COTA-Advisory Council Minutes

COTA AC
Meeting Notes 12/20/07

Members in attendance: Doug Couch, Artie Fowler, Hillary Fuhrman (DHE ex-officio) Rita Gulstad, Melissa Hattman, Kandis Smith (COTA ex-officio), and Yvette Sweeney

Members absent: Sarah Larson and Bruce Miles

Guests: Jeremy Kintzel (DHE Research Associate) and B.J. White (DHE Program Specialist)

Potential new members: Debra Schatz from Missouri University of Science and Technology (AKA: UMR) and LaShandra Shepard from Metropolitan Community College

Reviewed information shared from the COTA meeting on 12/19/07. Ken Sauer, Indiana Commissioner of Higher Education will be the plenary speaker for the January 30, 2008 Transfer and Articulation Conference. He will provide a common understanding of national trends in curriculum alignment and how it relates to initiatives in Missouri. He will also address how technology can assist Missouri in the curriculum alignment process.

Based on the need for the audience and Dr. Sauer to be briefed on the initiatives in Missouri, it was decided that Hillary Fuhrman should be first on the conference agenda, following Dr. Robert Stein’s welcome. She will update all conference attendees on the progress to date and the work remaining. She will also explain how this work will eventually be adopted as policy, following state-wide participation and feedback.

Conference overview:

8:30-9:30 - Registration
9:30-9:45 - Welcome
9:45-10:30 - Hillary Fuhrman, general overview of Curriculum Alignment Initiative in Missouri
10:30-10:45 - Break
10:45-12:00 - Dr. Ken Sauer, National trends in curriculum alignment
12:00-1:15 - Lunch, unstructured conversation regarding information shared
1:15-1:30 - Break to clear tables and set up break out rooms
1:30-3:00 - Break out session
3:00-3:15 - Break and set up room for general session wrap-up
3:15-3:45 - Wrap up and Evaluation

AV needs for Dr. Sauer and Hillary Fuhrman were discussed. After the first of the year, Jeremy and Artie will get together and finalize needs with the hotel.

Thirty eight people have registered for the conference. Jeremy is sending a reminder e-mail, including beginning and ending times of conference.
It was decided that we will create a seating chart for the morning sessions and lunch. Someone from COTA, COTA AC, DHE, or a member of the curriculum alignment group will be placed at each table, to facilitate the lunch discussions. Melissa and Artie (and possibly Yvette) will receive the list of conference attendees from Katina Volle and will create seating arrangements. They will try to ensure a mix of two and four year; public, private, and proprietary attendees at each table.

Looking at the length of the conference, COTA AC wondered if an afternoon beverage service would be necessary. Jeremy will look at the total budget to determine if funding is available to support a coffee/tea service in the late afternoon.

DHE is preparing to arrange Dr. Sauer’s travel arrangements.

For the afternoon break out sessions, knowledgeable session leaders are needed. After discussion of possible candidates, it was decided that the following candidates would be approached.

• Dr. Jeannie Crain – Policy and impact of exit level competencies
• Dr. Arlen Dykstra – Dual Credit
• Dr. John Ganio and Ms. Paula Glover – Access to collegiate level coursework

Hillary Fuhrman will contact Drs. John Ganio, Jeannie Crain and Arlen Dykstra. Artie Fowler will contact Ms Paula Glover.
COTA AC members are needed as facilitators in the break out sessions. Members were allowed to select topics of interest. Rita Gulstad and Artie Fowler will facilitate the dual credit discussions. Bruce Miles and Sara Larson were absent. They should contact Yvette or Melissa with their preference. Doug Couch, Jeremy Kintzel, Chad Hampton and Yvette Sweeney are willing to facilitate any session. Hillary Fuhrman requested to float among all sessions.

A discussion regarding the conference and how attendees would contribute to the curriculum alignment initiative after the conference ended resulted in further discussion. It was clear based on evaluation feedback from the 2007 conference that attendees want an action orientation and need direction on how they can continue to contribute. This conference will provide direct feedback which will affect policy. It was also decided that conference attendee e-mails would be used to create a distribution list, so that DHE staff can send periodic updates. A reminder should be given during the conference that attendees should continue to ask the academic affairs division on their campus for information updates and should share any feedback they have on developing issues with COTA, COTA AC, their campus academic affairs division and/or DHE staff.
Break out session questions: COTA AC has been charged with creating questions for the break out sessions. It was decided that the session leaders should be given our initial list, soliciting them for additional questions based on their expertise in the content area. All questions will be submitted to COTA for approval on January 14, 2008. COTA will meet by conference call on January 23, 2008. COTA AC will meet by conference call on January 10, 2008 to finalize questions and conference details.
Suggested questions to date:

Dual Credit:

1. How do colleges and universities ensure that dual-credit courses meet both the end of course exams and CBHE entrance level competencies and still meet institutional requirements?
2. How will CBHE guidelines for dual-credit change? For example, what will the impact be on GPA and class rank requirements?
3. Will grading of dual credit course be affected due to end of course exams being counted in a student’s grade?
4. When will entry level competencies be met? Junior year or senior year? How will that impact CBHE dual credit guidelines?
5. AP Credit – Will these classes be able to incorporate concepts from end of course exams or entry level competencies?
6. AP/Dual credit – Are the end of course exams or entry level competencies too low for dual credit or AP incorporation in the course?
7. Will high school teachers teaching AP or dual credit feel obligated to teach to the end of course exams or competencies and not teach the dual credit or AP curriculum?
8. How might blended high school and dual credit classes be affected?
9. Will approval of faculty or AP/Dual credit change?
10. Must students prove themselves ready for dual credit or AP for entry level competencies before taking a class?
11. Will end of course or entry level competencies be considered as college level work?
12. Will the competencies impact math or English placement rates?

Policy and Impact of Exit Level Competencies:

1. How are our (college level) exit competencies going to be measured? How will we measure the value that was added over the entry level competencies?
2. How will issues relating to intellectual property rights of faculty be addressed as well as recognizing the need for similar course competencies?
3. How does the exit level competencies map onto the general education block? How are institutions currently measuring competencies from the 42 hour general education block?
4. Does our current system where each college creates course to course articulation work in Missouri or do we need a more centralized system (Illinois, Indiana)? Do we need statewide articulation versus individual institution articulation?

Access to Collegiate Level Coursework:

1. Should high school exit level competencies effect the entrance requirements of dually enrolled high school students?
2. When will entry level competencies be met? Junior year or senior year? How will that impact CBHE dual credit guidelines?
3. How will CBHE guidelines for dual-credit change? For example, what will the impact be on GPA and class rank requirements?
4. AP Credit – Will these classes be able to incorporate concepts from end of course exams or entry level competencies?
5. Will high school teachers teaching AP or dual credit feel obligated to teach to the end of course exams or competencies and not teach the dual credit or AP curriculum?
6. Must students prove themselves ready for dual credit or AP for entry level competencies before taking a class?
7. Will end of course or entry level competencies be considered as college level work?
8. Will the competencies impact math or English placement rates?
9. How will the developmental curriculum at community colleges change based on the expectation that students will enter prepared for collegiate level coursework?
10. If students place into developmental courses based on college placement exams, will the high school be responsible for any remediation or costs associated with remediation?
11. Will high school students be expected to fulfill a college preparatory curriculum, even if their goals are vocational in nature initially?

Minutes submitted 12/21/07 by Yvette Sweeney