Subject: Thoughts on the Common Core
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2004 17:09:44
From: "Sorte, Joanne" (Joanne.Sorte@oregonstate.edu)
To: gilkey@darkwing.uoregon.edu

Hi Peter,

Thank you for your excellent introduction and facilitation of the Common Core discussion here at OSU last week. I have been reflecting on the discussion, and offer these summary thoughts:

The Common Core transfer plan sounds like just another way for transfer students to enter and move among institutions in Oregon. It does not appear to be a panacea for the challenges that some students face as they "figure out " their plan of study and make it happen. It should not be viewed as a resolution for all transfer problems.

Many excellent arrangements for transfer students are in place already. OSU has developed many community college/ AA and AAOT transfer programs, dual enrollment agreements, etc. and both the university and departments have made significant investments in advising to support transfer students. In addition, faculty such as myself, often meet with students to discuss and weigh-in on particular courses that might be considered for transfer, and to make recommendations about the best way to acknowledge and accept a student's previous work in the selected OSU degree program (direct transfer, transfer as an elective, and etc.). Much is in place already, and should not be lost as new options are envisioned.

It is confusing and frustrating to contribute to the discussion regarding the Common Core if it is already a "done deal. " What is it you want us to weigh in on? We readily agree that inter-institutional transfer arrangements among the 4-year OUS universities makes sense. It seems to be the only part of the Common Core vision that is not currently addressed in alternate ways. Perhaps this is the best place to expend energies rather than add-on another transfer option at the community college level.

Faculty are considerate of students and care deeply about the investment of time, energy and resources (eg. money) that students make to their education. Faculty may be viewed as uncooperative if we are resistant or skeptical of new "arrangements " such as the Common Core. Please keep in mind that our professional experience is based on close contact with students. Actually, we know them pretty well: some students are focused and keen on a particular degree path from the get-go -- whether they enter the 4 year program immediately or come via the community college experience. Some students change their majors many times as they pursue their degree and must accommodate the consequences. Some students accept advising and use pro-offered recommendations regarding their course of study. Some students self-advise, select courses they want to take, and later try to make a degree out of them - a frustrating but also, not unrealistic way to approach personal development and education. Some students will sail through many transfers among institutions without undue fuss. Some students will discover snags where-ever they go. Such variation in experience exists with the AAOT, and such challenges will exist with the Common core. This is the inevitable accompaniment to our wonderfully diverse educational system! The life course is not a straight-line for everyone; and those of us who "swirl " (using a phrase introduced in the discussion last week) while not being "punished " for taking a circular route must also recognize: When you take the "scenic route " you may travel farther, use more gas, and take more time. These are natural results of decision making, and it is inappropriate to think that natural consequences would be ignored.

The Common Core proposed as a 45 credits transfer module is too large to avoid complications when entering a 4 year degree program. A 45 credit module represents 25% of the undergraduate degree. Students transferring in with a full year of "common " credits may discover that they have few if any elective opportunities at OSU if they plan to graduate in 4 years. In addition:

Many OSU degree programs build on the Baccalaureate Core as specific Bac Core requirements are identified as steps in the pathway to a degree. The OSU Baccalaureate core was designed to assure that a set of common competencies be developed within a vast diversity of course offerings. This allows the student and the discipline to select from a variety of approved classes, with particular courses being recommended from the freshman to the senior year. Some Bac Core courses are more fitting for some degree paths than others.

• 1) Many degree programs outline specific Baccalaureate Core classes as requirements for their particular discipline. In Human Development & Family Sciences, for example, of the 51 credits of the Baccalaureate Core, 24 credits (8 courses) are specifically recommended for the major. These are specified for students and include: Technical Writing (WR 327), Interpersonal Communication (COMM 218), specific social science classes (PSY 201, 202, SOC 204, HDFS 204ÑHuman Sexuality), and specific math courses (MTH 211, 212). 18 credits (6 courses) are elective; 9 credits are part of the upper division core, with one of these (HDFS 461) required as the department Writing Intensive Curriculum course. Students transferring with the Common Core may be required to take these particular courses IN ADDITION TO their Common Core, simply as degree requirements -- depending on the courses included in the Common Core module.
• 2) Many degree programs advise students to take the Bac Core courses across the 4 years of their university experience. The purpose of this is two-fold:
  • (1) to spread the Bac Core courses and competency development across time to capitalize on student maturity and to create a logical progression of skill development, and
  • (2) to interface degree content courses alongside the Bac Core courses, so that students can integrate the Bac Core competencies within their degree content courses. Students might be advised to take, for example, Human Sexuality (HDFS 240 - Bac Core Social Processes & Institutions) alongside Adolescent Development (HDFS 313) - both requirements of the degree.
• 3) Some Bac Core courses required by the major are required as a result of accreditation of degree programs. Students coming with the Common Core will be required to take these courses in addition to their other degree related requirements. Students who start, for example, at OSU will be able to interweave the required Bac Core courses into their programs across their 4 years of study. This simply means that the Common core transfer student along with the AAOT transfer students may have to take ADDITIONAL time to complete their degree, and may ultimately have accumulated more total credits than their counterpart who started at OSU as a freshman. This is a logical/natural consequence, and simply a result of coming to the degree from an alternate pathway. It may delay graduation, and as such it may require more $ investment, but this really should not be considered as a problem that needs to be "solved. "

The University system is caught in an unenviable "vise " - on the one hand are those who advocate that the university needs to be more "open " to accepting transfer courses. On the other hand, the university must be accountable for the competencies the student demonstrates at graduation. The degree program is not simply an accumulation of courses that add up to a total number of credits required for graduation. We need the greatest opportunity to assure our students are guided. For some students - those who transfer, those who "swirl ", those who change majors, those who make poor decisions about course selections - will struggle to have all their credits recognized. This should be expected.

Thanks for including these thoughts in the pool.

Joanne Sorte
Director, OSU Child Development Laboratory
Human Development & Family Sciences
Chair, OSU Baccalaureate Core Committee