The Educational Policy and Governance Committee (EPAG) suggested changes to Macalester’s core curriculum in a draft of a forthcoming proposal sent to faculty on Tuesday.

“We’re getting into the meat of curriculum renewal that was brought up last year,” EPAG chair and Biology Professor Mary Montgomery said.

At Wednesday’s faculty meeting, Montgomery outlined the rationale for the new core curriculum, which she said is mostly designed as a starting point for discussion.

“We wanted to address students’ needs to have a more common experience that reflects the mission of the college and takes advantage of our urban location,” she said. “We wanted to provide an experience throughout college and involve the faculty.”

Montgomery said at the faculty meeting that the draft contains multiple proposals in order to foster discussion among faculty.

The changes to the core curriculum suggested by EPAG run the gamut from first year courses to senior capstones.

If implemented, the proposal would require sophomores to take a new Sophomore Year Course designed to engage students in the Twin Cities and address problems in a hands-on manner.

All students would be required to study abroad, complete a course on foreign issues or perspectives or to take a globalization course. Second language proficiency could be redefined as completion of three semesters of a foreign language, rather than the current curriculum’s four semesters.

Requirements for the senior capstone would become more standardized across majors and might include a public presentation of the capstone project.

In the draft, EPAG recommends that the required First Year Course (FYC) be modified to place more emphasis on writing skills. EPAG also suggests that FYCs meet for an additional hour each week for advising and development of skills such as time management.

According to Montgomery, these changes to the FYC would more specifically address the basic writing competency referred to in the college catalog. Currently FYC professors are advised to incorporate writing instruction in their courses, but there is no infrastructure to guarantee that writing skills are actually developed.

The proposal also suggests eliminating or altering the general distribution requirements.

One possibility would be to eliminate the current general distribution requirements but require an advisor-led writing and quantitative reasoning curricular component. Another would be to require writing and quantitative reasoning courses in addition to one course from each academic division and two additional non-major courses.

Alternatively, students would be able to choose from several options, including a second major, a general liberal arts program, and an interdivisional concentration, in which students would take eight courses linked by a common theme.

Now that EPAG has distributed the proposal, the committee requires feedback and alternative proposals from faculty and students, who can access the proposal on-line. The committee also needs to flesh out many of the ideas that were brought up in the proposal, according to Montgomery. A web-based discussion board may serve as a means of debate for students, faculty, and EPAG.

“I hope we get a lot of feedback,” Stewart said. “Students can talk to me at any time.”

According to Montgomery, if EPAG and faculty work out a final proposal, faculty would vote on a new curriculum in the spring, either as a comprehensive package or as separate components. “It’s not successful unless these ideas generate enthusiasm,” Montgomery said. “We won’t have a vote unless we feel like we’re there.”

If approved, the new curriculum would go into effect next fall but would not affect current Macalester students.

Montgomery said that curricular renewal is a continual process at Macalester. The last major changes to the curriculum occurred over a decade ago, and new faculty members feel like they should have some ownership over the curriculum, she said.

Additionally, according to Montgomery, because Macalester is preparing for a reaccredidation examination by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association in 2006, it is an important time for the college to engage in curricular renewal.

EPAG is comprised of seven voting faculty members with three-year terms of service, two students, and three non-voting members. Montgomery, Ruthann Godollei, David Itzkowitz, Ruthanne Kurth-Schai, Jim Laine, Joan Ostrove, and Sarah Pradt are the current voting members. Stewart, is the student on the committee. The other student on the committee is the Academic Affairs Commission (AAC) chair, recently vacated by Aroosa Saeed ’06. The three non-voting members are Provost Dan Hornbach, Dean of Academic Programs Ellen Guyer, and Registrar Jayne Niemi. Members of EPAG meet weekly, and some members met over the summer, Montgomery said.

The proposal is available on the curricular renewal website, http://www.macalester.edu/curricularrenewal.