2008 Woodie Awards
New assessment policies to take effect as of fall 2004
Beth Porter
Issue date: 4/24/03 Section: News
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While many students have been nervously questioning the rumored changes in majors and minors as well as assessment policy changes, they need not worry about the majority of them taking effect until fall 2004.
"While some of the assessment activity will begin in fall 2003, [the majority] of the curricular revisions will begin in fall 2004," said Jeff Elzinga, interim vice president of academic affairs.
However, the faculty board wants to have these changes finalized by the end of this school year so that a current brochure and catalog for the college can be created for incoming freshmen of fall 2004. "The faculty is still deciding what recommendations they will make to the President [Stephen Gould] on which programs to keep, which programs to modify, and which programs to eliminate," said Elzinga. No finalized results or specific details will be available until the end of May.
"This is a major change," said board member Peter Sattler. "We are essentially restructuring and expanding all majors as we go from a four credit to a three credit system." In addition to the assessment changes, decisions will be made regarding which majors to eliminate, if any, as well as which ones to keep by the end of May. "This is an exciting time for Lakeland College," said Elzinga. "This is the first major revision of Lakeland's curriculum in many years."
"One of the most exciting things is the student-as-practitioner component," stated Sattler. By incorporating student-as-practitioner into all majors, students will be given a chance gain experience in their chosen fields outside of the classroom. They will be able to apply the ideas and skills they are learning from classes to a real-life setting. "It will become part of regular class work," Sattler continued.
"It is important for our current students to know and understand that in the transition from the old system to the new system, every effort is being made so that students will still graduate on time and so that students will understand the many options they will have for completing major requirements and general studies requirements," said Elzinga.
"While some of the assessment activity will begin in fall 2003, [the majority] of the curricular revisions will begin in fall 2004," said Jeff Elzinga, interim vice president of academic affairs.
However, the faculty board wants to have these changes finalized by the end of this school year so that a current brochure and catalog for the college can be created for incoming freshmen of fall 2004. "The faculty is still deciding what recommendations they will make to the President [Stephen Gould] on which programs to keep, which programs to modify, and which programs to eliminate," said Elzinga. No finalized results or specific details will be available until the end of May.
"This is a major change," said board member Peter Sattler. "We are essentially restructuring and expanding all majors as we go from a four credit to a three credit system." In addition to the assessment changes, decisions will be made regarding which majors to eliminate, if any, as well as which ones to keep by the end of May. "This is an exciting time for Lakeland College," said Elzinga. "This is the first major revision of Lakeland's curriculum in many years."
"One of the most exciting things is the student-as-practitioner component," stated Sattler. By incorporating student-as-practitioner into all majors, students will be given a chance gain experience in their chosen fields outside of the classroom. They will be able to apply the ideas and skills they are learning from classes to a real-life setting. "It will become part of regular class work," Sattler continued.
"It is important for our current students to know and understand that in the transition from the old system to the new system, every effort is being made so that students will still graduate on time and so that students will understand the many options they will have for completing major requirements and general studies requirements," said Elzinga.