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Phase III: Initial Curricular Proposals from the CEP
OVERVIEW
Please find linked below the CEP's four initial curricular innovation proposals. They were "on the table" for general discussion and debate in Phase III:
- Skills and Contents Requirement
- Williams Signature Tutorial Program
- Interdisciplinary Initiatives
- Experiential Education
These proposals were written following intensive meetings and debates within the CEP in the past two months. Clearly, they grew from ideas that came from the faculty, staff, and students, beginning in September 2000 with the Call for Curricular Ideas, and were further shaped by what we heard in the many meetings and discussions on the curriculum that took place between October and January. Our discussions were also informed by a variety of institutional research data, such as surveys from exiting seniors and from alums about their curricular experiences, surveys of admitted students about why they chose or did not choose to attend Williams, and a study of the curricula of comparison schools.
As we debated each of the various possible curricular innovations and shaped the proposals, we were guided by the overriding question: How would each curricular innovation under consideration enhance the value of a Williams education?
In assessing each curricular innovation, we were also guided by the following questions, which grew out of this central question. How would the innovation under consideration address the goal of increasing students' intellectual skills, particularly in writing but also in other areas? How would it address Williams' commitment to close intellectual interaction between faculty and students? How would it address the perceived isolation of the college? How would it address the desire of students and faculty to ensure that the curriculum prepares students to learn and work in an increasingly diverse society, and in a world with rapidly shrinking global boundaries and increasingly complex social and environmental problems? How would the curricular innovation under consideration address the educational consequences of the fact that some students spend much of their Williams careers in large classes? We also asked whether the innovation under consideration would do anything to address the perennial concerns about the quality and quantity of academic advising, particularly in the first two years. Finally, we asked, would this innovation provide a unique dimension to a Williams education? While the intellectual and educational merits of a curricular innovation are clearly the most important measure of its worth, those innovations that would enhance the profile of the Williams curriculum, even among its august peer group, were particularly attractive.
Clearly, many of these proposals for curricular innovation and the educational values they address are related to each other, and the more we talked, the more we saw connections among the various curricular ideas. Thus, we have attempted to draft an internally consistent set of proposals. We believe that the proposals reflect the most important aspect of Williams' educational mission: very high level academic work by students in close interaction with faculty members. This is what we promise our students, and this is why students choose Williams over other colleges and universities. Furthermore, this is what they report means the most to them about their Williams education, both as they are headed out the door and many years down the road as alumni. The metaphor of "the log" is a powerful and, we think, worthy one that has withstood the test of time.
It was, however, first invoked in the 19th century. Much has changed in the world and in American higher education since then, and we must ask if there is anything else we might be doing to enhance the value of a Williams education. Thus, these proposals also reflect an interest in bringing the "world" a little closer to campus, and bringing the campus a little closer to the "world." They are intended to enhance our ability to inform students, and to teach them to think critically about global issues, social problems, and diverse cultures -- and where appropriate, to gain experience in confronting them first hand.
Note: The CEP briefly discussed several ideas that concern structural aspects of the curriculum. These include the potential value of a credit hour system, the role of winter study, and the length of semesters, among others. Depending on the fate of these curricular innovations, we plan to revisit those discussions during the implementation phase (2001-2002) in order to assess whether or how they would help accomplish the curricular innovations.
The CEP also discussed many curricular issues that are not the explicit focus of one of the current proposals. Throughout our discussions we were concerned with improving advising, with enhancing the health of programs and clusters in the curriculum and allowing for the development of new ones, and with facilitating the internationalization of the curriculum. A careful reading will reveal that some of the current proposals are designed to support these goals, although none at present speak directly to them. Finally, we recommend that the issue of minors and double majors be addressed by next year's CEP.