Curriculum committee on track to meet its deadline
The committee is drafting a proposal that incorporates three curriculums. Summary minutes of the meetings will soon be available on the Faculty Senate Web page.
By Amy Johnson
Staff Reporter

In a presentation to the Faculty Senate Thursday, Nowell Donovan said the core curriculum committee is on track to complete the core revision by Nov. 20 although no definite draft has been made.

Donovan, a geology professor, said committee members have met twice and will continue to meet every Monday to discuss drafting a proposal that incorporates three curriculums based on the university’s mission, vision and value statements; human endeavors and experiences; and skills.

“If we see that insufficient progress is being made, we may add more meetings to the schedule,” said Shannon Shipp, an associate professor of marketing.

The mission, vision and values curriculum incorporates areas such as ethics, religion and leadership into the core, Donovan said. The guiding principle of the human endeavors and experiences curriculum is to provide a balanced framework of knowledge and ideas for the development of educated individuals, he said. The skills curriculum is concerned with the skills required for successful conclusion of university education, he said.

The committee is soliciting input from a variety of faculty, students and outside constituents to ensure inclusiveness, Shipp said.

“Hopefully this process will ensure that the final proposal that is put forth by the committee will have been tested adequately along the way so as to minimize opposition,” he said.

Peggy Watson, chairwoman of the Faculty Senate, said in an effort to promote open communication, summary minutes of the meetings will soon be available on the Faculty Senate Web page.

“The Senate hopes to keep the revision process as open as possible, based on the belief that the greatest input will result in the finest product: a truly excellent core academic experience for all TCU undergraduate students,” she said.

The committee is the seventh body in two years to attempt a revision of the core. Donovan said past committees were not unsuccessful.

“The previous committees did not fail,” he said. “All of their various works are valuable and they represent some of the best and most creative energies of dedicated faculty.”