IDOCS YEAR-END REPORT, 2004-05

IDOCS membership, 2004-05

Wendy Allen, Humanities (chair)
Katherine Baker, Registrar's Office (ex off)
Susan Bauer, Interim Director of IOS [Fall]
Roseanne Galegher, IOS (secretary)
Katie Jo Johnson, student
Karil Kucera, IGS
Eric Lund, Director of IOS [Spring]
Kent McWilliams, Fine Arts
Mike Swift, Natural Sciences & Math.
Lindsay Vandelinder, student
Tom Williamson, Social & Appl. Sciences
Charles Wilson, Dean's Council liaison

Overview of year. The work of IDOCS during the 2004-05 academic year fell into three categories, with the first and third occupying the majority of our time and energy:
  1. carrying out the normal cycle of regularly-scheduled activities (e.g., program reviews, review of proposals for off-campus Interim courses)
  2. continuing efforts to implement the specific objectives regarding cross-cultural learning identified in the 2002 North Central Accreditation report chapter devoted to that topic
  3. attending to one-time and/or occasional matters.

REGULARLY-SCHEDULED ACTIVITIES Program reviews. The Committee reviews each program every eight to ten years (or more often if questions or problems are identified). Each program review consists of two parts: preparation of a written report by the program advisor (a copy of which is kept in IOS files), and a follow-up interview with the Committee.

During the 2004-05 academic year, the committee reviewed the fifteen programs listed below. Those followed by a single * were re-approved unconditionally, with pilot programs being brought to the full faculty for approval. Those followed by + were re-approved but will remain on pilot status for another 1-2-year period. Those followed by - were re-approved for a limited amount of time pending further investigation by the program advisor or, in the case of the Term in the Middle East, the report of a special task force.

Austria: IES Vienna (pilot) +
Costa Rica: ACM Latin American Culture and Society *
France: IES Paris (pilot) *
France: Université catholique de l'Ouest *
Ireland: HECUA Northern Ireland (pilot) *
Italy: IES Milan (pilot) +
Japan: ACM Japan Year Program *
Japan: Ferris University (pilot) *
Japan: Nagasaki (pilot) *
Korea: Yonsei -
Korea: Yonsei cohort program -
Mexico: Social Work (pilot) *
Norway: HECUA Scandinavian Urban Studies Term *
Term in China *
Term in the Middle East - [see below for additional details]

Review of the CIEE Sénégal program (pilot) was postponed until Spring 2006.

New pilot programs approved. Two new pilot programs were approved: HECUA Environmental Sustainability: Science, Public Policy & Community Action (Twin Cities), and the HECUA Program in Bangladesh.

Review of proposals for 2006 off-campus Interim courses. The Committee devoted one meeting in November and two in December to review of proposals for 2006 off-campus Interim courses. The following Interims were approved:

Previously offered courses:

Art 246: New York Art Interim

Meg Ojala

Art 255: Italian Art in Context

Nancy Thompson

Asian Studies 212: National Identity in China and Japan

Karil Kucera

Biology 281: Winter Ecology

Charles Umbanhower

Classics 251: Classical Studies in Greece

Timothy Howe

Economics 218: Economic Progress in China

Xun Pomponio

Economics 253: Britain in Transition

Bruce Dalgaard

Education 170: Schools and Urban Communities (Hewlett)

Daniel Forstner

Education 378: Multicultural Education Hawaii

Mark Schelske

Engineering & Applied Science: Washington Univ.

David Dahl, Adviser

English 252: Modern Irish Literature

Richard DuRocher

French 233:Language and Culture Studies in French Caribbean

Herve Pensec

French 275: Interdisciplinary French Studies in Paris

Clare Mather

German 233: Language and Culture Studies in Germany

Karl Fink

German 245: Arts in Vienna

Karen Achberger

History 97-265F:The Civil Rights Movement (HECUA)

Mike Fitzgerald, Adv.

Interdisciplinary 255: The Physician in Clinical & Hosp.Health Care

Wes Pearson, Adv.

Interdisciplinary 258: Theater in London

Garry Gisselman

Math 234: The Structure of Higher Mathematics in Budapest

Cliff Corzatt

Music 236: The Music and Culture of Norway

Dan Dressen, Adviser

Nursing 371: Health Care in Norway

Rita Glazebrook

Political Science 297: Post-Communist Democracy in Czech Rep.

D.Christopher Brooks

Psychology 255: Environmental Psychology at Rocky Mt Nat'l. Pk

Donna McMillan

Religion 275: Historical Geography

Jamie Schillinger

Religion 259: Religion and Culture in Rome

William Poehlmann

Spanish 233: Intermediate Spanish II in Ecuador

Joseph McClanahan

Spanish 234: Intermediate Spanish II in Costa Rica

León Narváez

 

New courses:

Biology 284: Peruvian Medical Experience

Ted Johnson/Doug Tate

Chemistry 260: Medicinal Chemistry in Jamaica: An Int'l. Perspective

Bob Hanson

Interdisciplinary 252: History and Religion in South Africa

Lund & Pohlandt-McCormick

Interdisciplinary 97:264J: Dev. & Comm in Bangladesh (HECUA)

Steve Soderlind, Adviser

Interdisciplinary 2XX: Back to the Roots

Anna Sabo, Adviser

 

Review of the Term in the Middle East. In April, the Committee conducted a program review of the Term in the Middle East. In our discussions with program advisor Richard Allen, a number of issues were raised, including difficulties in identifying Field Supervisors for the program, challenges in terms of student enrollment, questions about several of the program sites and at least one of the on-site courses. After extended discussion as to how best to address the issues raised in the program review, the Committee concluded that, over time, and, in part, under the pressure of international events, the program as a whole had evolved, but in a somewhat piecemeal fashion. We deemed it was time for a group of faculty to take a serious look at the program as a whole. A special task force will be appointed yet this Spring by Eric Lund, in consultation with IDOCS and the program advisor. The task force will be asked to address several issues related to the program, including (but not limited to) (a) what is the identity of the program (e.g., a Mid East program, a program focused on Islam, other)?; (b) should the program be maintained as a five-month program or reduced to four months? c) what should be the sites or locales of the program? A target date of December 20 was set for submission of the task force's report.

Study Service. Rick Fairbanks' departure from St. Olaf at the end of the 2003-04 academic year left somewhat of a void in this area, and I regret to report that IDOCS simply did not have time to address the question of study service programs.

Assessment. Two members of the Committee participated in college-wide assessment initiatives. Wendy Allen served on the CEPC subcommittee on assessment, ISSL (Inquiry in Support of Student Learning); Tom Williamson served on the CEPC-appointed work group on the MCS-G and MCS-D general education requirements. This summer, Eric Lund and Karil Kucera will represent IDOCS at the 3-day assessment conference/workshop to be held on campus.

CONTINUING EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT CROSS-CULTURAL LEARNING OBJECTIVES ESTABLISHED IN THE NORTH CENTRAL ACCREDITATION REPORT

This is the aspect of our overall charge that received the least attention this year, due primarily to the demands of program reviews (enumerated above) and to the press of occasional matters (discussed below). In the Fall, however, under the leadership of Susan Bauer, Interim Director of International and Off-campus Study, and in the context of establishing goals for the year, we had several conversations related to the cross-cultural learning objectives established in the North Central report and our progress to date. It seemed to us that, despite the College's failure to embrace the vision for cross-cultural learning laid out in the NCA chapter in a concrete way, we had made significant progress in terms of many of the objectives set forth in the chapter. We decided to continue working as we have been doing for the past several years, that is, quietly, primarily through one-on-one conversations.

Ironically, in April, several months after the appointment of Eric Lund as new Director of IOS, we learned through a casual conversation with a member of the Dean's Council that the number 1 recommendation in the NCA chapter, namely, that IOS be considered an academic unit (rather than only an administrative unit) had been granted, and that IOS will report to Solveig Zempel, Associate Dean for Interdisciplinary and General Studies. We are very pleased that the College has made this decision and believe it bodes well for the future of international and off-campus study at St. Olaf.

OCCASIONAL MATTERS

What is or should be the major focus of IDOCS' work? We began the year with Susan Bauer serving as Interim Director of IOS. Following review of recent end-of-year IOS and IDOCS reports and consideration of recent IDOCS minutes, Susan suggested to us that the Committee had to some extent become immersed in routine matters such as program review and review of course proposals for Interim, to the neglect of "big picture" or "vision" issues such as the place of international and off-campus study at St. Olaf, the breadth and depth of cross-cultural learning experiences available and the extent to which faculty and students were availing themselves of such experiences. After reviewing the Committee's charge, as delineated in the Faculty Handbook, we agreed there is, at best, a tension between short-term and long-term demands. However, we were for the most part unsuccessful in identifying ways to decrease the overall workload of the committee without at the same time abandoning our oversight function. Future IDOCS committees will need to grapple further with this issue.

Participation in search for new director of IOS. In the Fall, the Committee played an active role in the search for a new director of IOS, including interviewing finalists.

Review and revamping of review procedures for Interims. Following review of proposals for 2006 off-campus Interims and mindful of Susan Bauer's comments of earlier in the Fall about use of faculty time, the Committee examined the overall review process for these proposals with an eye to streamlining it while still maintaining standards. Beginning in the fall of 2005, regularly-offered Interims will be reviewed every three years, rather than annually. A rotation plan was developed. The documents in the Policies and Procedures Manual were updated accordingly. Eric Lund will notify department chairs of this change early next Fall.

Review and streamlining of the guidelines for the Interim narrative report. Following complaints from several 2005 Interim instructors regarding the onerousness of completing the required Interim narrative report, Karil Kucera, Kent McWilliams, and Tom Williamson reviewed and revised the guidelines. The Policies andProcedures Manual and the IOS website will be updated accordingly.

Factors involved in student choice of off-campus Interim programs. Aware that the number of off-campus Interims proposed for 2006 is less than in the past and fearing an enrollment "crunch," on the one hand, and concerned about the ever-increasing cost of off-campus Interims, we sought to gather data regarding factors that influence student choice of off-campus Interim. Kent McWilliams and Mike Swift put together a short questionnaire which was administered to roughly 400 students in attendance at the Interim Open House in April. Analysis of the data, which was done by Mike Swift, suggested that, other things being equal, the factors that most influence student choice are the subject matter of the Interim and the program's location(s). It is important to note the limitations of this study, which surveyed only students who were interested enough in the possibility of off-campus Interim study to attend the Open House. The extent to which the rising costs of off-campus Interim programs may be rendering such study financially impossible for some—or even a significant percentage—of our students cannot be deduced from our initial study. We would like to undertake a similar study next year, this time focusing on students who do not choose to participate in off-campus Interims.

Incompletes in St. Olaf abroad programs not led by a St. Olaf faculty member. At the request of the Registrar's Office and working in conjunction with the Registrar's Office, the Dean of Students, and IOS, the Committee devised and approved a policy and procedures document regarding incompletes in non-St. Olaf led study abroad programs. In essence, incompletes in such programs are allowed only in the most extraordinary circumstances. In practice, however, they are sometimes justified. A system was devised (a) for determining whether or not a student merits an incomplete in such a case, (b) if so, how work is to be made up and who has responsibility for monitoring the process, and (c) the consequences of the student's failure to complete work by the agreed-upon deadline. Both program advisors and students will be informed of the new policy and practices.

Discussion of Field Supervised programs. Difficulties in identifying faculty interested in leading Field Supervised programs, decreasing numbers of student applicants, and the cancellation of several recent Field Supervised programs (including the 2005 Term in Asia) led the Committee to set aside two meetings in the Spring to discussion of these programs. The first meeting, held April 27, was restricted to IDOCS members. The second meeting, held May 4, included the program advisors for all of the Field Supervised programs, and numerous former and current Field Supervisors, in addition to other interested parties. The May 4 meeting, a transcript of which is being prepared, was extremely informative in terms of documenting the impact of Field Supervised programs on faculty leaders as well as on student participants. Our conversations also allowed us to identify several specific issues or problems related to these programs that need further investigation, including the question of ownership or academic home for each of the programs, the question of "fit" with both the on-campus curriculum and relationship to other existing study abroad programs, and issues of a more administrative nature, such as the requirements for the Assistant Field Supervisor. We hope that next year's committee will pick up where we have left off in terms of taking a comprehensive look at these signature St. Olaf programs.

Matters brought to the full faculty: The committee brought four matters to the full faculty: a request for approval of the 2005 Term in Asia Field-Supervised course; two requests for approval of programs initially approved on a pilot basis which, subsequent to a full program review, IDOCS had re-approved unconditionally; and a request for approval of the 2005 Term in the Middle East Field-Supervised course.

Agenda items for 2005-06: We pass on to the 2005-06 Committee the following matters:

1. Ongoing data gathering regarding factors that influence student decisions with respect to study abroad, both for Interim programs and for term programs. In particular, there is a need to survey both students who choose to participate in these programs in order to determine how their decisions are made, and students who choose not to participate in these programs to determine the reasons behind their non-participation.

2. Ongoing discussion of Field Supervised programs, including (a) identification of Field Supervisors for 2006 Term in the Middle East and 2008 Term in Asia; (b) student recruitment for 2006 programs; (c) programmatic issues relative to Term in Asia and Term in the Middle East; (d) administrative issues relative to identification of the Assistant Field Supervisor.

3. A comprehensive look at the overall mix of off-campus programs. Do our programs overlap or compete with one another? Do we have opportunities for a broad range of student interest, whether by major, geographic location, or career plans? What should be the relationship between St. Olaf-designed programs and those administered by groups like HECUA and ACM? How intentional are departments about directing students certain kinds of off-campus experiences?

4. Study/service programs

5. A second look, following consultation with College attorneys, at the waiver regarding College liability/non-liability in the context of off-campus study programs that students and parents are asked to sign.

6. Consideration of proposing international education as the college-wide theme for a forthcoming academic year.

Concluding remarks

In my judgment, IDOCS has had a very successful year. We faced some difficult issues, and I believe we dealt with them effectively and fairly. For me as chair, submission of this report marks the end of three years service on IDOCS. During that time, I have been the sole tenured member of the Committee. To have one of the College's three curriculum committees staffed almost exclusively by untenured faculty is unwise from an institutional perspective as well as from the perspective of untenured faculty. Curriculum committees need members with long institutional memories who can provide context for the discussion of current issues. In addition, as yet untenured faculty are hesitant to stand up for principles they believe might be unpopular and thereby theoretically mitigate against their being awarded tenure and promotion at some later point. Finally, as yet untenured faculty do not have the time required to chair a major College committee, which leads to the situation we have faced for the past three years, namely, a single tenured faculty member serving as chair for three consecutive years. I want to thank members of the Dean's Council (in particular, Charles Wilson) and members of the Nominating Committee for the time and effort devoted to finding tenured faculty willing to stand for election for next year's Committee.

What I say above about as yet untenured faculty should in no way be construed as lack of recognition for the contributions they have made to the work of IDOCS. Those who have served on IDOCS the past three years deserve thanks for their seriousness of purpose, their hard work, and, above all, their passion and commitment to deepening and extending the global perspective that is at the heart of St. Olaf's mission. I am deeply grateful to them.

May 26, 2005

____________________
Wendy W. Allen
IDOCS chair,2004-05