Action Items and Policy Changes Tri-Campus Scheduling

1. There has been significant progress in the development and implementation of a Tri-Campus course schedule including the standard class meeting schedule and standard final examination schedule with emergency closing and delay strategies for final exam week. Without these changes, it would have been virtually impossible for students to pursue Tri-Campus degree programs and access resources at all three campuses. The beginning and the current Chairpersons of the Tri-Campus Scheduling Committee (Barbara Ricketts and Angela Brightly, respectively) as well as the other members of the Committee deserve congratulations for these accomplishments.
2. The progress on incorporating current Tri-Campus degree program requirements and priorities into the course schedule and on accessing five year plans for course offerings for each degree program has also been laudable. However, it is unclear from the report whether or not the schedules currently in place will allow Tri-Campus students who begin as freshmen in the fall of 05 to graduate in four years. We would appreciate a report from the Committee as soon as possible relative to this question.
3. The complexity of some of the degree programs, changes that have occurred in other degree programs, and the addition of new programs and opportunities as well as changes in faculty and General Education Requirements mean that scheduling is a process that is never “done.” The AVP and Directors therefore support the continuation of the Tri-Campus Scheduling Committee as a standing committee and its continuing focus on the following issues and priorities. We also request an annual accounting of progress made, any problems that have arisen, and any actions taken relative to these priorities:
   1. Insure that students have the ability to complete any Tri-Campus undergraduate degree program in four years by taking advantage of course offerings on all three campuses.
   2. Identify courses that fulfill University General Education Requirements and insure that students are able to complete these requirements on their own campuses. At the same time, insure that specific courses that fulfill General Education Requirements are not scheduled at the same time on all three campuses so that students with individual conflicts can fulfill part of their requirements at another Tri-Campus location.
   3. Work with individual faculty and multiple faculty in disciplines or degree programs and coordinate with Department Heads to consider the need for and opportunities available from teaching on multiple campuses.
   4. Insure that the schedules of faculty who teach on multiple campuses are planned to allow them to travel back and forth with as little difficulty as possible.
   5. Identify courses that are essential to students in popular majors (e.g. pharmacy, nursing) who will be completing their degrees at Storrs and insure that students have the ability to take those courses within Tri-Campus.
   6. Insure that courses for the MBA, MPA, MSR, MSW, TCPCG; and Doctorate in Social Work are scheduled appropriately to maintain and/or increase enrollments in those programs.
   7. Work with the BGS program to attempt to provide courses needed by their students and that can be shared with Tri-Campus degree program students and students who will be completing their degrees at Storrs .
   8. Identify courses that are possibilities for low enrollment and those that do not fulfill specific degree program requirements or general education requirements.
4. The approval of Tri-Campus degree programs as well as increased enrollments in Tri-Campus have resulted in more complete use of Tri-Campus' human, physical, and fiscal resources. We are already experiencing shortages in each of these resource areas and do not anticipate any reversal of this trend. These constraints make a focus on item 2.h. particularly important. Within the next year, we request that the committee have in place a system to determine which courses are being offered that do not address specific program needs and that, if cancelled would allow the investment of resources in courses that do address specific program needs. The results of this effort should be presented in the committee's annual report in 2006.
5. The University's new General Education Requirements present a considerable challenge for Tri-Campus. In order to determine our status relative to providing General Education courses in Tri-Campus, we request updates regarding the availability of General Education courses appropriate for students in Tri-Campus degree programs as well as those planning to complete their degrees at Storrs as part of the Tri-Campus Scheduling Committee's annual report.
6. The University's current course renumbering initiative also has potential impacts on Tri-Campus. We request that the committee become involved in this process as is appropriate and keep the leadership team advised of its progress as well as anticipated impacts on Tri-Campus.
7. In anticipation of increased numbers of transfer students matriculating in Tri-Campus, especially those beginning their programs at Connecticut's Community Colleges and coming to Tri-Campus to complete their degree programs, we request that the committee begin a focus on determining the impact of increased numbers of upper level degree majors on the development of course schedules. We would like to have a review of the issues and opportunities presented by transfer students as part of the Committee's annual report in 2006.

July 18, 2005

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