Strategy:  Ensure that the campus maintains and develops high caliber courses, curricula, and academic programs.

Point People:  Patricia Turner, Jeffery Gibeling, and Harold Levine

Narrative Summary of Fourth Year Implementation Efforts – Undergraduate:

The undergraduate curriculum is under the purview of the colleges, the Committee on Courses of Instruction and the Undergraduate Council of the Academic Senate.  The recommendations of a joint senate and administrative task force group established last year to examine the effectiveness of Undergraduate Program Review resulted in revisions that were implemented this year for the first cohort of programs.  The streamlined process makes better use of campus-wide data collection to inform the review and to have the program review process align more closely with the campus Educational Objectives. 

A second joint senate and administrative task force group continued its work of examining several campus committees’ recommendations for enhancements to the General Education program.  By the close of the year campus-wide discussions ensued regarding the task force group’s preliminary recommendations for a restructured program and the proposed changes to the curricular requirements.  These discussions were undertaken with the aim of inviting broad commentary prior to finalizing a draft to be submitted for senate consideration in the coming year.    

A particularly noteworthy academic program accomplishment this year was the launching of the Center for Leadership Learning, a campus-wide collaboration between the Office of Undergraduate Studies, the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences and the Division of Student Affairs to support undergraduate student development consistent with the campus Educational Objectives.    

Narrative Summary of Fourth Year Implementation Efforts – Graduate:    

The Graduate Council has formal responsibility for assessing the quality of graduate courses, curricula and programs. It has well-established procedures for review of new activities in these areas as well as for periodic review of each graduate program. These program reviews occur on regular cycles every 7-8 years on average.  To strengthen the program review process, Graduate Council has adopted review criteria to include greater reliance on outcomes.  In concert with this activity, the Office of Graduate Studies continues to identify appropriate measures of program quality to use in determining graduate student support block grant allocations.

During the past year, the Graduate Council developed concrete recommendations to strengthen graduate programs based on its earlier comprehensive analysis of program review results.  A key area identified by the Council was that every graduate program should be asked to obtain an MOU from the associated department Chair(s) to ensure that the core curriculum would be taught consistently.  Further, the lead Dean should be responsible for making sure that graduate groups have faculty to teach core courses.  Council recommended that each new graduate group should have MOU’s in place before they begin admitting students.

The Office of Graduate Studies continues to work with faculty to support new graduate program development and to update existing programs to ensure that curricula are responsive to emerging areas of scholarship.  Areas such as nursing, computational science and engineering, communications, mathematical biology, bioinformatics and design have been identified as areas for future program development. 

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent With Strategy -- Undergraduate:

• Senate Committee on Courses of Instruction approved 131 new undergraduate courses during 2006-07 compared to 92 new courses in the previous year (more than a 40% increase).  

• The Freshman Seminar Program experienced a 30% growth in the number of small 1 and 2 unit courses offered during 2006-07.  233 courses compared to 180 in the previous year, facilitated the ability to meet the demand of an unprecedented large freshman class.

• A joint Senate/Administrative group continues to determine ways in which the new on-line version of the Course Approval System can be enhanced and better integrated with the general catalog and degree audit programs.  Due to the technology interface, the Vice Provost of Information and Educational Technology is now a member of this group.

• The Undergraduate Instructional Improvement Program sponsored 20 projects focused on curricular revisions, improvements, and/or incorporation of instructional technology.

• The College of Biological Science, with the previous support of externally and institutionally funded pilot initiatives, is now undertaking its most extensive core curricular revision in the last decade by launching a new introductory biology course series (BIS 2ABC) that will take a more integrative and quantitative approach to learning and replace the BIS 1ABC series) beginning with the coming academic year.

• US Department of Education’s Title VI Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign

• Languages grant program contributed two new languages (Hindi/Urdu and Arabic) to the curricular offerings in the College of Letters and Science.

• Fulbright Scholars program supports foreign language instruction by sponsoring two graduate students to teach Hindi and Urdu during 2006-07.

• Language instruction in Punjabi has received approval to be taught at UC Davis for the first time this coming year through collaboration with Sacramento City College.

• The Dean of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies formed a Language Task Force in 2006 to propose policy that would guide expansion in foreign language instruction to help internationalize UC Davis by introducing students to culture/history/arts etc., through language study.

• The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in collaboration with the School of Education will offer a new major this coming year in Agricultural and Environmental Education.  The major will prepare potential teachers with the most comprehensive science background in the state to teach in these fields as well as other science courses.  A new major that will focus on agricultural sustainability is in the planning stages.

• Career Discovery Groups, a collaboration between the Science and Society program (CAES) and the Internship and Career Center, completed its first year with 180 students and will enter its second Fall 07 with 400 students registered to participate.  The three-quarter course project combines the investigation of discipline-based fields with career development curricula.  Graduate student mentors, supported through funding from the Office of Graduate Studies, work with small groups of undergraduate students in several broad disciplinary areas.

• The Art/Science Fusion Program is a pilot project within a new campus initiative, the GATEways (Gardens, Arts and the Environment) Project, offering a transformative vision for undergraduate education and the role of land-grant universities.  The most recent student project is on exhibit in the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. – a mural depicting drought resistant plants and their associated insects.

• The Mathematics and Science Teaching Programs (MAST), the UC Davis branch to a system-wide initiative to increase the numbers, quality, and diversity of math and science teachers, completed its first full year demonstrating increased participation among students as it progressed through the year.  A total of 58 students participated in a two-quarter seminar series that included field experiences in elementary and middle school classrooms.  

• The recently established emphases in the Chemistry Major (i.e., Pharmaceutical, Environmental, and Chemical Physics) serve as the first step to establishing an Applied Chemistry major. 

• Presidential Chairs for Undergraduate Education for 2006-08, “Scientific Visualization in the Geological Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates” (Kellogg/Hamann) continues to develop more robust visualization tools for use in undergraduate classrooms and research projects such as in physics where students explore nonlinear dynamics, and in COSMOS (summer youth program) where students explore molecular dynamics of a carbon nano-sphere.

• Office of the Vice Provost - Undergraduate Studies continued collaboration and/or support of department/college extramural grant initiatives that included a significant undergraduate curricular enhancement component.  NSF funded (January 07 – December 08) “Improving the Learning Experience in Introductory STEM Courses in a Large Research University” (Potter/Sallee) – first cohort of 48 freshman students simultaneously taking modified lab and discussion sections of chemistry and math that emphasize active engagement in learning.

Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy – Graduate:

• System wide approval was received for a new joint doctoral program (Ph.D.) in Forensic and Behavioral Sciences to be offered with California State University, Fresno beginning in Fall, 2008

• The campus approved a new M.S. program in Environmental Policy and Management to that will engage faculty in physical sciences, engineering and management.  This proposed program builds on the considerable campus strength in environmental sciences.  System wide approval is expected in 2007-08.

• The Academic Senate Committee on Courses of Instruction approved 90 new graduate courses during 2006-07 compared to 83 new courses in the previous year with the greatest growth in the areas of Plant Sciences (reflecting the newly formed department) and Clinical Research (a new graduate program).

• Graduate Council approved new criteria for graduate academic certificates that can be offered by any academic unit.  These certificates are open to enrolled UC Davis graduate students and complement the designated emphases offered only in conjunction with doctoral programs.

• Graduate Council further modified guidelines for the Doctoral Qualifying Examination adopted in 2004-05 as part of its continuing effort to ensure consistency and quality.

• The theme of the Chancellor’s Fall Conference was “Graduate Education at UC Davis: Strategies for the Future“.  Direction for the conference emerged from earlier discussion between the Dean of Graduate Studies and Graduate Council regarding academic planning for graduate education, including review of faculty participation in graduate education and comprehensive analysis of program review results for all programs.  Participants in the Fall Conference identified as key themes the needs to publicize UC Davis’ strengths, support and enhance innovative and unique programs, provide resources to recruit, enroll and retain a diverse graduate student population, allocate resources to promote quality, grow strategically without diluting resources, improve effectiveness and sustainability of small programs, allocate resources based on program merit, link FTE allocations and faculty hiring to graduate teaching needs, provide incentives for teaching in graduate groups, use graduate students as ambassadors to increase their visibility in the community and  provide mentorship training for faculty and graduate peer mentors.

• Faculty and administrators from the Division of Humanities, Arts and Cultural studies convened for a planning retreat in February, 2007.  A key goal of the retreat was to identify strengths, interdisciplinary collaborations and academic clusters in which to enhance graduate education within the Division.

• Graduate Studies coordinated the campus response to the National Research Council assessment of research doctorates, ensuring that the appropriate campus data systems and adequate staffing were available and that the reported data were of high quality and accuracy.

• Graduate Studies secured additional funding from the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor to support the administrative operations of graduate groups, thereby ensuring their ability to continue to offer high quality curricula.

• Graduate Studies, in collaboration with the Office of Research, continued the successful Responsible Conduct of Research workshop series for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty.  The series consisted of 9 workshops on different topics and two keynote speakers.
  
  
• The University Writing Program, in collaboration with Graduate Studies, expanded writing workshops for graduate students.

• The University Writing Program began a Writing Fellows program to provide tutoring by trained graduate students of the writing of fellow graduate students across disciplines.
  
  
• In cooperation with the School of Education and the English Department, the University Writing Program made plans to expand its graduate course offerings by three in spring 2008, with courses in Teaching Writing with Technology, Technologies and the History of Writing, and Grammar for Graduate Students, as it moves toward offering a designated emphasis in rhetoric and composition.
• Discussions to move graduate courses on professionalism, communication, ethics, scientific integrity, etc. to a common designation under Graduate Studies continued.  A formal proposal will be reviewed by Graduate Council in Fall, 2007.
  
  
• Graduate Studies continues to fully support program review activities of Graduate Council, including dedicating staff time to this process, involving the Dean and Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and supporting expenses of external reviewers.

• Graduate Council and Graduate Studies’ deans continued conversations on program quality measures that could be incorporated in graduate program block grant allocation formula.  

Short Statement of Plans for 2007-08 -- Undergraduate:

• Continue with the senate approval process for a new UWP minor in Writing.
  
  
• Focus on securing external funds to support UWP enhancements, and hiring of additional ladder faculty.

• Focus on securing external scholarship dollars for undergraduates as part of the comprehensive campaign.
  
  
• Continue discussions and revisions to the General Education Program enhancements with the plan to forward a final proposal to the senate Representative Assembly in the coming year.
  
  
• Increase attention to the campus learning objectives (through web resources and workshops sponsored by the TRC).

• Increase attention to systematic evaluation of instructional improvement programs, including TA training, instructional improvement grants, etc.
  
• Continue development and senate approval processes of MAST seminar courses, design and implementation of summer institute, and expand student recruitment and faculty participation in the steering committee.

• Integrate gift-giving and similar development efforts with the Centennial Celebration.
  
  
• Extend outreach and program development efforts to meet particular needs of transfer students, such as First Year seminars for transfer students.

Short Statement of Plans for 2007-08 -- Graduate:

• The Dean of Graduate Studies will work with the Graduate Council to implement recommendations made at the Fall Conference and to develop an academic plan for graduate education.
  
  
• The Dean of Graduate Studies will continue discussion with Program Review Committee (PRC) of Graduate Council regarding appropriate program outcomes to be included in program review process.  A database will be designed with access provided to programs and PRC.
  
  
• Graduate Studies will analyze and report on the results of the National Research Council assessment of research doctorates when they are available (February 2008).  The data will be examined specifically with respect to implications for improving graduate program quality and graduate student retention.

• Graduate Studies will to continue to work with individual faculty, Graduate Council and Committee on Courses of Instruction to identify courses that can be offered under the common Graduate Studies designation to ensure broad availability across disciplines.

• Graduate Studies will continue to support faculty efforts to develop new graduate programs, academic certificates and designated emphases.

Evaluation of Metrics:  

Evidence of educational effectiveness, including results from the periodic assessment of instructional programs in relation to program and campus educational objectives for students

• The first cohort of undergraduate Program Reviews conducted under revised guidelines was implemented this year, although the final reports and a review of the process itself have not been released yet.  This new process is aligned more closely to the campus Educational Objectives for students.  

• UC Davis was recently ranked in the top 15 schools with “stellar” writing-in-the-disciplines program by U.S. News and World Report which is a tribute to the strength of the University Writing Program courses.

• In response to evaluations by ABET, the College of Engineering is making improvements to all its undergraduate programs.  These include revision of the program educational objectives, definition of course outcomes to support these objectives, and methods to assess the degree to which the objectives are being met.  Analysis of these assessments has led to improvements in courses and curricula.

• Streamlined criteria to satisfy Entry Level Writing course and reduced class size has greatly enhanced instructional delivery and students’ success in meeting the campus entry level writing requirement.

• Through web resources and workshops sponsored by the TRC, preparation and dissemination of course and student assessment materials continue to be developed for new faculty members, freshman seminar instructors, instructors for large enrollment classes, etc.

• At the graduate level, this metric is best assessed through the on-going Graduate Council program review process. This process provides a uniform assessment methodology across all disciplines, and includes external reviews of all programs offering terminal degrees. The Council already has a list of published standards against which program quality can be assessed, http://gradstudies.ucdavis.edu/gradcouncil/gcevalpriorit.pdf, and will incorporate into these its statement of educational objectives.

Increase in departmental/programmatic commitment to honors programs

The University Honors Program completed its first year bringing together pre-existing honors programs under a consistent set of performance expectations.  The program is now postured for expansion of departmentally-based extensive honors programs.  The Regents Scholars program accepted its largest class for Fall 2006 for a total of 170 participants.

Growth in the number of UC Davis students who enroll in prestigious graduate and professional school programs

Based on the most recent alumni survey, one year after graduating with a baccalaureate from UC Davis, 37% of the class of 2005 were studying for or had just completed a postgraduate degree or credential.  Of these, 86% had enrolled in their first or second choice institutions.  The Student Affairs Research and Information Office currently assists colleges with more information related to their alumni via a revised alumni survey instrument that continues to track a cohort one year after graduation, and again four years after graduation.  Four years after graduating, 52% of the class of 2002 reported that they were studying for or had completed a postgraduate degree or credential.

Provision of the highest-quality graduate curriculum responsive to emerging areas of scholarship

This metric is best assessed through the program review process conducted by the Graduate Council.  Additional external assessments, such as the current National Research Council (NRC) assessment of research doctorates, will provide external validation of the quality of our graduate programs.  In addition, the NRC taxonomy provides a tool to assess the responsiveness of our graduate curricula to emerging areas of scholarship across the nation.  The Office of Graduate Studies must ensure that the data from surveys of this type are broadly available as part of the DataDigest.

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