COURSE MEETINGS Open Forum October 20, 2004

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COURSE MEETINGSOpen ForumOctober 20, 2004
Co-sponsored byFaculty SenateStudent
Congress Speakers tom king Brian Williams
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Why are we here?

• Changing Patterns of Faculty Teaching
• MORE in Late Afternoons
• Varied Technology In Classrooms
• Larger Enrollments
• Class of 2008 and beyond

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Why are we here?

• Used to focus only on volume of courses taught
• Now need to worry about classroom capacity and
  format of the classes being taught
• Good time to consider change
• Addition of new space in Spring

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Outline for Forum

• Discussion on Current Model
• Definitions
• Series Explained
• Survey Results
• Comments from faculty and students
• Open Discussion
• Alternative Models
• Discussion after each model

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What we wont talk about

• Development of Western Civ
• 800 AM start
• 43 of faculty strongly disagree
• 59 of students strongly disagree
• Lab and Exam Scheduling

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Definitions

• Series the defined meeting times of a given
  course during the semester
• 50-minute (3 days per week)
• 75-minute/Marathon (2 days per week)
• Marathon (1 day per week)
• Schedulable Space
• The number of classrooms at PC that can be used
  during the semester
• Allocations
• The number of courses a given department is
  allowed to teach per series (in order to offer
  variety in schedule)

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Series Explained

• A THRU H (50-minute series)
• 8 options
• J THRU M (75-minute series)
• 4 options
• 21 ratio favoring 50-minute offerings
• i.e. 67 of model supports 3-day courses

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Series Explained

• Series X All courses not offered during the
  traditional
• exam periods must meet during one of SEVEN
• designated periods
• 75 minute Series
• MW, TR, OR WF from 230 to 345PM
• 150-minute Series
• M thru R from 400 to 630PM

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Series Reality

• Series X accounts for nearly 1 in 5 courses
  taught
• 31 variations in Series X this fall

• Other Facts
• 58 labs/courses taught into the Wednesday PM
  block
• Series M has only 17 courses in Fall 2004

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Series RealityOver Time
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Series Reality

• X has devolved into anything that doesnt fit
  the schedule
• X conflicts with SCE/Grad
• Over 80 courses in SP 2005 extend beyond 400 PM!
• If Series J was utilized to allocations, we would
  have no classrooms for Series X

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Survey ResultsFaculty Comment

• The current model is based on outdated
  assumptions about the curriculum, that teachers
  teach and students learn largely in 50 minute
  blocks. It makes it hard to accommodate new ideas
  and curricular models, which some of us are
  moving toward.

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Survey ResultsFaculty Comment

• Faculty preferring 75-minute formats are
• forced to teach in the afternoon. 75-minute
• series begin at 1130 and are primarily on
• Tuesday and Thursday only.

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Survey ResultsFaculty Comment

• Student advisees have a difficult time with the
  current schedule finding times free for
  internships and part-time work. This is a
  constant complaint. We seem overly concerned as a
  College with programming students five days a
  week, instead of treating the students like
  grown-ups who must learn to manage their time
  like their peers at other institutions.

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Survey ResultsFaculty Comment

• The current model of course series at PC
  discourages research publications since it is
  impossible with committee meetings and office
  hours to get solid blocks to time to do
  independent work.

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Survey ResultsFaculty Comment

• Additional series X courses for which faculty can
  provide justification for "alternative" class
  scheduling might be useful. Most faculty work
  within the current system, but some seminar
  courses etc. would better be met on a different
  schedule. This should be allowed, but needs to be
  formalized.

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Survey ResultsStudent Comment

• Introducing more classes that meet 1x or 2x a
  week will create a much better atmosphere for
  students, because it allows them far more
  flexibility in arranging and balancing their
  schedule with outside factors, most specifically
  a job, which more and more students are needing
  to have.
• The class schedule does need to be more flexible.
  there are a number of students that are forced to
  take classes at times that prevent them from
  participating in other events/activities that
  exist on and off campus.

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Survey ResultsStudent Comment

• I know of some of my friends at other schools
  that are able to have labs in the morning. Almost
  all labs that I know of at this school are in the
  afternoon and I would really like to be able to
  take a lab in the morning.

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Survey ResultsStudent Comment

• Id like to see more options and not so many of
  similar classes all at the same times

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Survey ResultsStudent Comment

• Id like to see more options and not so many of
  similar classes all at the same times

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What weve learned

• Variety wanted at different times of day
• Everyone is doing the same thing
• 75-minutes only after 1130 AM
• Multiple courses offered at same times in various
  departments

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What weve learned

• Differential schedule (A, B) hinders out of
  classroom opportunities
• Students
• Difficult to meet w/professors/advisors
• Hard to do internships/work, etc
• Faculty
• Hard to have dedicated research time

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Open Discussion
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Alternative Models

• Two basic approaches
• Add-on (Fenway Park)
• Model A and Model B
• Build (Gillette Stadium)
• Model D (revised and better explained)

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Alternative Models

• Finite schedulable space
• Maximize balance of 50- and 75-minute
• Offer flexibility
• Standardize schedule so that Series X is
  anticipated part of the model

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Alternative models

• Traditional MWF /TR cant work
• Offers less meeting times than now
• Would displace many 50-minute courses to late pm
  when attendance is low (MWF _at_ 230)
• See Series M

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Alternative Model A Add-On

• ADD 75-minute series are proposed (N thru S) that
  overlay the existing structure.
• MW two-day series are added starting at 1130 AM.
  
• Morning 75M series added on Tuesday and Thursday
  mornings.
• Fridays There are no changes to Fridays in this
  model.

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Discussion on Model A

• Series M remains unchanged therefore Tuesday
  afternoons and Friday afternoons will still be
  underutilized.
• Program and Department allocations will need to
  be reviewed to determine the balance of offerings
  where new series overlap

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Alternative Model B Add-On

• Replicates much of Model A
• Discontinues underutilized Series M (TF 230).
• Changes Series J and Series M to be a more
  standard Mon/Wed (J) and Tues/Thurs (M), this
  model further expands 75M offerings.

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Discussion on Model B
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Discussion on Model B

• Series M is changed therefore utilization of
  late afternoons is improved and reflects reality
• Department allocations will need to be reviewed
  to determine

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Alternative Model D Build from Scratch

• Create a model that anticipates the widest
  flexibility for faculty and students
• Standardize when classes start but not how they
  are taught.
• Model in 4 easy steps

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Alternative Model D Explained

• Step 1 For any given 3-hour block of time the
  following options can occur

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Alternative Model D Explained

• Step 2 Extend this block Monday to Friday

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Alternative Model D Explained

• Step 3 Offer block a 2nd time in the afternoon
  starting at 100 PM

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Alternative Model D Explained

• Step 4 Utilize the 1 ½ hour block between these
  two series

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Alternative Model D
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Comparing to Current
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Discussion on Model D

• Allocations
• Flexibility
• Times based vs. series based
• Increased complexity in Room scheduling
• Student registration impact
• Holiday and contact hour review needed
• E.g. Tues follows a Monday Schedule

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Conclusions

• Continue to visit Faculty Senate Website for more
  information
• www.providence.edu/facsenat
• Email with ideas
• bwilliam_at_providence.edu
• trking_at_providence.edu