By MARY ANN ALBRIGHT
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Friday, January 12, 2007 12:00 am
Presenting baccalaureate core courses in a way that engages students and helps them appreciate the value of a broad, liberal arts education set the tone for Oregon State University's first Faculty Senate meeting of 2007.
Moira Dempsey, director of the Academic Success Center and chairwoman of Academic Learning Services, moderated a panel Thursday discussing how well OSU's baccalaureate core classes - courses spread across a variety of disciplines in areas such as the humanities, the sciences and cultural studies meeting requirements that all students must fulfill to graduate - get students involved and interested in learning.
The panel included Liz Gray, associate dean for academic programs in the College of Health and Human Sciences; Kerry Kincanon, head adviser for the Exploratory Studies Program and chairman of the Academic Advising Council; and Janine Trempy, associate dean for the College of Science and chairwoman of the Council on Student Engagement and Experience.
OSU developed its baccalaureate core program in 1987, and educators have learned a lot since then about how students process information, Gray said.
The topic prompted much discussion among the Faculty Senate when the panel opened the floor.
"I am so looking forward to the day when a student doesn't say, 'I've pretty much knocked out the BAC core' like it's a shooting gallery," said Mina Carson, associate professor of history.
Many senators agreed that students don't understand why they're being asked to take classes in fields unrelated to their majors. They often choose classes that fill these required areas based on scheduling convenience or availability, not what they're most interested in, senators said.
These core classes are a chance to reach every student. They need to teach not just critical thinking but also creative thinking, said Goran Jovanovic, chemical engineering professor.
Engaging students in core classes has more to do with instruction than content, according to Lani Roberts, assistant professor of philosophy.
"A good teacher can make any material interesting," she said.
While some said students should only take core classes they're genuinely interested in, Roberts argued that interest often comes later.
"I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to put students outside their comfort zones and introduce them to something they didn't know existed," she said, adding that students often discover their majors that way.
Senators questioned whether these core classes are being relegated to adjunct faculty rather than the most experienced professors due to budgetary shortfalls.
Faculty considered creating multi-disciplinary, team-taught courses centered around a particular topic or theme to help students understand how their classes relate to each other.
OSU President Ed Ray suggested looking at how OSU student surveys that assess the learning experience compare to those at other institutions.
In the past, OSU students have said they aren't challenged enough, and that too much of what they do is memorization, Ray said. They've also complained of a lack of opportunities for service learning projects outside the classroom.
Peter Saunders, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, reminded the faculty that students also bear responsibility for their learning experiences, and that educators shouldn't shoulder all the burden.
Saunders and his staff offer resources for faculty wanting help with teaching. They've created a hub in Milam Hall where faculty and graduate teaching assistants can go to discuss teaching issues and pedagogy with peers.
Also at Thursday's meeting, the gavel was passed from outgoing Faculty Senate President Bill Boggess, associate dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, to Mike Quinn, computer science professor.