Minutes

Quantitative Reasoning Advisory Committee Meeting

March 21, 2007

 

 

Present:   Bob Anderson, Ed Conjura, Orlando Hernandez, Jay Hoffman, Paula Maas, Teresa Nakra, Dan Phillips, Dave Reimer, Sharon Sherman, Ursula Wolz

 

 

Meeting called to order by QRAC chair Ed Conjura at 3:18 pm.

 

 

Presentation by the Visionary Subcommittee

Report distributed to the membership and summarized verbally by subcommittee chair Sharon Sherman.

Discussion:

Where do we go from here?

Should the subcommittee report be shared with Interim Provost Paul for her reaction?

Should QR intensive courses be integrated with and count towards fulfilling requirements in academic majors?

What about disciplines in which it might be more challenging to integrate QR into the subject matter, e.g., modern languages, history? Perhaps such disciplines may seek partnership with other areas that are a better natural fit for QR.

Action:

Bob Anderson will share the subcommittee report with Interim Provost Paul

Per a request by Sharon Sherman, all academic committee members will submit a one paragraph description, with illustrative examples, of how principles described in the subcommittee report are being accomplished in the their respective fields.

 

Presentation by the QR Course Submission Procedure Subcommittee

Report distributed to the membership and introduced by subcommittee chair Dan Phillips; report summarized verbally by subcommittee members Teresa Nakra and Paula Maas.

Discussion:

Suggestion that the words “Lightly, Moderately, or Heavily” be changed to “Introduced, Developed, or Mastered.” [Action: this change will be made].

Perhaps once a mechanism exists and is publicized, faculty may take advantage of the opportunity to propose and submit courses for QR approval.

Action:

Dave Reimer (classics course) and Ursula Wolz (artificial intelligence course) will endeavor to submit proposals using the QR Course Submission Document in time for QRAC to review them at the April meeting. Reimer and Wolz will query subcommittee members as needed for clarification and advice in using the new format.

Ed Conjura will recast the current QR-approved MAT101 course into the new format as an exercise and to provide an example for future users of the new format.

 

Presentation by Teresa Nakra of a Proposed Definition of QR

Teresa proposed the following definition of QR:

The aim of courses in Quantitative Reasoning is to introduce students to mathematical and quantitative modes of thought. Some courses em­phasize theoretical aspects of mathematics or statistical reasoning, and others courses in this area explore the application of quantitative methods to questions in all disciplines across the cur­riculum.

Action:

Committee members will give the proposed definition some thought over the next few weeks, and the definition will be considered and discussed at the April meeting.

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:10 pm.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Dan Phillips

 

Dan Phillips, scribe du jour