Facilitator: Steve Volk, Associate Professor, History

[The following is not an exact transcript of what was said at this meeting but rather a compilation of some of the remarks made.]

Introductory remarks by Steve Volk:

The College of Arts and Sciences has already taken a number of steps toward creating a program of small-enrollment, first year courses, including: approving in principle the creation of the program and instituting it as a requirement after enough classes are created, using it as one criteria in the consideration of requests for the 10 new faculty lines that the College anticipates adding in the next three years, and naming Norman Care (Philosophy) as the first director of the program. Volk handed out copies of EPPC's January 28, 2000 memo originally moving that the program be established (see Appendix I below), and a May 11, 2000 summary of EPPC's 1999-2000 discussions on how the courses should be set up (see Appendix II below).

The following ideas about courses for a first year program at Oberlin have thus far been discussed:

· There is no single model for the courses.

· Not every faculty member will be teaching a first year colloquium.

· They will be small, with probable enrollments of around 15.

· They should not be introductions to a specific discipline, but can be introductions to broadly-defined academic disciplines.

· They will be similar to the Mellon colloqiua that have been offered for first and second year students in the past, but they will be reserved for first year students.

· It is hoped that they will be offered by departments across the curriculum, in each of three main divisions of the College (and there is some discussion with the Conservatory of music about such courses being offered there as well).

Although the three divisions may meet further to discuss models for such courses within their departments, COT sponsored this discussion because members of the committee felt they want to encourage further cross-disciplinary discussion of what the courses might be.

A subcommittee of EPPC is currently considering how to further define the program and the characteristics of the courses that will be offered in it. In that process it has looked at similar programs at comparable institutions. There appears to be no single model for how such a program is conducted. At most places the courses are small, and tend to have the goal of teaching writing and oral skills along with their subjects. Some schools use the courses as an advising mechanism, or to emphasize skills that help students make the transition from high school to college study.

Volk then asked two other participants to begin the discussion by making introductory observations.

Norman Care described first year colloquia as being a place to address the diversity of previous educational preparations found among students admitted to the College, to enable them to benefit from later experiences in the curriculum. He wants the courses to give students the opportunity to experience intellectual engagement with an issue and making it their own, as well as working on writing and talking skills. He anticipates that it will involve around 50 faculty, whom he hopes can meet and discuss the purpose of the courses, although no one model will fit all the program's offerings.

Peter Goldsmith (Dean of Students) then spoke about his experience as Dean of First Year Students at Dartmouth and being involved in a similar program for first year students there. They also hoped to draw from all departments of the college and to address writing and speaking skills, but their program differed somewhat in that there was an additional library/research component because the course was regarded as preparation for learning ahead of students. Their program was always interested in bringing together faculty to discuss common goals and interests but only managed to get about one-half the participants together for lunch at the beginnings of terms to share strategies, etc. They regretted not having time to get faculty together more.

Volk then opened the discussion up by asking participants what elements they thought would be important in teaching first year colloquia.

Points made in the general discussion following the opening observations:

Group members discussed what the courses might be if they weren't departmental introductions. Among the general suggestions of what might be covered were: the difference between opinions and ideas, what argument is, distinguishing between primary and secondary sources, learning that all numbers come with errors and how to tolerate kinds of knowledge that incorporate indeterminancy or unknown elements. Some participants wondered to what extent faculty will be able to get on with the subjects of such courses and to what extent the imperative to teach writing or discussion skills will require them to pause and explicitly engage in other things like teaching writing. Other participants pointed out that the goals of the program could be met in a variety of ways in different classes, and introductory courses in specific disciplines might well serve first year colloquia goals.

It was observed that there is already considerable experience with similar sorts of courses in the Oberlin curriculum, in the Mellon colloquia of the past and first year colloquia or seminars already offered in departments like English and History. The possibility of setting up a website that would provide sample syllabi and comments from faculty who have already taught such courses was discussed, and it was generally agreed that it would be helpful. Volk offered to set such a website up via the COT website and to include on it links to other first year programs.

Norm Care was asked what he sees his role in the program as being. He answered that initially he plans to talk to individual faculty and departments about what they feel they can contribute to it. He would like to work with the faculty to develop a conceptualization of the program over time; he is not coming to it with a blueprint for what it should be. He does not think, however, that it should simply be a miscellany, only a bunch of courses on a list. He would like to see it develop into a group of courses that enable first year students to have the experience of serious intellectual engagement that seniors currently have in seminars. Even though faculty come from different disciplinary backgrounds, he feels that the shared audience for the course--first year students--may enable them to find common goals for the classes.

Several participants raised concerns about elements of the program that need to be worked out. These included: how to determine distribution requirement designations when faculty team teach or teach interdisciplinary subjects; whether the Rhetoric and Composition Program or other departments of the college might provide assistance to faculty not experienced in explicitly addressing writing or discussion skills, whether information literacy might be addressed with the assistance of library staff, and what, if any, evaluation procedure for the program has been established (none at the moment, although that is likely to be the responsibility of EPPC). When a participant asked exactly what the process of further implementing the program was, several group members commented that the EPPC subcommittee and Care are currently working on it, and it would be desirable to have a discussion of it in a faculty meeting.

This meeting was attended by 18 faculty and 5 staff, representing 12 departments in the College of Arts and Sciences and Conservatory of Music and 5 administrative offices.

Appendix I

To: The College Faculty

From: EPPC

Subject: First Year Seminar Program

Date: January 28, 2000

EPPC recommends to the College Faculty the following motion:

The College Faculty endorses in principle a program of first year seminars to be distributed throughout the curriculum. These are to be topically based seminars, with enrollment limited to 14 to 16 students per section, giving some emphasis to the development of discussion, critical thinking and research skills. Each seminar will offer either Writing Proficiency or Quantitative Proficiency credit. All Arts and Sciences and Double Degree students will be required to take one of these seminars during their first year. The requirement will not go into effect until the faculty judges that there are enough seminars in the curriculum to enroll all first year students. We hope to be able to start the requirement by the 2003-04 academic year. The requirement will be waived for transfer students who matriculate with sophomore standing (i.e., with 24 or more credit hours).

Discussion

Oberlin offers a wonderfully rich and diverse curriculum to its students. We have majors, minors and concentrations in more fields than any other liberal arts college. That we can do this in spite of a student/faculty ratio that is among the highest of our peers is a tribute to the dedication of our faculty. The breadth of the Oberlin curriculum is, and will remain, a key feature of our academic program. There are, however, other important aspects of a liberal education. In this proposal EPPC recommends that we put some additional resources into the pre-major or general education portion of our curriculum.

Small, discussion-oriented classes are at the heart of a liberal approach to education. While not all classes at Oberlin can, or even should, have small enrollment limits, we see great educational value in having all freshmen take at least one small-section seminar in which they will be introduced to some of the basic skills they will need to profit fully from the Oberlin curriculum. This is not a new idea. In 1983 the faculty endorsed a program of colloquia for first and second year students that was initially supported by the Mellon Foundation. This program has been very successful. Both faculty and students report a high degree of satisfaction with the colloquia, almost all of which are enrolled to capacity each semester. There is considerable demand for these courses that we are unable to meet.

We currently have few courses that are restricted to freshmen and even fewer that serve as the first writing or first discussion class for most of their students. The resulting mixed population in classes makes it difficult for the faculty to devote much classroom time to fundamental skills. This is a problem since many faculty report declining skills among new students at a time when academic pressures place ever increasing demands on student abilities. We need some classes with a more uniform audience to facilitate the nurturing of essential academic skills.

In response to these pressures, EPPC proposes a program of first year seminars. These are to be topical courses focused on issues with intellectual substance, much like our Mellon colloquia. While we do not wish to put too many restrictions on these courses and inhibit the creativity that is so characteristic of the Oberlin curriculum, there are a few criteria that must be observed if these seminars are to achieve their goals.

o They will offer either Writing Proficiency or Quantitative Proficiency credit.

By this we intend to include both Writing Intensive and Writing Certification courses and both full and half Quantitative Proficiency courses.

These seminars should introduce students to the knowledge and skills they need at the beginning of their liberal arts careers. Writing and quantification skills are gatekeepers for much of the rest of the curriculum. They are needed, not only for life and careers after college, but also for more advanced integrative work during college. Early satisfaction of the QP and Writing requirements has been a goal for EPPC since these requirements were instituted in the 1980's. The seminars will help with this by guaranteeing that students complete at least half of one of these requirements during their first year.

o They will help students to develop critical thinking and research skills.

A fusion of intellectual skills provides entry into the world of academic discourse. These include various types of analytical reasoning, critical discernment, recognition of context, the ability to evaluate the content and reliability of purported information, the appropriate and judicious use of technical terminology, and so forth. We expect each seminar to address some of these skills. Some faculty will use this as an opportunity to introduce students to the elements of information literacy, but we do not require this to be done in all seminars.

o They will help students to develop discussion skills.

Freshmen come to Oberlin from many different backgrounds. Some have had excellent discussion courses in high school and are ready to participate in college level courses. Many are not ready. All freshmen can profit from some guidance concerning how to participate effectively in discussion-based courses.

The specific discussion skills emphasized will vary somewhat from class to class. The common core will include issues such as the importance of preparation and forethought, the need to listen critically without being dismissive, respect and civility towards others, and the validity of contributing one's opinions to a discussion.

o The seminars will be limited to freshmen and will employ pedagogy appropriate to freshmen and the nurturing of the skills we have described.

Faculty need to pay attention to the didactic nature of these courses. We expect each seminar to meet more than once per week and to devote some class time to skill development. These are not courses in a sequence for majors, so they are not constrained by the needs of major programs. We encourage interdisciplinary and team-taught seminars. This is an opportunity for the faculty explore new areas and new pedagogical techniques, an opportunity we believe most will welcome.

o They will have enrollment limited to 14 to 16 students per section.

It is very important for students in these seminars to receive individual attention and scrutiny. Students should not be able to avoid participating in a discussion by hiding behind their classmates. Faculty differ somewhat in how they define "small" classes, so we allow some flexibility here, but we think that a class size of 16 is the largest for which we can guarantee the students individual attention from the faculty.

o The seminars will introduce students to the liberal approach to learning.

Our curriculum, like that of Swarthmore, Vassar, Carleton, and other liberal arts colleges, is based on the goals of breadth and depth, and the techniques of analysis and synthesis, rather than preprofessional training. We expect students to play an active role in their education. At present these expectations are implicit in the ways we structure the Oberlin curriculum. We believe both students and faculty would profit from open discussions of the goals of a liberal education. These first year seminars provide a means for such discussion to take place, early enough in the students' careers for them to profit from it.

o All students will be required to take one of these seminars during their freshman year.

We believe this program is fundamental to the fabric of an Oberlin education. It is an enabling program that will prepare students for the rigors of our curriculum. The seminars give direct attention to the skills and attitudes that students will need for life-long learning. All freshmen will profit from this program. The rest of our curriculum will benefit from it. The program will not have these desired effects if the seminars are not required.

Implementation

Since the first year seminars will be required, they will have to be offered in sufficient quantity to allow all freshmen to enroll in them. We estimate that with the current size of the student body about 45 seminars will be needed each year. We expect the demand to be larger in the fall term, but some seminars will be needed in the spring as well.

We currently offer about 45 sections of colloquia, seminars, and other small classes aimed at first and second year students. We recommend that the first year seminar program be an addition rather than a replacement for these classes. Naturally, some of the current colloquia will become first year seminars; some of the new classes will be seminars for sophomores rather than freshmen. The important point is that while adding the first year seminars we want to keep in the curriculum about 40 seminars and colloquia that are available to other students, sophomores in particular. The sophomore class is a critical group of students that is often overlooked in curricular planning. The most frequent complaints about the curriculum and access to small classes come from sophomores and their parents. The most common time for students to decide to leave Oberlin is after the sophomore year. Students who are past the excitement of being new college students and who have not yet chosen a major are very much in need of the faculty contact that comes from a small class experience. EPPC does not feel that it is necessary to mandate a specific structure for these second-level seminars, though we expect that most will, as now, satisfy the writing requirement. We recommend that they give priority in enrollment to students with sophomore standing. This will result in most students completing the writing requirement or making progress toward both the writing and quantification requirements, by the end of their sophomore year.

It is essential to our plan that the seminars be offered by all departments and programs. The responsibility for the general education portion of our curriculum lies with all faculty. While other curricular pressures may not allow every department to offer first year seminars every year, there should be numerous seminars offered annually by each division. Program review will give EPPC an opportunity to examine at regular intervals the participation of each department in this program.

Faculty will need some support while these seminars are being developed. We are asking for a large number of new courses. We are also asking faculty to teach the development of skills that not all are accustomed to teaching. Some faculty, in particular, are unused to teaching discussion and writing classes. We anticipate holding workshops on the necessary pedagogical issues: leading discussions, teaching writing classes and teaching quantification classes. We also hope for an infusion of curriculum development funds. Faculty endorsement of this seminar program is a necessary precursor to the search for the means to make this possible.

This program cannot be implemented with current resources. The College of Arts and Sciences is understaffed. Our average class size is 25 students, which means that when we take a class out of the curriculum and replace it with a first year seminar limited to 16 students, we displace on average 9 students who have few other options for classes. We cannot convert the current colloquia for first and second year students to first year seminars without completely eliminating the small class opportunities for sophomores and further worsening the morale of this group of students. In short, though we may be able to offer some first year seminars with our current staff, additional resources are needed for us to offer enough such seminars to make them a requirement.

Motions

We ask the faculty to endorse in principle our plans for a first year seminar program. This will allow the Dean and other officers of the College to begin the search for the resources necessary to implement this program. When we have a clear implementation plan we will come back to the faculty with a motion to institute the seminar requirement. It may be several years before this requirement can go into effect, but we would like that to happen by the 2003-04 academic year.

Appendix II

Where Are We on the First Year Seminars?

May 11, 2000

This summarizes the ideas of the 1999-2000 EPPC on the seminar program. The committee had fairly general consensus on each of these items.

Goals: First year seminars will offer

o Small class experiences (14-16 students per section)

o Progress towards proficiency requirements (writing or quantitative)

o Development of discussion skills

o Introduction to a liberal education

Format: Any combination of lectures, discussions, laboratories, or performances that can be assembled to meet the goals. Seminars should meet more than once a week.

Prerequisites: Seminars should not have other Oberlin courses as prerequisites, but some may require skills or content that are broadly available in high school: language skills or knowledge of calculus, for example. We should try to limit the number of seminars with any type of prerequisite. Most seminars should be accessible to all first year students.

Inclusivity: In general, we should be inclusive rather than exclusive in determining which courses to count as First Year Seminars.

Catalog Status: We want to create a "First Year Studies" entity that will formally offer all first year seminars. Among other things, this will assist in determining which students have satisfied the seminar requirement.

Interdisciplinarity: We would like to encourage the development of some interdisciplinary seminars. One way to do this would be to give support to team-taught seminars where the instructors come from different departments. Perhaps we could urge that each instructor receive a full course of credit for this team-taught course.

Curricular Breadth: We want to encourage the development of seminars across the curriculum, including in departments that do not receive permanent additions to staff for this.

Need: We need about 45 first year seminars each year, and another 35 to 40 small classes for first and second year students. It would be good in the latter classes to give some precedence to second year students.

Support: We need

o Funds for summer support for the development of seminars

o Release time for the development of seminars. One matter we have discussed is over-replacing one semester leaves, giving several faculty release time for course development. Another is the creation of a few positions similar to Mellon postdocs.

o Workshops on teaching writing and leading discussions.

o Student teaching assistants for seminars

o A coordinator for the program: a faculty member to work with the student assistants, organize the workshops, promote and assist seminar development.