Overlay model seen as benefit in proposal
By Amy Johnson
Staff Reporter

Some members of the core curriculum committee say the most significant change in their proposal — the concept of an overlay model — will benefit both students and faculty.

Blaise Ferrandino, an associate professor of music and composition and a committee member, said an overlay course falls under the mission, vision and values component and allows students to satisfy two areas of the core curriculum simultaneously. If every core class a student takes is an overlay, that student may only need to complete 39 hours, he said.

Nowell Donovan, a geology professor and member of the committee, said students are expected to take three hours of religious traditions, ethical inquiry, cultural diversity, global issues and leadership and citizenship issues to satisfy requirements in this component.

Human endeavors and experiences and essential competencies are the two other core components.

“We anticipate that coupling with other parts of the curriculum may take place,” Donovan said. “It is possible that a course may qualify for more than one overlay focus.”

Shannon Shipp, an associate professor of marketing and committee member, said both students and faculty will benefit from this type of model.

“The overlays are intended to capture the university’s core mission and values,” he said. “Students will see some courses that reflect the mission statement much more directly. Faculty will have some input to reflect on course content in light of the overlays.”

Donovan said the use of overlays will ensure that when students graduate they will have a clear understanding of the character of the university.

“We think TCU has a distinctive character of its own and we want to express it,” he said. “From the perspective of students it addresses the significant character of TCU, what we really stand for.”

The mission, vision and values component will require much more interdisciplinary teaching, Donovan said.

“People from different colleges with different perspectives will be getting together,” he said. “Faculty themselves are still students. We are still learning from each other.”

Another significant change in the proposed core is the removal of the physical education health concepts and activity course requirements, Shipp said.

“These requirements, while perhaps admirable, created problems for many of our transfer students and are not part of the requirements at most comparable institutions,” he said.

Donovan said understanding health and nutrition are important, but that they should be handled as an extracurricular activity.

Some faculty and students expressed concern about the elimination of the foreign language requirement, stating that its removal is in opposition with globalization in the mission statement.

“You have to be able to understand other people,” said Ben Mason, a senior economics major.

Donovan said foreign language is not a requirement in the proposal, but that it can be added by colleges.

Peggy Watson, chairwoman of the Faculty Senate, said the proposal will be presented at the Dec. 5 meeting and that members will vote on the model. This will allow approval, but still permit time for any necessary changes during the spring, she said.

Watson said she is pleased with the progress of the committee and the proposal.

“They seem to be tackling some difficult issues and are sincerely interested in input from all faculty and students,” she said.

Amy Johnson