By Priya Abraham staff reporter The Faculty Senate's Academic Excellence Committee will recommend revising the University Curriculum Requirements to include stronger interdisciplinary learning at the organization's May meeting Thursday. This year, the committee has been studying how TCU can improve its academic reputation. "I think some courses can be very repetitive," said Kathleen Jeffery, a senior religion major. "It's pointless to take U.S. history when you took it twice in high school." Melissa Sky-Eagle, a junior piano performance major, said the core curriculum is important to becoming a well-rounded student. "In general, I think the UCR requirements are fine the way they are," she said. "(But) for music majors specifically, it's very difficult to complete (the requirements) and still do all of the things that are expected of a music major." Linda Hughes, a professor of English, said the current core curriculum does not allow students to make connections about what they are learning across disciplines. She said team teaching, where a class - taught by several professors from several different departments - studies a single theme, can be a remedy. "I'm a real fan of it," she said. "First, it turns the professor into a student. It also decentralizes authority there's always a kind of impetus to discussion." Sara Sohmer, a history instructor, said the U.S. history requirement could have a more global perspective. Team teaching is worthwhile but difficult to organize, she said. "The problems with team teaching are logistical and bureaucratic," she said. "It takes more planning, more effort." The Academic Excellence Committee will also recommend increasing administrative and staff support and adding more faculty. George Brown, committee chairman and an associate professor of theater, said the student-to-faculty ratio is about 15-to-1 at TCU, compared to 8-to-1 at top universities in the country. "If we start to work toward that ratio, the interactions between faculty and students will be much stronger," he said. "That is a huge financial investment for the university. We have to be very forward-looking." In other business: n The Faculty Senate will elect a new chair elect, secretary and assistant secretary for the next academic year. Current Chairman Roger Pfaffenberger will also pass the gavel to current chair elect Nowell Donovan. n The Student Relations Committee will recommend that fraternity and sorority Recruitment be deferred to a time between the end of fall and beginning of spring semesters to avoid coinciding with classes or test taking. The committee has been studying the advantages and disadvantages of delayed Recruitment and will also recommend developing a policy on Recruitment that takes academics into account.
Priya Abraham
By Reagan Duplisea staff reporter As the task forces of the Commission on the Future of TCU finalize their reports, many of those involved said they feel the commission is meeting its objectives. Larry Lauer, vice chancellor for marketing and communications and director of the commission, said he feels good about the progress task forces have made. "As we come into the concluding moments, everyone is feeling good," he said. "I'm beginning to feel very excited about it." He said the final reports are due in early June. When the reports are in, Lauer will then form a group to help compile the suggestions into a presentable report. The group will consist of people from TCU and not community members, Lauer said. Some will have served on task forces, and some won't have served.
What exactly is the commission? The commission was established by Chancellor Michael Ferrari to determine how the university can increase its academic standing. More than 400 faculty, staff, students and community members are participating. Members of the 17 task forces, covering the various colleges and broader aspects of TCU, have met since November formulating recommendations they can make to the administration and the Board of Trustees on June 1. Lauer said there is talk of raising the university to "the next level," but he does not know what that will entail. "Our intention is for the next level to be defined by suggestions of the task forces," Lauer said. "We haven't defined it on purpose. The next level will mean greater levels of achievements, which includes an increase in building our reputation nationally and internationally." The commission was modeled on a similar study Ferrari set up while he was president at Drake University. TCU's commission differs from Drake's because there are more task forces dealing with university-wide issues, Ferrari said. "Recommendations and priorities should be much more thorough and informed (than Drake)," Ferrari said. Having both colleges and broader task forces may produce similar or contrasting results, Ferrari said. If a suggestion comes up in more than one report, it will have more of an impact on those prioritizing the recommendations, he said. Louise Appleman, chairwoman of the Community and Strategic Alliances task force, said her task force has spent a lot of time prioritizing their suggestions. "If it wasn't for prioritizing, we'd be done by now," Appleman said. "We tried to be selective instead of bombarding them with 30 pages." Lauer said not all the recommendations will be able to be done, at least not immediately. But Richard Enos, facilitator of the AddRan College of Humanities and Social Sciences task force, said he is sure suggestions will be taken seriously. "I am absolutely convinced they will be addressed," said Enos, the Lillian Radford Chair of Rhetoric and Composition in the English department. "We only put down the serious ones, the absolutely essential. Once they read our rational, they will see why we think they're important."
The role of faculty and staff Some task force members said they do not know why they were invited to be on certain task forces. Nadia Lahutsky, an associate professor of religion, said people laugh when they find out she is on the Role of Athletics task force. "There may have been an effort to get the members of the Faculty Senate on the task forces," Lahutsky said. Lauer said task force facilitators should have cleared up any confusion in the first couple meetings. "In some cases, we invited people because we knew they had a known interest or expertise in that area," he said. "Some people were invited because we were fairly certain they had no background (so) they will bring a fresh perspective. I'm not sure how I could have made that clearer." Lahutsky said her task force has spent a lot of time in information sessions for faculty members who are not familiar with intercollegiate athletics. "We haven't come up with our recommendations yet," Lahutsky said. Faculty and staff task force members were selected from lists from deans, administrators, the Faculty Senate and the Staff Assembly that were submitted to commission organizers. In most cases, group members stayed with the task force to which they were assigned, Lauer said. Lauer said there were no big problems with attendance overall. Cathy Hirt, chairwoman of the Global Positioning Priorities task force, said at least 75 percent of her group was there at all the meetings. "When you have a committee of 30 people, that's phenomenal," Hirt said. "These are extremely busy people who have to take time out of their busy day," she said. "We anticipated attrition, but attendance has been better than we expected." Margaret Kelly, coordinator for the commission, said she works with Campus Police to reserve parking spaces for task force members coming from off campus. Kelly also helps coordinate with Marriott, which provides drinks and snacks for each task force meeting. The funds for the food and all other commission costs have come out of the office of marketing and communication's 1999-2000 budget, which was about $250,000, Lauer said.
The role of students Many students were chosen from a list former Student Government Association President Ben Alexander was asked to compile. Interested students were also encouraged to e-mail the chancellor. Students were placed on the individual task forces by Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs. About 40 student names were submitted to be considered. Of these, 37 were placed on committees. If only a few students are involved, most others will forget about the commission altogether, Munro said. "I'd almost forgotten about the commission," Munro said. "That's sad, because for anyone as involved as I am to forget about it is not setting a good example of a student leader." Ferrari said task force chairs and facilitators have told him student response has been positive despite the numbers. There are more important things to consider than the amount of students, he said. "There's no magic number," Ferrari said. "Are the students really interested, passionate, knowledgeable? Will they participate?" Hirt said student participation has been strong in the Global Positioning Priorities task force. "At our last meeting, the student made the most recommendations," she said. "We also asked student input on studying abroad. (All the student's recommendations) are reflected in our finalized report." Diana Munro, a senior marketing major, said she was not asked to be on a task force, but she would have liked to have had the opportunity. "They only choose students in high-profile positions even though a lot of work is done outside those positions," Munro said. Kelly Boyington, a senior dietetics major, said she only went to the first meeting of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services task force because she was expecting to be more involved. "The meeting wasn't really conducive to students," Boyington said. Lauer said if something like the commission is done again, he will definitely consider more student input. Appleman said it has been difficult to garner lots of student input because of class schedules. "We varied the meeting times to try and accommodate everyone," Appleman said. "I hope they felt like they were a part of it."
The role of the community Ferrari said it is important that community members serve on the task forces because TCU and the community can benefit from each other, such as companies providing internships to students. Those involved in business can also tell what they would look for in a graduate. "It may be different from what our faculty, staff and students think," Ferrari said. "It doesn't mean we have to agree to everything. Maybe they're going to tell us things we don't want to hear. That's OK." Hirt said her group has been a well-rounded mix of representatives and everyone has contributed. "We've really been a microcosm of what it needs to be," Hirt said. "We have people who have experience professionally as well as academically." Daniel Worden, a senior English and philosophy major, said community members have been able to offer input in some areas better than others on the AddRan task force. "Some are not familiar with the college or the tenure system, so they haven't been able to make as many suggestions," Worden said. "But sometimes they point out things we don't see."
What comes next The group Lauer will form in early June to help compile the suggestions into a presentable report will include only people from TCU. Lauer said only students who will be in Fort Worth for the summer will be considered. He said he doesn't expect the group will change any of the recommendations. From there, a group of trustees will form in late June to go over the financial implications of the suggestions, Lauer said. Not everything will cost money or much money, Lauer said. For those projects that would need funds, money may be reallocated from current programs and some money will have to be raised. Bronson Davis, vice chancellor for university advancement, said there will probably be a major campaign following the release of the final report. "Normally, a campaign will follow strategic planning," Davis said. "We're looking to raise $300 million in the next 10 years." Davis said no one will be "immune" from being asked for financial support; even today's students will be appealed to. The entire board will have a retreat in September to evaluate the report, and then the report will be made available to the public, Lauer said.
Reagan Duplisea
Editor's note: This is the last in a series of articles profiling the 17 task forces that make up the Commission on the Future of TCU.
By Courtney Roach and Yonina Robinson staff reporters As the academic year nears its end, the Fine Arts, Health Sciences and Human Services and Technology task forces are finalizing the recommendations they will make on the future of TCU. These task forces are part of the 17 that make up the Commission on the Future of TCU, which was established by Chancellor Michael Ferrari to determine how the university can move to the next level of academic distinction.
Fine Arts Task Force A lack of faculty, poor technology and an inadequate amount of publicity for events are some of the key issues facing the Fine Arts Task Force. The task force has divided into four subcommittees focusing on facilities and technology, the philosophy and direction of the university and university curriculum requirements, community relationships and partnerships and distinctive programs. Mark Thistlewaite, professor and holder of the Kay and Velma Kimbell chair of arts history, said the focus of the task force is the College of Fine Art's relationship not only with the university, but with the community, also. "We are evaluating the role of fine arts, and the impact they have and can have on TCU and how to sustain and enhance its relationship with the community," Thistlewaite said. Ellen Garrison, chairwoman of the ballet and modern dance department, said her biggest concern is the need for more faculty. "We're desperate for faculty," Garrison said. "Our faculty regularly overloads themselves in their schedules in at least the dance and theater departments. "We will make recommendations to add staff along with the need for more technology. We have a mini computer lab put together with hand-me-downs. Unless we are able to keep up, our students won't be prepared."
Health Sciences and Human Services Task Force The Health Sciences and Human Services Task Force met for the first time on April 14. Rebecca Beasley, MBA academic program director, said the meeting consisted of a lot of presentations but little discussion. During the meeting, Beasley said the focus of the discussion was that none of the departments have doctorate programs. "Not to say that we need them, but in terms of getting grants, we don't have the clout," Beasley said. "It would make more sense to have the departments that are in this task force, social work, communication sciences and disorders, kinesiology and the Harris College of Nursing, under one umbrella to give them more clout." Rhonda Keen-Payne, dean of the nursing college, said during the meeting, task force members also developed a summary of goals which included developing and effectively using community relationships in order to advance both college and community; defining and articulating the college's message to community and university; offering exemplary graduate and undergraduate programming; facilitating curriculum revision; maintaining or increasing research and scholarship opportunities; and improving and maintaining the physical facility.
Technology Task Force The Technology Task Force is looking to improve the future of technology at TCU for at least the next five years, said Dick Rinewalt, associate professor of computer science. Task force members have been discussing the need for more professional technical support around campus, residence hall technical advisers, a program that will enable students to buy a computer at a discounted price and required courses in computer technology. "We have a lot of ideas, but it's going to take a good bit of money to implement any recommendations we might have," he said. Walt Williamson, chairman of the engineering department, said access to well-trained technical support will be necessary for TCU to improve overall. "I think because of the new technology center and computers that have been added, we are moving at a pretty rapid rate of improvement," Williamson said.
Staff reporter Kasey Feldman contributed to this report.
Courtney Roach Yonina Robinson
By Natascha Terc staff reporter The increase in diversity and international student attendance at TCU may soon be celebrated with a colorful display of international flags around campus, said John Singleton, director of International Student Services. The International Foundation is proposing to add flags of the various countries represented at TCU to an area on campus. "International students would be proud to have a flag from their country flying over the university," Singleton said. "TCU is much different than it was 20 years ago." Singleton said while the plan is still in the early stages, students and faculty have proposed several ideas on where to position the flags. Possible areas include Frog Fountain, the median on University Drive and on light poles near campus, Singleton said. Jennifer Branch, a senior English literature major and International Foundation member, said many times international students do not think they have a voice on campus. "Right now, TCU doesn't promote diversity as much as it could," Branch said. "(Flags) are a very tangible and symbolic way to further diversity." Branch said the idea of international flags on campus originated with the faculty and staff but previously did not get a lot of student interest. "Since the International Foundation is newly formed, we thought this would be a great project to take on because it shows both student and faculty interest," Branch said. Larry Adams, associate provost for academic affairs, said the main purpose of the flags is to promote awareness of the diversity at TCU. "We're not a campus of Texans or (Americans)," Adams said. "It is important to recognize the people that may come from a different part of the world." While TCU students represent approximately 70 countries on campus, the project proposes initially placing four to five international flags at an estimated cost of $30 to $65 each and $250 to $300 per pole, Branch said. The proposal suggests adding more flags each year depending on finances, but a complete representation of all the countries will take several years to attain, Branch said. Singleton said the initial flags may be those representative of countries with which TCU has the most exchanges, like Mexico, England, Germany, Hungary and Japan. Adams said international flags are symbolic of TCU's interest in becoming a truly international campus. "We want to give visibility to the growing curriculum and programs reflective of the cultures and traditions of the world," Adams said. Adams said the project will involve a landscape architect who will suggest placement of flags on campus. "Chancellor (Michael) Ferrari is interested in a set of international flags on campus, and right now, we are looking at the feasibility of it," Adams said. "There is no opposition on campus that I know of." A formal cost proposal will need approval from Ferrari. City permission is needed to place flags in Fort Worth, Branch said. No specific light posts have been selected, she said. Branch said she thinks the flags will connect the international community to TCU in a visual way, and she hopes it will encourage donations for the effort. "It is possible that local embassies will want to contribute to the placement of a flag from their country, and I'm hoping TCU will donate a little for the start-up costs," Branch said. Branch said she is optimistic about the success of the project, and once students see the flags, they will become more supportive. "I wouldn't be a part of this (project) if I thought it would fall through," Branch said.
Natascha Terc |
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