Curricular Reform

One of the challenges of the CCRP in the long run is linking course-level renewal to larger curriculum frameworks. In the first year, the Department of Sociology extended their participation in the CCRP to include their departmental curriculum reform process. The case study below elaborates the facets of their reform process that corresponded with Phase I of CCRP. The Philosophy Department also undertook a significant discussion of the implications of four credit courses in their major and curriculum.

There are of course other departments and programs that have undertaken curriculum redesign with particular attention to student learning and outcomes. No department has done this more thoroughly than the German Department, whose reform process is well documented on their website. (See in particular their Assessment Overview.) The German Department conducted their curriculum reform as a total departmental effort with the help of some outside consultation.

The Sociology Department, as part of the CCRP, worked closely with CNDLS, who helped them gather assessment data on student expectations and perceptions that aided in their decision making process. CNDLS-assisted assessment activity included videotaped focus groups with students, exit surveys with seniors in the capstone course, and preparation of curriculum reform materials for department meetings.

Sociology & Anthropology Department

Sam Marullo, Denise Brennan, & Bill McDonald

The Sociology and Anthropology Department has engaged in monthly curriculum reform discussions about goals for student learning and faculty priorities for curriculum reform. To reshape the major, feedback from faculty and graduating seniors informed a new proposal for a concentration within the major.  More . . .