A new policy will make it more difficult for Dukies to fulfill some graduation requirements.
Starting next Fall, undergraduates will no longer be able to use transfer credits to satisfy most modes of inquiry requirements, Arts and Sciences Council members decided Thursday. Previously, students who took courses with another institution—whether domestically or abroad—could apply to have the course approved for a modes of inquiry requirement.
Students will still be permitted to fulfill areas of knowledge requirements with transfer credit. But the six modes of inquiry— such as cross-cultural inquiry, research and foreign language—are unique to Duke and cannot be accurately replicated by another institution, said Ingeborg Walther, a Trinity associate dean and director of the Office of Curriculum and Course Development.
“Every university has a literature course, history course, etc. So it’s perfectly understandable to transfer areas of knowledge credit,” said Walther, who is also an ex officio member of the council’s Curriculum Committee. “The modes of inquiry are a significantly different type of knowledge ... It’s hard to find whether classes at other institutions go into the same depth we do in the same subject.”
The new policy does not apply to inter-institutional courses such as those taught at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill or North Carolina State University. It also does not affect Duke-administered study abroad programs.
The policy allows students to petition for foreign language modes of inquiry credit for up to two courses at the 100-level or above. Those courses must meet certain requirements, however. Transfer foreign language mode of inquiry credit can apply to courses taken in a country where the language is prominently spoken and to courses in a language not offered at Duke.
Some faculty members raised questions about the effects of the new policy on students’ flexibility in selecting courses and study abroad programs.
“Students, particularly in the sciences, they are so stacked up with courses that they are unable to take courses that have an attached credit. It’s hard for them to study abroad, but we get them to do it anyway. Wouldn’t this make it that much harder?” asked Leslie Digby, associate professor of the practice of evolutionary anthropology.
However, members of the Curriculum Committee said the policy will have minimal impact on students. They pointed out that in the 2008-2009 academic year, there were just 53 petitions for modes of inquiry credit, 35 of which were for foreign language courses.
Lee Baker, Trinity dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost for undergraduate education, said he hopes the policy will encourage students to take inter-institutional courses as well as choose “Duke in” programs over other study abroad options.
In other business:
Although the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmed Duke’s accreditation, the University is still on “monitoring status,” council members heard.
The University was marked down for “institutional effectiveness” because it did not provide sufficient examples of effective assessment programs for measuring student learning outcomes, said council Chair Ruth Day. The University will file for a second assessment in September.
In order to increase faculty input in the assessment development process in light of the SACS report, a standing Faculty Assessment Committee was proposed. The council will vote on the proposal in the Spring.
If approved, the committee will provide faculty support, resources and feedback to departments and faculty members.
“Assessment really belongs with the faculty, and it’s best when faculty can take control when setting requirements,” said Alvin Crumbliss, interim dean of the faculty of Arts and Sciences.
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