8.24.15 Program Leaders Meeting Minutes

Program Leaders Meeting Minutes 8‐24‐15

Present: Aswad Allen, Margarita Bianco, Jason Clark, Franci Crepeau‐Hobson, Connie Fulmer, Cindy Gutierrez, Carolyn Haug, Brad Hinson, Carlos Hipolito‐Delgado, Rebecca Kantor, Nancy Leech, Lori Ryan, Nancy Shanklin, Ron Tzur, Ruben Viramontez‐Anguiano, Brent Wilson, Shelley Zion

Absent: Manuel Espinoza, Elizabeth Steed

Recorder: Melissa M. Burrows (in for JáNet Hurt)

 

Discussion surrounding MA Redesign

  • Focus on programs that need students.
  • Plan is to have redesign start in January 2016
  • Different Course Inventories
    1. LANGUAGE, LITERACY AND CULTURE
    2. FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
    3. LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
    4. PEDAGOGY, INTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT
    5. SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ISSUES
  • Students will take
    • Given program area core (9 credits)
    • Required research and capstone course for their program area (6 credits)
    • Five courses from the course inventories (15 credits).
  • Concerns
    • Students choosing from one OR multiple inventories? Undecided
    • Why grouped if students can choose from multiple? Categories make course content easier to
    • Are the interdisciplinary blocks still to be utilized? The blocks seem to be more confusing. Too hard to implement.Is there data that shows this works? No, but there is another institution unknowingly doing something similar, and our current plan is NOT working, we need to take a risk and dosomething.
    • Why are SPED courses not prominent? Possible these inventory lists are not the most up to date due to technical issue this morning. Furthermore, these need to be collectively looked at and worked on.
    • Something similarly had been suggested before and the Graduate School regarding it as degrading the given degree because all of the graduates would graduate knowing/specializing in different areas. Is this going to be a problem? No.
    • These inventories are not up to date, some of these courses have been offered once and never again. Stated at the beginning of the meeting that these were rough inventories. We need to stop having anxiety about making this change and move forward.
    • There are problem in the Canvas realm.
  • Opinions
    • Students should be responsible for choosing courses they want and “reflect upon” why those courses are the best for them when they graduate.
    • Students shouldn’t have TOO much pressure on choosing courses.
    • We need more descriptive titles and content identifications.
    • The Office of Admissions and Outreach has data that proves this method is wanted and is preferred by prospective students.
    • Michigan University has done similar re‐structure and it is working.
    • MA should have 1) Program Core Courses + Capstone/Research Courses 2) Program Specialized Courses – inventory should be anything offered by SEHD. Programs would only have to present a list of the courses that are currently offered (or offered over the next 2 years).
      • All the student has to do is go to their advisor and tell them what they want to do, from there the advisor tells them “here are the courses that I think would fulfill the areas you wish to learn/be a part of” – You work with your advisor in order to formulate the plan that works FOR THEM.
      • If this works, faculty doesn’t need to know about other program courses, only the Academic Services Advisor
    • People need to start to think about online (ENTIRE) program delivery regardless of the outcome of this venture in the MA redesign.

 

  • What do we need to do?
    1. Analyze Most Updated Course Inventories & Transform (Add/Delete Courses, etc.)
    2. Discuss Courses in Small Groups (Next Meeting)
    3. Program Areas Decide on Core, Research and Capstone Courses (By Next Meeting)
    4. Work on Descriptions and Titles (By Mid‐Semester)
    5. Rebecca, Brad, Julia & SEM Team Work on Marketing and Web
    6. Melissa and Rebecca work on Handbook and Advising Form
    7. Create 2‐Year Schedule
    8. Market to University

 

Program Leaders Handbook

  • Feedback
    • General every day work in programs should be addressed in a small paragraph.
    • Summer Schedule is not present, although there is a definite workload for Program Leaders in the Summer.