| Strategy: Enhance the quality of faculty-student interactions
Point People: Barbara Horwitz and Steven Sheffrin
Narrative Summary of Fourth-Year Implementation Efforts
During 2006-07, we continued our efforts along a number of different dimensions, bringing more campus leaders and students into these efforts.
Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent With Strategy:
- Follow-Up to Small Class Study
We continued to work with ORMP on campus data on class sizes. At the request of Interim Vice Provost Fred Wood, ORMP compiled a list by division and college of undergraduate credit-bearing classes with enrollments between 5-30. In addition, comprehensive data on class size broken down by lower division, upper division, and graduate courses are now available through 2006-07. Despite the large freshman class last year, there was only a small increase in lower division average class size. These data can be found at: http://www.ormp.ucdavis.edu/inform/docs/instruction/iavgclassizecurrent_01-06.pdf
- Continued Progress In Freshman Seminars and Undergraduate Honors and Research
During 2006-07, there were a record number of freshman seminars, exceeding over 200. This increase was especially helpful in meeting the needs of our largest freshman class. In addition, more students participated in total in the various tracks of our University Honors Program. We are also moving ahead on the eventual implementation of an Undergraduate Research Center. Provost Hinshaw had indicated her full support for this concept, although finding appropriate space remained a challenge. In the Fall of 2007, there will be partnerships with Schools and Colleges to launch an “undergraduate research travel fund” to support students who will be presenting at regional or national conferences.
- Special Initiatives from the Colleges
The Schools and Colleges have all pursued initiatives to enhance faculty-student interaction. This year we highlight the efforts of the School of Engineering. Here were some of their initiatives as reported by Associate Dean Gary Ford:
Small classes: We have encouraged faculty to offer freshman seminars and we have been exceeding the numbers of seminars suggested by the provost.
Capstone experiences: The capstone activity in engineering programs is a design project, required by our accrediting agency, ABET. The capstone is managed somewhat differently in each program, but in general, it consists of a two-course sequence, with substantial student-faculty contact.
Undergraduate research experiences: We have the Mentorships and Opportunities in Research in Engineering (MORE) program to encourage undergraduate students to get involved in research.
Support of clubs or student organizations: There are over 20 engineering student organizations supported by the College of Engineering. Most of these are student chapters of engineering professional societies, having faculty advisors. The Dean's Office provides support for the Engineering Joint Council (EJC), having representatives from each of the organizations. Among other activities, EJC organizes Engineering Week activities in February each year.
- Innovative Graduate and Professional Student Programs
Faculty-student interaction is critical for the graduate and professional schools. The Graduate School of Management has a very successful program called the International Study Trip. Students and faculty travel and learn with students in other countries. Typically GSM sponsors two trips per year. Accounts of some of their successful recent trips can be found at:
Short Statement of Plans for 2006-07
During the coming academic year, we will continue to monitor our developments on class size in light of the record 2006 first-year class. We will continue to monitor developments and encourage innovation in the Schools and Colleges and initiatives in the office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies as they pertain to our goals.
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