 learning outcomes, the framing document for Athens to New York, the SET syllabus for Fall 2000, and a proposed meeting schedule for Fall 2000.
The few remaining minutes were spent in a general discussion of the implications of any possible credit hour restructuring on general education.
Adjournment was at 3:00 sharp. The next meeting was set for October 25th at 3:30 in Holman 311. Members appeared as yet unfazed.