Strategy: Ensure that the campus maintains and develops high caliber courses, curricula, and academic programs.
Point People: Jeffery Gibeling, Fred Wood, and Harold Levine
Narrative Summary of Third 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. Two joint Senate and administrative task force groups related to the curriculum were established this year and multiple discussions were undertaken. The first group was charged to examine Undergraduate Program Review and make recommendations to enhance and streamline the processes, determine ways to improve the data collection needed to inform the review, and to have the program review process align more closely with the campus Educational Objectives. The second group began an examination of the General Education program with the aim of making recommendations to enhance the General Education curriculum for Senate consideration in the near future. Both groups’ objectives are consistent with the WASC 2003 reaffirmation of accreditation recommendations. Additionally, the Course Approval System has been extended to an on-line process to allow faculty to more readily update the curriculum, and a joint Senate/Administrative group has been formed to determine ways in which this process can be enhanced and better integrated with the general catalog and degree audit programs.
A particularly noteworthy academic program accomplishment this year was development of a campus-wide University Honors Program (UHP) that received Senate approval in the spring and will launch in Fall 2006. The UHP incorporates and modifies existing honors programs and opens a departmentally-based honors track.
Narrative Summary of Third 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 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 has proposed developing measures of program quality for determining graduate student support block grant allocations.
During the past year, the Graduate Council also undertook a comprehensive analysis of the most recent program review for each program. The primary goal of this analysis was to identify the most common challenges that limit the ability of graduate programs to achieve their full potential. Because some reviews are several years old, Council asked programs for a self-reported update on key issues. The results of this analysis will serve as a guide for academic planning for graduate education to be undertaken in the coming year.
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 computational science and engineering, plant sciences, mathematical biology, bioinformatics and environmental sciences, will require special attention as the campus organizational structure evolves and the academic emphases in these areas change.
Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent With Strategy – Undergraduate:
- Under joint oversight from the Office of the Vice Provost--Undergraduate Studies and the Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies Dean’s Office, a successful national search was conducted resulting in the appointment of Dr. Chris Thaiss as Director of the University Writing Program (UWP) holding the Clark Kerr Presidential Chair.
- UWP’s collaborations with TRC to conduct full-day Writing Workshops for faculty continue to be successful, now finishing its second year; students now receive academic credit for Writing Internships in UWP via course 197; UWP Curriculum and Program committees approved a Writing Minor and sent it forward for Senate approval.
- The Undergraduate Instructional Improvement Program sponsored 29 projects focused on curricular revisions, improvements, and/or incorporation of instructional technology.
- Senate Committee on Courses of Instruction approved 92 new undergraduate courses over the course of 2005-06 compared to 77 new courses in the previous year (approximately a 20% increase).
- Enhancements to the Biological Science Curriculum are to be undertaken via new extramural grant initiatives (e.g., NSF funded - Collaborative Learning at the Interface of Math and Biology; Howard Hughes Medical Institute funded - Undergraduate Science Education Program.)
- Successful competitive renewal of NIH-funded Initiative for Maximizing Student Diversity (IMSD) for the UC Davis Biology Program.
- Presidential Chairs for Undergraduate Education for 2004-06 extend into 2006-07 utilizing existing award; Established new Presidential Chair for Undergraduate Education for 2006-08 as the “Scientific Visualization in the Geological Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Research Experience for Undergraduates.”
- US Department of Education’s Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Languages grant program funds curricular enhancements to the Middle East and Southeast Asia Studies Program to include the launching of Arabic and Hindi/Urdu language instruction, conferences, seminars and support for new courses development.
- The UC Science and Mathematics Initiative, otherwise known as California Teach, is instituted on the Davis campus as the Mathematics and Science Teaching Programs (MAST).
- Three new emphases in Chemistry Major (i.e., Pharmaceutical, Environmental, and Chemical Physics) are created.
- Reduced class size in Entry Level Writing course; streamlined criteria to satisfy the requirement are approved and implemented.
- Davis Honors Challenge joins the newly established University Honors Program (UHP) and adopts new minimum GPA criteria consistent with the UHP program objectives.
- Integrated Studies Honors Program joins UHP and expands from a first year program to a full four-year experience.
- The Chemical and Materials Science major creates a departmentally-based track within the UHP.
Advances and Ongoing Programs Consistent with Strategy – Graduate:
- Systemwide approval of new Ph.D. degree program in Horticulture and Agronomy, building upon the existing M.S.
- Systemwide approval of new M.S. degree in Neuroscience added to existing Ph.D.
- Systemwide approval of new M.A.S. degree in Clinical Research to enhance translational research capabilities of clinically-trained physicians.
- First cohort of students accepted into new joint Ed. D. in educational leadership with Cal State Sacramento and Sonoma State Universities.
- Graduate School of Management receives WASC approval and launches its Working Professionals MBA program for the Bay Area with an inaugural class of 44 students for 05-06.
- Continuing review of a new joint doctoral program (Ph.D.) in Forensic and Behavioral Sciences (formerly Criminal Justice Sciences) to be offered with California State University, Fresno.
- The degree title for the International Commercial Law program was changed from M.S. to LL.M. (Masters of Laws) to reflect evolution of the field.
- Graduate Council approved a new track for practicing teachers in the M.S. program in Education.
- Graduate Council approved new Designated Emphasis in African American and African Studies, Performance Studies, and the Biology of Vector-borne Diseases.
- Senate Committee on Courses of Instruction approved 83 new graduate courses over the course of 05-06 compared to 23 new courses in the previous year with the greatest growth in the areas of Animal Biology (new doctoral program approved last year), Communication, and Physics.
- Graduate Council approved new Designated Emphases in African American and African Studies, Performance and Practice Performance Studies, and the Biology of Vector-borne Diseases.
- Graduate Council recommended closure of admissions to one program upon request of the faculty due to low enrollment. Graduate Council also recommended re-opening admissions to two master’s programs that had previously been suspended based on expectations that the faculty were prepared to meet campus standards for quality.
- The Dean of Graduate Studies and Graduate Council initiated discussion of academic planning for graduate education, including review of faculty participation in graduate education and comprehensive analysis of program review results for all programs.
- Graduate Council revised guidelines for the Doctoral Qualifying Examination adopted in 2004-05 as part of its continuing effort to ensure consistency and quality.
- Graduate Studies, in collaboration with the Office of Research, successfully offered a Responsible Conduct of Research workshop series for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and faculty. The series consisted of 15 workshops on 5 different topics and two keynote speakers.
- Graduate Studies, in collaboration with the University Writing Program, developed writing workshops for graduate students.
- Discussions to move graduate courses on professionalism, communication, ethics, scientific integrity, etc. to a common designation under Graduate Studies continued.
- 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 into graduate program block grant allocation formula.
Short Statement of Plans for 2006-07 – Undergraduate:
- Continue implementation of UWP proposal with the hiring of additional ladder faculty and the implementation of a minor in Writing.
- Now that the permanent director is in place, focus on securing external funds to support UWP enhancements.
- Focus on securing external scholarship dollars for undergraduates as part of the comprehensive campaign.
- Continue the program review discussions with the plan to have a new process in place in 2007.
- Continue discussions on enhancements in the General Education Program with the plan to engage full Senate discussion in 2007.
- Increased attention to the campus learning objectives (through web resources and workshops sponsored by the TRC).
- Increased attention to systematic evaluation of instructional improvement programs, including TA training, instructional improvement grants, etc.
Short Statement of Plans for 2006-07 – Graduate:
- Graduate Education was the theme of the 2006 Chancellor’s Fall Conference, with an emphasis on academic planning for graduate education. The Dean of Graduate Studies will lead efforts to implement recommendations made at the Fall Conference and will work with Graduate Council on academic planning.
- 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. The database will be designed with access provided to programs and PRC.
- Graduate Studies will coordinate the campus response to the National Research Council assessment of research doctorates, ensuring that the appropriate campus data systems and adequate staffing are available to provide high quality and accurate campus response.
- 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 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
Presently, the Program Review Task Force is engaged in serious discussions to encourage departments to establish educational objectives for their students that align with the campus Educational Objectives. Discussions with Student Affairs Research and Information and the Office of Resource Management and Planning have begun to identify the relevant data they will be able to provide as part of the program review process. Also, through web resources and workshops sponsored by the TRC, preparation and dissemination of course and student assessment materials are being 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 newly established University Honors Program provides an opportunity for expansion of departmentally-based extensive honors programs. The Chemical and Material Science department is the first such program to be included in the UHP. Finally, the Regents Scholars program accepts its largest class for Fall 2006 for a total of 141 participants.
- Growth in the number of UC Davis students who enroll in prestigious graduate and professional school programs
Student Affairs Research and Information will be assisting colleges with more information related to their alumni via a revised alumni survey instrument that tracks a cohort one year after graduation and again four years after graduation.
- 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.