In April 2019, the ICC Program Review Committee completed and submitted a comprehensive evaluative review of the College’s Integrative Core Curriculum (ICC). As noted in the Committee’s Program Review Report, the committee structure was purposefully inclusive and broad—including representation from across the College’s five schools as well as representatives from our faculty, staff, and students.
Academic Year 2019 Program Review
A 12-member interdisciplinary committee of faculty, staff, and students from across campus was identified to complete the review and met regularly throughout the [2018-2019] academic year to complete the [review] process. Existing institutional data was used in the review, as was data from two new surveys. The campus community was provided with two opportunities to provide comments—once on the body of the report and then once on the recommendations. In addition, a team of two external evaluators visited campus and completed an assessment of the program. (Integrative Core Curriculum Program Review Final Report, 2019, p. 1)
Indeed, the review of the ICC had been indicated as a priority recommendation of the Evaluation Team Report from the 2018 Middle States Accreditation assessment. The Middle States evaluator team recommended, based on the evidence they reviewed in the self-study report and collected during their site visit, that a “highly visible program review” should be “one of the very first major responsibilities of the new provost” (Visiting Team Report, 2018, p. 11). During Provost La Jerne Terry Cornish’s first year, and in collaboration and extensive consultation with campus stakeholders, this evidence-based program review was authorized and completed.
In Spring 2019, the ICC Program Review Final Report was made available to the campus, and several opportunities for initial conversations about next-steps were made available to members of the campus community. This present process of reimagining our ICC, and revising it, occurs alongside the implementation of our Ithaca Forever Strategic Plan. It is imperative that the modifications to the ICC attend to the original goals of curriculum, align with the Strategic Plan, be resource-attentive, and include attention to the revisions in General Education guidance offered by Middle States accreditation standards (MSCHE, 2015).
Task Force Charge
The Provost’s Task Force on ICC Revision, a group whose work is informed by diverse, working subcommittees, is charged with the following responsibilities:
1. review the findings of the 2019 Integrative Core Curriculum Program Review and the College community’s subsequent responses to the review, prioritize recommendations to explore as program revisions, and—if appropriate—suggest any additional policy amendments that should be considered;
2. develop—in consultation with campus stakeholders—proposals for the highest priority revisions, with an expectation that the Task Force and subcommittee members will
- gather information about the fiscal or staffing implications of any proposals;
- examine the fit of proposals with the Strategic Plan;
- evaluate the ability for these revisions to be appropriately assessed;
- consider/address the match between the current expectations of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and any proposals;
- review any pending proposals for review that have already been submitted to CCR;
- consult broadly and transparentlywith representative bodies of the campus to solicit feedback on draft proposals; and
3. submit Amendment Proposals to CCR for consideration and further action (on a rolling basis) to be completed no later than December 2020.
All proposals forwarded to CCR will be available to the IC community electronically after they are forwarded by the Task Force.
Membership of Provost’s Task Force on ICC Revision
The Task Force’s membership is intentionally inclusive of faculty, staff, and students. The faculty members of the School of Humanities and Sciences, who carry the greatest responsibility for developing and delivering the ICC’s coursework and assessments, have been asked to provide increased representation on the Task Force. However, the Task Force and subcommittees will include diverse representation from all five Schools. Appointments will extend from September 2019 to December 2020 (or the date Task Force work concludes, if earlier).
Two current members of the Committee for College-wide Requirements who served on the 2018-2019 ICC Program Review Committee (2)
Dr. James Morton, Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management—School of Business (2019-2020)
Dr. David Gondek, Associate Professor, Department of Biology—School of Humanities and Sciences
Dr. Deborah Wuest, Professor, Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education (2020-2021)
Five faculty members—one faculty member per School selected by each School’s governing body (5)
Mr. Chris Hummel, Professor, Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training—School of Health Sciences and Human Performance
Ms. Cathy Crane, Associate Professor, Department of Media Arts, Sciences, and Studies—Park School for Communications
Dr. Debbie Rifkin, Associate Professor, Department of Music Theory, History, and Composition—School of Music
Dr. Jennifer Tennant, Associate Professor, Department of Economics—School of Humanities and Sciences
Dr. Wonyul Bae, Associate Professor, Department of Sport Management—School of Business
Two additional faculty members from the School of H&S who regularly teach in the ICC, selected by H&S Senate (2)
Dr. Tatiana Patrone, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy and Religion—School of Humanities and Sciences
Dr. David Brown, Professor, Department of Mathematics—School of Humanities and Sciences
Two student members selected by SGC (2)
Reed Pollard, student representative, Class of 2020—School of Business (2019-2020)
Soumyaa Joshi, student representative, Class of 2023--School of Humanities and Sciences (2020-present)
Director of the ICC (1, ex officio)
Dr. Susan Adams Delaney, Associate Professor and Director of the Integrative Core Curriculum
ICSM Coordinator (1, ex officio)
Dr. Andrew Utterson, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Ithaca Seminar Program
One Assistant or Associate Dean from the School of H&S (1, ex officio)
Dr. Stacia Zabusky, Associate Dean—School of Humanities and Sciences
One Assistant or Associate Dean from the School of Music, HSHP, Business, or Communications (1, ex officio)
Dr. David Pacun, Associate Dean—School of Music (2019-2020)
Dr. John Sigg, Associate Dean--School of Health Sciences and Human Performance (2020-present)
One staff member from the Center for Academic Advancement (1, ex officio)
Katie Burke, Academic Advisor—Center for Academic Advancement
Subcommittees of the Task Force
As each priority is identified for further examination and proposal development, members of the Task Force, if appropriate and warranted, will identify subcommittees of relevant stakeholders to gather information, solicit input from a wide variety of constituent groups, and craft a proposal to forward to the Task Force for evaluation. Each subcommittee will be chaired or co-chaired by one or two faculty members appointed to the Task Force.
Not every priority will warrant the development of a subcommittee beyond the Task Force membership.
The Office of the Provost has publicly solicited expressions of faculty, staff, and student interest in serving on subcommittees of the Task Force, requesting representation from individuals who possess particular insight related to areas under consideration.
