Core Curriculum Section from the Faculty Survey

Faculty
Approximately one-quarter of the faculty responding were teaching one or two different Core courses at the time this survey was administered. An additional 15% had taught Core courses at another time. Over one-half of faculty responding had never taught a Core course.

Nearly 60% of the faculty responding feel they are either "familiar" or "very familiar" with the learning objectives of the Core. The other 40% responded that they were either "somewhat familiar" or "not at all familiar" with these learning objectives.

Faculty Graphs

Effectiveness
There are eight Core areas - Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics, Multicultural/Global, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Verbal Communication, and Written Communication. Faculty were asked to rate the effectiveness of each Core area in preparing majors for higher-level course work. The most effective area of Core, as judged by faculty, is Natural Sciences (61%). Next are Humanities (48%), Social Sciences (47%), Multicultural/Global (38%), and Fine Arts (37%). The basic skills areas had higher "ineffective" or "highly ineffective" responses. Although 43% feel Verbal Communication is effective, 33% feel it is ineffective. For Mathematics, 41% feel it is effective, although 31% feel it is ineffective. For Written Communication, 37% feel it is effective, and 41% feel it is ineffective.

Effectiveness Graphs

Credits
The Core Curriculum requirement on our campus is based on thirty-two credits. Over one-half of faculty responding feel this number of credits is adequate to address Core learning objectives. Sixteen percent feel Core learning objectives cannot be adequately covered in thirty-two credits, and 21% feel the objectives can be adequately covered in less than thirty-two credits.

Faculty were asked their opinion on the appropriateness of the number of Core credits required in each core area. For Fine Arts, Humanities, Multicultural/Global, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences, the majority of those responding (49% to 62%) feel the number of credits is appropriate. For Mathematics, Verbal Communication, and Written Communication, however, the response was slightly different. In Mathematics, although nearly one-half of faculty responding feel the credits are appropriate, an additional one third feel the credits should be increased. For Verbal Communication, over one-half feel the credits are appropriate; however, 25% feel the credits should be increased. For Written Communication, in support of the faculty opinion that these courses are not effective, nearly 50% feel this credit requirement should be increased; only one-third feel it is appropriate. Although very few faculty feel the number of credits should not be reduced in any of the Core areas, over one-fifth responding feel the credits in Natural Sciences should be reduced. That percentage was approximately 15% for Humanities, Multicultural/Global, and Social Sciences. All other percentages regarding a reduction in credits were less than 4%.

Over forty percent of faculty feel the number of upper division Core courses should remain the same. Thirty percent feel fewer upper division courses should be offered. Thirteen percent favor increasing upper division Core courses.

Sixty-three percent of faculty responding feel there are additional areas that should be included in our Core Curriculum. The areas most frequently mentioned are computing and library skills.

Credit Graphs

Exemptions/Transfers
Sixty-percent of faculty responding feel a mathematics exemption should be created for students who score well in mathematics on the ACT and SAT exams (similar to the verbal exemption we now have). Nearly one-third of faculty, however, think the current mathematics requirements should be maintained.

Thirty-six percent of faculty responding feel the process by which transfer courses can be substituted for required Core courses is equitable; nearly 20% did not agree. Thirty-seven percent either do not know or do not feel the statement applies.

New Proposals
Thirty-seven percent of faculty feel students should be required to take their Core courses within the major. Nearly one-half feel these courses should be allowed to be taken outside of the major.

Sixty percent of faculty feel Core courses should be taught only by specialists in each Core area (unless "skills" courses or "Multicultural/Global courses). Nearly one-quarter do not agree with this statement.

Forty percent of faculty responding agree that core goals would be better met if all students were required to take a common set of courses during their first two years; however, nearly 50% disagree.

Only 21% agree that the goals of Core would be better met if all students were required to take upper division Core electives; nearly 60% disagree.

Forty-six percent of faculty feel Core courses should be clustered to allow an interdisciplinary focus. Twenty-seven percent do not agree.

Timing
Nearly four-fifths of faculty responding favor the proposal to require students to complete their "skills" courses (math, verbal communication, and written communication) before reaching junior standing. Only 11% oppose the proposal.

One-half of the faculty responding would like to see the Core completed before a student reaches junior standing. Forty percent oppose this proposal.

Funding
Although approximately 30% of faculty disagree that Core dollars are equitably allocated among colleges and departments, over 56% either do not know or do not feel these statements apply.

Re-Assessment
An overwhelming 77% of faculty feel that Core courses should be re-assessed by the Core Curriculum committee on a periodic basis. Nearly 70% feel the ongoing campus discussions about revising the Core are timely and should be encouraged.

Core Curriculum Graphs