19 November: Goals for Liberal Learning

Colleagues: As identified in the "tentative timeline for curriculum revision" recently presented to the Faculty Senate, the Core Committee would like to obtain written feedback from all academic departments and interdisciplinary programs with reference to the "Goals for Liberal Learning." Please provide detailed feedback on each of the six learning goals. As you review the learning goals, please consider the following questions. 

1. Does the document paint an accurate picture of what a liberal arts education at Concordia College should be? If not, what would you change?

2. Does the document articulate a clear sense of Concordia's distinctiveness?"

3. To what extent can your department/program contribute to the realization of the "Goals for Liberal Learning" both through your major[s] and your department's contributions to the Core curriculum?

Please forward your comments to a member of the Core Committee by 5 December 2003.

Core Committee

Vincent Arnold, Chair

Dan Breedon, Division Chair of Core and Integrative Studies

Maddy Burchill

Robert Chabora

Mark Jensen

Monica Mori

19 November: Student Lecture Series - Call for Nominations

The Special Awards Committee asks faculty members to nominate students for participation in the Student Lecture Series for Spring Semester 2004.

All students who wish to participate must be nominated by a faculty member. Faculty members are requested to nominate students who are working on a class project or who have completed a project in a previous class. Nomination of a student or student group indicates a faculty member's willingness to be a resource person for the student lecturer.

In order to nominate a student or group of students, a faculty member should submit a letter of nomination that includes:

a) an evaluation of the quality of the proposed presentation, and
b) an assessment of when the project will be completed

The student(s) should submit:

a) a concise title for the presentation,
b) an abstract (150 words maximum) of the presentation suitable for
publicity purposes, and
c) a 2-3 page summary of the presentation

The above should be submitted in both hard copy and electronic form.

DEADLINE: Please submit all nomination materials by Tuesday, December 2, 2003 to Sharon Hoverson, Chair of the Special Awards Committee, Library, hoverson@cord.edu  . Notification of selections will be made by Tuesday, December 16.

Students or faculty who have any questions about the nomination or selection processes may contact Sharon Hoverson, Ext. 3241 or hoverson@cord.edu

18 November: Revised calendar 2004-2005

To: Faculty and Staff

From: Carole Stalheim, Registrar Revised Calendar - Approved by President's Council 11/03

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2004-2005

SECOND SEMESTER

Jan. 3 Registration

Jan. 3 Classes Begin

Jan. 10 Final date to add a Block III class

Jan. 14 Final date to add a full semester course

Jan. 28 Final date to drop a Block III class and final date for tuition and fees reduction when dropping a Block III class

Feb. 18 Mid-semester point; end of Block III Classes close at the end of the academic day

Feb. 19-Mar. 2 Mid-semester recess

Mar. 3 Classes resume; Mid-semester grades due at 4:00 p.m.

Mar. 10 Final date for: adding a Block IV course; dropping a full-semester course; electing a full-semester course on an S-U basis; removal of incompletes; tuition and fees reduction when dropping a full-semester class

Mar. 23 Easter recess begins at the end of the academic day

Mar. 24-28 Easter recess

Mar. 29 Classes resume

Apr. 4 Final date to drop a Block IV class and final date for tuition and fees reduction when dropping a Block IV class

Apr. 7 Last day to withdraw from college

Apr. 25 Last class day

Apr. 26 Study day

Apr. 27-29 Final examinations

May 1 Baccalaureate and Commencement; Semester ends

May 3 Grades due at 4:00 p.m.

First Summer Term: May 9 - June 3, 2005

Second Summer Term: June 6 - July 1, 2005

17 November: Talk About Teaching Session

A Talk about Teaching session will held from 4-5 p.m., Tuesday, November 18, in the Library Faculty Lounge.

Dr. Greg Hoch (Biology) will present "Quinine, Malaria, and World History: Botany and the Liberal Arts." What do the history of malaria and the discovery of its cure have to do with the liberal arts? Hoch will show how his botany class, specifically ethnobotany, incorporates
information from many departments. 

10 November: Social Statement on Education

To the Campus Community,

The ELCA has commissioned the preparation of a Social Statement on Education. You are invited to help shape that statement at a "listening post" event scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday evening, November 18 in the Christian Life Center at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead.

The Social Statement will address issues of education from preschool through college/university, both public and religious. Issues will include purpose, quality, equity, access and the role of religion in schooling.

At this "listening post" event we will welcome suggestions on a wide array of issues. You may have suggestions to make about subjects to be included in the study, positions that you would like to contribute or see represented, individuals and resources that would be of value to the Task Force, etc. 

I hope you will be able to attend this grassroots, formative event. 

Paul J. Dovre, Member
Task Force on Education

5 November: Higher Learning Commission Information

To the Campus Community,

The Higher Learning Commission evaluation team completed its two and a half day visit to Concordia this morning. The team recommends a full 10-year accreditation for the college and authorization to grant a master’s degree in nursing.

Dr. Marguerite Bennett, evaluation team chair, identified several strengths of the college and, specifically, three elements that the Higher Learning Commission defines as national models of excellence which should be studied and emulated by other institutions of higher learning:

The Dovre Center for Faith and Learning

The music program

The synergy of the international education and language immersion education

The team recommends that the college continue to give attention to the assessment of student learning outcomes, issues of diversity, the coordination and oversight of technology, and the quality of science laboratories.

The college will receive a full written report in six to eight weeks at which time there will be opportunity for further discussion.

Paul Dovre Interim President

5 November: Community Time Friday, November 7

Colleagues,

As was noted in an earlier cobweb message, Community Time this Friday will be a discussion about our international and off-campus studies programs. We know this is a busy time, but please add your voice and ideas as to how we can make our programs distinctive and fit the mission of Concordia. We will break into groups after an initial introduction (and possibly a short video) to discuss (answer) the questions shown below. Please join us on Friday, November 7, 9:20 to 10:20 in the Centrum.

1. What does the term “immersion” mean to you? Would the term “immersion” be appropriate to describe our off-campus programs? How do our current programs reflect the goal of “immersion”?

2. What distinguishes our programs from those of other colleges?

3. What should our vision for future off-campus programming be?

4. How do our off-campus programs reflect our mission statement?

4 November: Core Committee Timeline

To: Faculty and Administrative Staff

From: Vince Arnold for the Core Committee

Re: Core Committee Timeline

Colleagues:

The following is a tentative timeline developed by the Core Committee for Curriculum Revision. If you have any questions and/or suggestions please contact one of the Core Committee members: Vincent Arnold, Dan Breedon, Maddy Burchill, Robert Chabora, Mark Jensen, and Monica Mori.

Tentative Timeline:

· The Core committee will distribute a list of learning goals to all academic departments and programs by November 3, 2003.

· The Core Committee requests that all departments and programs provide a written response to the Core Committee regarding the learning goals by December 5, 2003.

· Pending written feedback from the departments and programs, the Core Committee will arrange for a series of campus discussions [perhaps in early January 2004] to facilitate further dialogue on the learning goals.

· Based on the cumulative written and oral feedback, the Core Committee will revise the learning goals and then bring them forward to the Faculty Senate for approval on January 26, 2004.

· If approved by the senate, the Core Committee, working with the assistance of the Assessment Committee, will begin developing a list of learning outcomes. The Core Committee believes that the learning outcomes must be developed in conjunction with all department and academic programs. Accordingly, a formal request for assistance/input in the development of learning outcomes will go out to departments/divisions by February 1, 2004.

· Departments will report back to the Core Committee with a response to the learning outcomes by March 11, 2004.

· The Core Committee will review the departmental reports, and in conjunction with the Assessment Committee, will draft a set of learning outcomes for consideration by the Faculty Senate by the end of the spring semester 2004.

· If the learning outcomes are approved by the Faculty Senate, the Core Committee will request the senate to establish a task force to deal with the development of curriculum models, possible calendar changes, and budgetary issues. The goal would be to have the Senate vote on a revised curriculum by the end of the 2004-2005 academic year.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Vincent Arnold

Chair, Core Committee

4 November: Faculty development opportunities

Date: November 4, 2003

To: All Faculty

From: Jim Aageson, Chair, Division of Arts and Humanities

Re: Faculty development opportunities

Following is a list of programs, workshops, grants and conferences that are available for faculty professional development and growth. Some opportunities are also available for students.

Complete information including descriptions, eligibility requirements, and registration deadlines about each of these is located in the Division of Arts and Humanities Office in BW247, or contact Shanda Schmidt at the Division of Arts and Humanities (4936 or sschmidt@cord.edu).

************************

Association of American Colleges and Universities annual meeting, “Practicing Liberal Education: Deepening Knowledge, Pursuing Justice” will be held January 21-24, 2004 in Washington D.C. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

Deadline for registration: November 21, 2003.

The 4th International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations will be held July 6-9, 2004 at the University of California, Los Angeles

Deadline for first round call for papers: December 15, 2003.

The Minnesota Private Colleges “Scholars at the Capitol” poster session will be on February 5, 2004 in the Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda.

Deadline for submission: December 15, 2003.

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is inviting selected teams to gather for four days of consultations and conversations on “Best Practices in Liberal Learning” May 26-30, 2004. Five-member teams will consist of an administrator, two faculty members and two students.

Deadline for applications: February 1, 2004.

3 November: Principia Staffing

To: Full-Time Faculty

From: Dan Breedon

Re: Principia Staffing

As you may have heard, beginning next fall Principia will be staffed in a different manner than it is currently done. No longer will departments provide an agreed upon number of sections per year. Instead, full-time individual faculty will be contracted for at least two years. This will not only make the staffing of Principia easier, but departments will likewise be able to plan for future staffing commitments with greater predictability.

Other goals of this change are to achieve participation in Principia by every department, as well as greater importance for the program and its faculty. In light of the latter goal, only those who have successfully taught Principia or who show a strong potential to do so will be considered. Also, Principia faculty will be evaluated regularly in order to maintain the quality of the program.

Present Principia faculty will receive a separate application form. Faculty who have not taught Principia and/or who have not participated in the new theme workshop held last summer should send me the following information:

- A statement of your interest in participating in Principia as part of the First-Year Experience and as an introduction to the nature of a liberal arts education.

- A summary of your background and interest in interdisciplinary studies, particularly those related to the present theme (a description of the theme and its learning goals is attached).

- A statement of your interest in being a model/mentor for co-inquiry.

Please send your materials to me (Email is OK, otherwise FPO 8).

If asked to participate you will be expected to attend the program's yearly summer workshop and discussion/teaching support group meetings. Finally: even if you think you may not be able to teach Principia because of departmental commitments or other factors, please apply anyway if you are interested. I, and Dawn Duncan (Director of Principia, who will also review applications) need to know who is interested in teaching in this program, regardless of perceived opportunities to do so.

3 November: Student Lecture Series-Call for Nominations

The Special Awards Committee asks faculty members to nominate students for participation in the Student Lecture Series for Spring Semester 2004. This series recognizes outstanding scholarly work done by students at Concordia College, providing them with an opportunity to discuss their findings with others in a public forum. Presentations of interest from students in all fields of study are welcome in order to represent the broad spectrum of student talents at Concordia. Lecture topics chosen previously for the Student Lecture Series include:

• "Irish-Americans in the Civil War: The Path Toward Gaining Acceptance"
• "Buddhist Psychology and the Cognitive Sciences"
• "From Across the Sea. . . A Look at Two Deadly Tropical Diseases"
• "The Mathematical Basis of Factorized Time Correlation Analysis"

Nominating Process

All students who wish to participate must be nominated by a faculty member. Faculty members are requested to nominate students who are working on a class project or who have completed a project in a previous class. Nomination of a student or student group indicates a faculty member's willingness to be a resource person for the student lecturer.

In order to nominate a student or group of students, a faculty member should submit a letter of nomination that includes: a) an evaluation of the quality of the proposed presentation, and b: an assessment of when the project will be completed

The student(s) should submit: a) a concise title for the presentation, b) an abstract (150 words maximum) of the presentation suitable for publicity purposes, and c) a 2-3 page summary of the presentation

The above should be submitted in both hard copy and electronic form.

Deadline: Please submit these materials to Sharon Hoverson, Chair of the Special Awards Committee, Library, hoverson@cord.edu, by Tuesday, December 2, 2003. Notification of selections will be made by Tuesday, December 16.

Criteria for Selection

The Special Awards Committee of the Faculty Senate selects up to three students or student groups to give lectures each semester. Preference will be given to projects and presentations of quality that are likely to stimulate discussion in a general audience. An effort will be made to present a balance in the disciplines represented by the lectures.

Students or faculty members who have any questions about the nomination or selection processes may contact Sharon Hoverson, Chair of the Special Awards Committee, Ext. 3241 or hoverson@cord.edu