Ball State University students will have more opportunities to take courses focusing on diversity and immersion experiences under the University Core Curriculum Task Force's revised proposal.
Juli Eflin, chairwoman of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies and chairwoman of the task force, described the revised proposal - called University Core Curriculum for the 21st Century, or the UCC21 - as a more streamline version of the two original proposals.
The task force is aiming to get the proposal through the University Senate by the end of the academic year, she said.
Since August, the task force has met with almost every academic department on campus while also developing guidelines and redefining the proposal. Various departments are already trying to learn the details and guidelines of the core curriculum structure so they can revamp existing courses or develop new courses. These courses include immersion experiences and diversity or interdisciplinary courses.
"I don't think there are currently enough departments that focus on those (diversity) issues and needs," Chris Kurtz, vice-president of the Student Government Association and student representative on the task force said. "And, I think that's an issue that needs to be addressed."
The task force will meet again at the end of the semester or at the beginning of Spring Semester to further listen to academic departments' comments.
The task force removed several drastic changes from its original proposals to revise the core curriculum earlier this semester. The two original proposals called for a required month-long student immersion experience in January in addition to team-taught classes, Eflin said.
"Many faculty thought that it would be difficult to accomplish and it would be a substantial change - a huge change - to the university," Eflin said.
The revised proposal is the product of research and comments provided at the end of the Spring Semester by students, faculty, staff and administrators."
"Some of the best responses we got were from students, especially the student leaders in student government," Eflin said.
Kurtz said a new core curriculum was necessary to accommodate society's technological and academic advancements since the first core curriculum was in put place about two decades ago.
The task force's proposed framework would include a required 40 hours of core curriculum classes rather than the original 41-hour requirement and would offer options from across several disciplines for baccalaureate degree students, such as arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, Eflin said.
A subcommittee of the University Undergraduate Education Committee will make the final decision regarding which departments' courses are placed into the new core curriculum structure, but only if University Senate approves the proposal.
"Lots of departments are already assuming that this will be passed and are ready to go," Eflin said, "but it really and truly is up to the senate to pass it."
If approved, the proposal could be implemented as early as Fall 2007, Eflin said.
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