A proposal to ease the general education requirements for freshmen and returning students beginning next fall led to confusion when discussion from a Faculty Senate Executive Committee session became rumor among the student body late last week.
Students first became aware of the possible modifications to the current policies when Peter Gold, associate dean for general education, spoke to a class of students fulfilling their junior/senior science requirement about the pending proposal, which in its current form would drop the requirement entirely. As a result, some graduating seniors were unsure whether they could drop course and still graduate this semester.
"I haven't dropped it yet, but I was thinking about it," said Justin Brtko, a senior sociology major enrolled in the class. "I was confused and it was kind of sketchy ... [Gold] didn't make it sound 100 percent sure."
When asked about the specifics of his statement, Gold declined to comment.
The changes to the current general education structure would affect only students enrolled in UB for the 2002-2003 school year and would not apply retroactively to students currently in their senior year. If approved, students would have to take one mathematics course instead of the currently required two; fulfill language proficiency up to the second semester, rather than the third; complete one course in the literature and arts category if continuing students or one course in both humanities and arts if new students; and fulfill a new depth requirement, which mandates students take on an additional course in language, mathematics or a junior/senior science.
Students who have mistakenly dropped courses believing they will be exempted from the requirement should immediately register for the course again, said Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Kerry Grant. Grant's office will assist students in re-enrolling for courses, but will not grant exemptions or waive the graduation requirements for any of those students.
"They should not do that at all," said Janina Kaars, assistant vice provost and director of Student Response Center. "That would risk their graduating on time."
In spring 1998, the SUNY Trustees sent out a mandate to all SUNY universities and colleges requiring the institutions to meet a set of "learning outcomes." The mandate was an effort to standardize the education that students across the state receive at a SUNY institution, regardless of which particular school they attend.
The system of general education already in place at UB for the majority of students either met or exceeded the requirements of the learning outcomes, but transfer students - who were previously exempted from certain requirements if they came to UB with a community college degree - would be most affected by the changes.
"We expect the community colleges will change what they do to better equip students for when they get here," said Gold during Tuesday's meeting of the University Undergraduate Curriculum Committee.
Under the mandate, transfer students will be required to receive the same basic education as the rest of the student body, which would force the university to increase the number of general education courses currently offered.
Initial estimates of the cost of meeting the trustees' mandate - upwards of $1 million - left administrators searching for a compromise within the budget. The proposed alterations to the gen-ed requirements, by contrast, will only cost approximately $300,000, according to Gold.
Although future students will not be required to take courses such as Spanish 152 or a second year of mathematics/sciences through the general education requirement, the change will not affect courses required by a major or minor track, said Grant.
The decision to extend the altered general education requirements to the entire student body, beginning in fall 2002, came, said Grant, because "we're going to have widespread discontent" if incoming students were granted a lighter course load while returning students were forced to complete the old requirements.
Gold agreed, saying the consensus was that "what could be made retroactive would be made retroactive."
That retroactivity cannot apply to any students graduating this year because the measure has not yet been approved; Provost Elizabeth Capaldi is next in line to review the proposal, according to Gold. Pending complete approval, the change will first affect the summer/fall 2002 course catalogue.
"It must, by SUNY mandate, be in place by fall 2002," said Grant.
