24
12/5/2007
Yes I admit to being a fan of the show in part because my son loves it so, just as I was a big fan of Buffy and now Grey’s Anatomy vis-à-vis my daughter’s tastes in TV. Beyond that it’s fair to say that Jed Bartlett is my favorite president in recent years. But that’s not what this column is about. My assistant Pat Klbecka has a sign on her desk: “No Whining.” I just went over and read it again to make sure. Indeed. It even adds: “You’re entering a no whining zone.”
I won’t whine as I have in the past about why I haven’t posted to this site in so long. I’ve been so busy, blah blah blah.
Instead I’ll be guiltless and simply give a little snapshot of the last 24 hours at Dominican (give or take).
One group of faculty finalized their proposal for a new interdisciplinary major in Neuroscience. We’re reviewing it next week and hope to have it ready to roll very soon. Here are a few lines from the proposal:
Neuroscience is the study of the most complicated machine in the universe—the human nervous system. Neuroscientists seeks to understand the physical principles by which the nervous system operates and how these principles enable the nervous system to process information, learn from experience, and regulate behavior.
Although many disciplines study some aspects of the nervous system, neuroscience is distinguished as an interdisciplinary, integrative approach that bridges physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science, and philosophy to try to build a unified understanding of the human brain.
Neuroscience is a nascent field of study, but it has succeeded in elucidating many of the important genetic, molecular, and cellular components of the nervous system and relating them to brain function and dysfunction. The fruits of neuroscience research have transformed our current treatment of psychiatric disease, paralysis, and many other disorders, particularly over the last thirty years. As neuroscientists further penetrate the mysteries of the brain, the field is likely to produce more substantial ripples throughout our society.
Very exciting and all part of our new Parmer Hall.
Another faculty group put the finishing touches on a new interdisciplinary minor on The Study of Women and Gender—also ready for review next week and to be up and running ASAP. Here’s what that’s about:
The Study of Women and Gender minor is an interdisciplinary program that addresses the dynamics of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and power. It also seeks to reach an understanding of how questions of gender are embedded in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. This minor endeavors to expand capacities for critical reflection and analysis and to engage students with varied approaches to women’s and gender research, uniting such areas of knowledge as philosophy, the humanities, the social sciences, and history. The minor emphasizes a critical, feminist, cross-cultural, multiracial and transnational understanding of the diversity of women’s experiences and life chances.
In addition to special new gateway and capstone courses, as well as courses from a variety of disciplines, all students will engage in experiential learning and study through either Internship, Service Learning, Study Abroad, or Independent Research to develop critical thought and empower students to make a difference in the world. Very exciting!
And finally, we also just now approved these 10 learning goals for undergraduates. It’s a working document and I’m sure we’ll be making some adjustments, but it should give you a sense of what we’re thinking:
Essential Learning Goals for Undergraduate Education
The essential learning goals for Dominican undergraduates are guided by the university’s mission of preparing “students to pursue truth, give compassionate service, and participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.”
Yes I admit to being a fan of the show in part because my son loves it so, just as I was a big fan of Buffy and now Grey’s Anatomy vis-à-vis my daughter’s tastes in TV. Beyond that it’s fair to say that Jed Bartlett is my favorite president in recent years. But that’s not what this column is about. My assistant Pat Klbecka has a sign on her desk: “No Whining.” I just went over and read it again to make sure. Indeed. It even adds: “You’re entering a no whining zone.”
I won’t whine as I have in the past about why I haven’t posted to this site in so long. I’ve been so busy, blah blah blah.
Instead I’ll be guiltless and simply give a little snapshot of the last 24 hours at Dominican (give or take).
One group of faculty finalized their proposal for a new interdisciplinary major in Neuroscience. We’re reviewing it next week and hope to have it ready to roll very soon. Here are a few lines from the proposal:
Neuroscience is the study of the most complicated machine in the universe—the human nervous system. Neuroscientists seeks to understand the physical principles by which the nervous system operates and how these principles enable the nervous system to process information, learn from experience, and regulate behavior.
Although many disciplines study some aspects of the nervous system, neuroscience is distinguished as an interdisciplinary, integrative approach that bridges physics, chemistry, biology, psychology, computer science, and philosophy to try to build a unified understanding of the human brain.
Neuroscience is a nascent field of study, but it has succeeded in elucidating many of the important genetic, molecular, and cellular components of the nervous system and relating them to brain function and dysfunction. The fruits of neuroscience research have transformed our current treatment of psychiatric disease, paralysis, and many other disorders, particularly over the last thirty years. As neuroscientists further penetrate the mysteries of the brain, the field is likely to produce more substantial ripples throughout our society.
Very exciting and all part of our new Parmer Hall.
Another faculty group put the finishing touches on a new interdisciplinary minor on The Study of Women and Gender—also ready for review next week and to be up and running ASAP. Here’s what that’s about:
The Study of Women and Gender minor is an interdisciplinary program that addresses the dynamics of gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexuality, and power. It also seeks to reach an understanding of how questions of gender are embedded in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. This minor endeavors to expand capacities for critical reflection and analysis and to engage students with varied approaches to women’s and gender research, uniting such areas of knowledge as philosophy, the humanities, the social sciences, and history. The minor emphasizes a critical, feminist, cross-cultural, multiracial and transnational understanding of the diversity of women’s experiences and life chances.
In addition to special new gateway and capstone courses, as well as courses from a variety of disciplines, all students will engage in experiential learning and study through either Internship, Service Learning, Study Abroad, or Independent Research to develop critical thought and empower students to make a difference in the world. Very exciting!
And finally, we also just now approved these 10 learning goals for undergraduates. It’s a working document and I’m sure we’ll be making some adjustments, but it should give you a sense of what we’re thinking:
Essential Learning Goals for Undergraduate Education
The essential learning goals for Dominican undergraduates are guided by the university’s mission of preparing “students to pursue truth, give compassionate service, and participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.”
- Foundational proficiencies: A specified level of proficiency, normally by the end of the first year at Dominican, in designated foundational skills and abilities (including critical reading, writing, speaking, visual literacy, foreign language, quantitative reasoning, computer applications, information literacy and research methods), and enhanced through subsequent coursework.
- Areas of study: An appreciation of and a growing ability to show how key areas of study including philosophy, theology, history, social sciences, literature, fine arts and natural sciences, individually and/or together, contribute to the pursuit of truth, the offer of compassionate service, and the creation of a more just and humane world.
- Catholic, Dominican, and other religious traditions: Sustained critical study of and engagement with Catholic and Dominican traditions, broadly understood, along with other religious traditions and dimensions of culture.
- Diverse perspectives: An increasing capacity to engage diverse to bear perspectives and to bring diverse modes of inquiry to the critical investigation of significant questions, topics or issues, and to adjudicate between them in a deliberate and reflective manner.
- Major field: A significant level of mastery in a major field of specialization, demonstrated through successful achievement of each of the essential learning goals outlined by that discipline, including a significant research project or creative investigation in the major.
- Connecting major and core: An increasing capacity to discern and articulate connections between information and ideas across the curriculum, including a capacity to situate one’s major field within the larger field of liberal learning represented especially by the LAS Core Curriculum.
- Experiential learning: Sustained direct experience and critical, respectful engagement with diverse ideas, practices and contexts, especially through study abroad, domestic study and community-based coursework.
- Connecting experience and coursework: An enhanced capacity to integrate experience outside the university with academic coursework, especially through service learning and internships in one’s major field.
- A personal stance: An increasing capacity to develop and articulate a coherent, informed and ethically responsible personal stance, able to meet significant challenges likely to be encountered in one’s studies, and in one’s personal, career, and civic life.
- Participation: An ability to contribute to the college and university as communities of intellectual and moral discourse and decision-making, in preparation for life-long learning and participation in communities beyond Dominican.
