COTA Meeting Minutes, November 2007
Committee on Transfer and Articulation (COTA)
Missouri Department of Higher Education
November 21, 2007
Participants: Evelyn Jorgenson (Chair), Jeanie Crain, Don Doucette, Arlen Dykstra, Steven Graham, Mike Grelle, Steven Kurtz, and Kandis Smith
COTA-AC Representative: Melissa Hattman, Chair, COTA-AC
MDHE Staff: Chad Hampton, Jeremy Kintzel, and B.J. White
Dr. Evelyn Jorgenson called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m.
Consent Item
I. Approval of Minutes
Mr. B.J. White noted that change had been made to section IV of the October 24, 2007 meeting. The original minutes stated that the Ms. Melissa Hattman (UMSL) had already sent AAT program plans out to all community college advisors and posted them to the web. The minutes were corrected to read that the guides would be posted on the UMSL website and would be sent to all community college advisors upon completion.
Ms. Hattman commented that she had completed program plans for local community colleges and that she was vetting them with those community colleges. She also stated that the process is time consuming due to the nuances at each community college.
Dr. Arlen Dykstra stated that since the October 2007 COTA meeting Missouri Baptist University had decided to accept the Exceptional Learners course as part of the AAT core.
A motion was made by Dr. Mike Grelle and seconded by Dr. Jeanie Crain to approve the minutes of the October 24, 2007 meeting, as changed. The motion passed unanimously.
Old Business
II. 2008 Transfer Conference Planning
Ms. Melissa Hattman updated COTA regarding the planning for the 2008 Missouri Transfer Conference. Ms. Hattman reported that some COTA-AC members and Ms. Hillary Fuhrman had met on the conference site on November 14, 2007 to look over the location and be updated on the Curriculum Alignment Initiative.
Ms. Hattman also reported that the breakout topics would be posted to the registration site so that attendees could get a better idea of the topics and focus for the day. The breakout topics are Dual Credit, Access to Collegiate Level Coursework, and Policies and Impact of Exit-Level Competencies. Mr. Jeremy Kintzel stated that the registration site would be up in the next week or two. Ms. Hattman that due to space limitations that it was possible that not every attendee would be able to attend their first choice breakout session. Dr. Jorgenson asked what the format of the breakout sessions would be. Ms. Hattman stated that COTA-AC had intended for (a) facilitator(s) to guide discussion and speak to issues as they arose. Mr. Kintzel asked if COTA members would be available to serve as facilitators. Ms. Hattman also suggested that Curriculum Alignment Steering Committee members could serve as facilitators. Dr. Jorgenson stated that COTA members could locate staff qualified to serve as facilitators for the breakout sessions.
Dr. Jeanie Crain stated her concern that CAI is a very formative stage and that the focus of the conference/breakout sessions will have to be well defined.
Ms. Hattman also reported the search for a plenary speaker. She reported that she had contacted David Conley of the University of Oregon and Michael McCauley, past-president of NACADA about speaking at the conference. Ms. Hattman stated that Commissioner Stein and Ms. Fuhrman would be following up and that they hoped to have speaker confirmed soon. Ms. Hattman also reported that Ms. Artie Fowler (COTA-AC member) would be the contact person for the conference site arrangements due to her close proximity to the site.
Dr. Jorgenson thanked Ms. Hattman and COTA-AC for their work on the Conference.
III. Dual Credit
Dr. Jorgenson stated that there had been a request at the October 2007 COTA meeting to put dual credit on the COTA agenda, especially regarding concerns of institutional compliance with high school teacher qualifications. There is concern that some higher education institutions are allowing unqualified teachers to teach dual credit courses in the high schools. Dr. Don Doucette stated that COTA needed data regarding the current state of dual credit in Missouri. Mr. Kintzel replied that there was only limited data available. Dr. Grelle stated that it should be possible to get a group together to focus on compliance with the dual credit policy without being overbearing. The group would help create a culture of compliance.
Dr. Steven Kurtz stated that one of the challenges around the teacher qualification issue is that the number of students enrolled in dual credit courses can be used as an indicator in a district’s MSIP. Dr. Doucette stated that some K-12 districts may try to play one college off of another, by searching for a college that will bend the rules regarding teacher qualifications.
Dr. Dykstra noted that in the past that compliance with the dual credit policy was the responsibility of the chief academic officer (CAO) and that colleges and universities had to be 90% in compliance.
Dr. Doucette asked for suggestions on how to address the issue of teacher compliance. Dr. Dykstra stated that he would be willing to bring up the issue with independent institutions. Dr. Steven Graham suggested that COTA members contact those institutions known to be out of compliance with the dual credit policy to discuss policy’s requirements and the importance of compliance. Dr. Graham also stated that by having non-compliant institutions offering dual credit it would effectively taint all dual credit in Missouri. Dr. Jorgenson concurred. Dr. Grelle suggested that the CAO be the point of contact for dual credit concerns. COTA concurred.
Dr. Jorgenson suggested that the many K-12 administrators may not be aware of the dual credit policies and that information should be distributed to superintendents and principals statewide. Mr. Kintzel suggested that higher education administrators and staff might also benefit from a reminder of the policy. Dr. Crain suggested that the dual credit policy be distributed at the Transfer Conference and at CAO meetings.
New Business
None
Other
Dr. Jorgenson reminded COTA that the next meeting would be at 2:00 p.m. instead of the regularly scheduled 12 p.m.
Adjournment
Dr. Jorgenson adjourned the meeting at 3:20 p.m.
Next Meeting
The next COTA meeting is scheduled for December 19, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. at the MDHE offices in Jefferson City.
