IDOCS Annual Report 2005-2006
IDOCS Members 2005-06
| Jeane DeLaney | 2008 | Humanities (Chair, Spring term) |
| Bruce Hanson | 2007 | Natural Sciences and Mathematics |
| Karil Kucera | 2007 | Interdisciplinary and General Studies |
| Kent McWilliams | 2006 | Fine Arts |
| Tom Williamson | 2006 | Social Sciences |
| Mike Swift | 2005 | (Natural Sciences and Mathematics) |
| Katherine Baker | ex-officio | Registrar's Office |
| Eric Lund | ex-officio | Director of International and Off-Campus Studies |
| Solveig Zempel | ex-officio | Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary and General Studies (designate of the Dean) |
| Roseanne Galegher | Secretary | Coordinator of Support Services, IOS |
| Kristin Anderson | non-voting | Student Representative |
| Kelin Loe | voting | Student Representative |
IDOCS had two chairs during the 2005-06 academic year. Mike Swift chaired during Semester I; Jeane DeLaney chaired during Semester II. (Mike left campus in February to serve as a field supervisor for Environmental Studies in Australia.)
2005-2006 BUSINESS
The main business of IDOCS this year was to evaluate and approve courses for field supervised programs, evaluate and approve off-campus study programs sponsored by affiliated institutions/organizations, and to evaluate and approve St. Olaf faculty-led off-campus Interim courses for January 2007. The approved courses and programs are listed in the attached appendix. Besides evaluating and approving courses and programs, IDOCS considered various issues related either to specific programs or to more general concerns about off-campus studies. Below, organized topically, are issues we examined this year.
Study Service
One ongoing concern has been the limited number of study/service opportunities for students. During semester II, IDOCS appointed a sub-committee to examine this issue. Committee members believed it was first important for the college to develop a clearer definition of “study service.” All agreed that students wanted more study service options, and recommended that IOS and the Center for Experiential Learning work with the new Associate Director of the Service and Civic Leadership Program to define “study service” more precisely and to increase options for students. They also recommended that a new study service advisor be appointed.
Declining Student Interest in Field Supervised Programs
Another issue considered by IDOCS was the dwindling number of applicants for St. Olaf’s field supervised program. After informally consulting with a number of students, an IDOCS sub-committee recommended that instructors should—as much as possible—tie their field course to current events. Prof. Ted Johnson’s proposed course for Term in Asia 2006-07,“Emerging Diseases in Asia,” was considered a good example. Committee members also suggested that the course description in the catalog more closely fit the actual course, and that all field supervised programs be promoted more visibly by the instructors, IOS, and returning students
Student Diversity on Off-Campus Programs
An IDOCS subcommittee was also formed to examine the question of whether minority students face special obstacles when it comes to off-campus studies. Contrary to expectations, the committee discovered that minority students are not under-represented on these programs. Rather, the percentage of minority students who participate in these programs closely mirrors the percentage of minorities within the total student population. Committee members did find, however, that some minority students who participated in overseas programs felt that they were sometimes were treated differently than their Caucasian classmates by host families and officials. This was particularly true of Asian students who participated in programs based in Asia. The committee also noted that there is a striking disparity between the number of men and women who choose to go abroad, with women much more likely to participate in off-campus programs. The reasons for this gender imbalance were unclear, and may merit further study.
Program Mix
Another subcommittee was formed to examine the existing mix of off-campus programs offered by the college. Committee members reported what they saw as a dearth of programs offered in Latin America, leading IDOCS to recommend that the Hispanic Studies faculty meet to address this issue. [Note—this was done, and the Hispanic Studies faculty plans to propose two new programs during fall of 2006.] The committee also expressed concern over the high price of off-campus programs, and expressed its desire that the college’s program mix should also include some less expensive options.
Term in Middle East
After its review of the Term in the Middle East during Spring ’05, IDOCS requested that a taskforce be formed to address concerns about the program. Of particular concern was decision to include Greece as the final site of the program. (This had occurred a few years earlier when Jerusalem was dropped from the itinerary.) IDOCS received the report in December, 05. After considering its findings, most members concluded that Greece did not fit well with the rest of the program, and favored dropping it after 2006 and shortening the program to a single semester. IDOCS revisited the issue in the spring, however, after Eric reported that students who had just come back from TIME had had a very positive experience in Greece. With that additional information, IDOCS agreed to keep the Greece component for the next few years. The committee also approved a new course for Term in Middle East titled “Eastern Christianity,” which will be taught in Greece by a local instructor. Following Eric’s suggestion, we decided to monitor the Greek component of TIME on an ongoing basis.
Deadline for Off-campus Interim Coursework
A perennial issue of concern for IDOCS is the problem of enforcing the rule requiring that students submit all their off-campus interim course work by the end of term. Some members of the committee (a minority) strenuously objected to the policy, arguing that because many programs take place in areas with no computer access, it is impossible to require a major paper unless students are allowed to complete their work over interim break. Another argument in favor of allowing students submit work after break is that because many programs entail substantial travel, there is a great deal of down time built in to the term itself. Thus, requiring students to use at least part of their interim break to complete their written assignments does not pose an undue burden on them.
The rest of the committee rejected these arguments, and believed the policy should stay in place. At the same time, however, committee members acknowledged that faculty who object to the rule will continue to ignore it, and that there is really way for IDOCS or IOS to enforce it beyond withdrawing approval of these instructors’ programs. Given the severity of such a measure, it was agreed that IOS and IDOCS would continue to reiterate the rule, but should turn a blind eye when necessary. In essence, we agreed to a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” approach.
Future of IDOCS Under Proposed Committee Restructuring
The proposed transformation of the college’s committee structure would have a profound impact on IDOCS, and indeed might lead to its elimination as a separate standing committee. Given this uncertainty, both Eric Lund and Jeane DeLaney met with members of RPC and with the Curriculum Coordinating Committee to get a fuller sense of IDOCS’ future and to express concerns of its members. Among these were: (1) the need to retain student representation on whatever committee ends up being in charge of approving off-campus courses (2) the need to have some sort of standing committee to take care of IDOCS non-curricular duties, specifically its advisory role to the director of IOS (3) the need to insure that if IDOCS’ curricular duties are taken over by a greater curriculum committee, that some members of that committee have experience in off-campus and cross-cultural learning. Eric Lund and next year’s IDOCS chair will continue to meet with the Curriculum Coordinating Committee and RPC make sure these issues are addressed as the details of the proposed restructuring are worked out.
ONGOING BUSINESS FOR 2006-2007
There are two principle items of ongoing business for the coming academic year.
- Continuing discussions over the future of the committee and how it will be affected by the proposed restructuring of the college committee system.
- Consideration of report by the task force for the review of Term in Asia. This report was has been completed at the very end of the academic year.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeane DeLane, Chair
Appendix
Field Supervised Courses (all approved)
- Term in Middle East, 2006-07, PSCI ME 254 “Islam and Civil Society,” Sheri Breen, Instructor
- Global Semester, 2006-07,“Global Issues: A Cross Cultural Perspective”
- Term in Asia 2006-07,“Emerging Diseases in Asia.” Ted Johnson, Instructor
- Global Semester, 2007-08, DeAne Lagerquist
- Term in Asia, 2007-08, Robert Entenmann
Off-Campus Programs sponsored by Affiliated Institutions/Organizations
(all approved unconditionally)
- Biology in South India--Advisors: Anne Walter and Mike Swift
- HECUA CILA (Community Internship Program in Latin America)—Advisor: Chris Chiappari
- HECUA MUST (Metro Urban Studies Term)—Advisor: Tom Williamson
- University of Aberdeen—Advisor: Diana Postlethwaite
- CIEE-Senegal—Advisor: Wendy Allen [Moved from pilot to full status, unconditionally]
- ACM-India—Advisor: Elizabeth Galbraith
St. Olaf-led Off-Campus Interims for 2007 (all approved)
- Art 246 (Art in Manhatten), John Sauer
- Asian Studies 212 (National Identity in China and Japan), Bruce Dalgaard
- Biology 287 (Island Biology in the Bahamas), Eric Cole
- Biology 288 (Equatorial Biology), Kathy Shea
- Classics 251 (Classical Studies in Greece), Anne Groton
- Ed 170 (Schools in Urban Communities), Dan Forstner
- Ed 378 (Multicultural Education—Hawaii), Mark Schelsky
- Engineering and Applied Science at Washington University, David Dahl, Advisor
- English 270 (Literature of the Easter Caribbean), Karen Cherewatuk
- English 284 (Theater Arts in New York), Joan Hepburn
- French 233 (Language and Culture Studies in the French Caribbean), Herve Pense
- French 275 (Interdisciplinary French Studies in Paris), Jolene Barjasteh
- ID 249 (Mare Balticum), Vern Rippley and Steve Soderlind
- ID 255: (The Physician in Clinical and Hospital Health Care, Wes Pearson, Advisor
- ID 258 (Theater in London), Karen Marsalek
- ID 97-264J (Development and Community in Bangladesh—HECUA), Tom Williamson, Advisor
- ID 97-239D (Back to the Roots, Norw. Folk Art, Society and Culture), Margaret O’Leary, Advisor
- Management Studies 242 (Marketing Practices Across Cultures—Tanzania), Kathy Chadwick
- Math 234 (Structure of Higher Mathematics in Budapest), Cliff Corzatt
- Music 97-239E (The Music of Norway), Dan Dressen, Advisor
- Pol. Sci. 2xx (State Politics), Don Ostrom
- Religion 262 (Catholic Rome, Lutheran Wittenberg), Eric Lund
- Religion 275 (Historical Geography and the Bible in Greece and Turkey), DeAne Lagerquist
- Religion 2xx (Living Faith: Theology and Practice at Holden Village), John Barbour
- Russian 256 (Theater in Russia), Marc Robinson
- Soc/An 231 (Modern Ireland: Conflict and Change in Post-Colonial Society), Carolyn Anderson
- Social Work 256 (Family Social Services in Central Mexico), Naurrine Lennox
- Spanish 233 (Intermediate Spanish in Ecuador), Ariel Strichartz
- Spanish 234 (Intermediate Spanish in Costa Rica), León Narváez
- Statistics 285 (Global Health and Biostatistics in Geneva), Julie Legler
- Biology 284 (Peruvian Medical Experience), Ted Johnson [Moved from pilot to full status unconditionally]
