Accountability Report
Appendices
Appendix R
Faculty Senate Recommended Administrative Changes to Improve Course Access
and Progress to Degree
The Faculty Council on Academic Standards recommended the following
package of administrative, student service and policy changes in order
to optimize student learning, improve student access to courses, reduce
the probability of unfilled seats at the end of each quarter in
high-demand courses and improve student progress through the
University. No single aspect of this package can achieve these goals.
Taken together, these changes will maximize the use of our educational
resources by increasing the likelihood that students register for
courses which best fit their academic skill level and educational needs
while, at the same time, providing mechanisms for effective admission of
students to high-demand courses when space becomes available due to
student withdrawal. A committee of students and faculty will be
established to monitor and guide the implementation of these changes
and will update FCAS on progress in achieving these goals on a
semi-annual basis.
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Provide more comprehensive information of the specific courses to be
taught each quarter through a WEB site prior to registration. This
system should include information such as: a) the name of the
instructor; b) course description and learning objectives; c) an
estimate of the amount of reading assigned and/or a description of
course assignments; d) a description of the grading system to be used;
and, e) a description of the academic or experiential background
students are expected to have.
-
Significantly enhance advising opportunities for both majors and
pre-majors. Require that all students meet with advisors prior to
registration for courses with high drop rates.
-
Review all course prerequisites, elimination of unnecessary
prerequisites, redesign the registrations system to enforce
prerequisites deemed necessary by the course instructor.
(The need for specific prerequisites can be overridden in individual
cases by an entry code provided by the instructor or department.)
-
Inform the faculty of the necessity and importance of providing students
with a written description of course assignments and grading procedures
at the start of each quarter.
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Provide enhanced training of TAs and tutors, especially those involved
with high demand courses with a significant number of drops. This
training should include: working with diverse populations, early
identification of students having difficulty with course
material, procedures for adding and dropping courses, and information on
where to refer students with specific problems.
-
Provide low-cost tutoring and/or Supplemental Instruction Groups (SIG)
for high-demand courses with high numbers of drops. Tutors or SIG
leaders could be undergraduate students who have previously taken the
course and excelled in it. Selected tutors or SIG leaders could be paid
or could receive course credit for their efforts.
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Permit non-registered, wait-listed individuals to attend class for the
first 2 weeks of the quarter (space and fire laws permitting), and to
register as space becomes available. Provide resources for video- or
audiotape the first 2 weeks of high-demand courses taught in rooms too
small to allow wait-listed students to attend so that students who
add late can catch up.
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Encourage evaluation of all, high-demand, high-drop courses on an annual
basis and provide financial support for such evaluations. Support
systems which provide students with ready access to evaluation results.
Accountability Report
Appendices
