The Faculty Senate of Seton Hall University
 

Newsletter
A Special Edition   

February 2005
 

Faculty Senate Votes for Core Curriculum Principles

 

At the February 4, 2005 meeting, the members of the Faculty Senate voted 33 to 1 to approve a revised version of the Core Curriculum principles proposed by the Senate's Core Curriculum Committee. The vote followed several weeks of intense, campus-wide discussion, both formal and informal, and the final version of the principles were the result of several hours of careful consideration of the suggestions made at the various town meetings, by the APCCC, in the Core Curriculum Discussion Board, and in individual emails. The result is a document that, according to Faculty Senate President Roseanne Mirabella, this vote will allow us to move forward with implementation of a signature core experience for all of our students that speaks to the mission of the university while also respecting the diverse nature of our community and our commitment to academic excellence.
 

At its next meeting, the Core Curriculum Committee will be developing a list of activities for which interested faculty can volunteer, including syllabus development for the Odyssey courses, work groups to develop the proficiencies and literacies, and summer faculty development workshops.  Look for an announcement from the Senate for opportunities to become involved in this exciting, faculty-driven, undertaking!

Resolution of the Faculty Senate, adopted February 4, 2005
The Faculty Senate of Seton Hall University recommends to the Provost and the Board of Regents the following principles for the development of a new University Core Curriculum to fulfill the mission of the University, which will be effective for the entering freshmen in fall 2007:


* That undergraduate education at Seton Hall University be distinguished by two central elements: a common grounding in the questions central, but not exclusive, to the Catholic intellectual tradition, broadly understood, and the consistent and systematic development of students’ competencies, capabilities, and literacies.
 

* That undergraduate students take three common courses considering these questions (such as the three-course sequence entitled “Odyssey of the Mind, Heart, and Spirit” in the October 2004 draft report), two first-year writing courses, and the University Life course.
 

* That the faculties of the individual Schools and Colleges specify the means by which students’ competencies, capabilities, and literacies are to be developed, and that these faculties also specify the means of assessing student performance, understanding that Schools and Colleges may recommend differing approaches and means for development and assessment appropriate to different majors.
 

* That the effectiveness of the University Core Curriculum be regularly evaluated by the Faculty Senate, through its standing committees, and/or other bodies as it deems appropriate, and that the University Core Curriculum be amended by the Senate as indicated.
 

* That graduation requirements for undergraduate degree programs be set, as a norm, at 120 academic credits, subject to requirements for accreditation or certification, or demonstrated needs of individual disciplines.
 

* That undergraduate tuition be charged per semester, and not per academic credit, for full-time undergraduate students taking between 12 and 18 credits.  

Meeting Minutes February 2005
 

Senate Membership 2004-2005
 

Senate Committees 2004-2005