APC #7 Senate #8 Approved 11/18/86 Senate Document #8 1986-87 APC Document #7 1986-7 Proposed Revisions to Master of Liberal Arts Program 1. Reduce the required number of courses from six to five by replacing the current capstone course with the current "Integrative Studies" course. current proposed Historical Perspectives Historical Perspectives Integrative Studies Seminar in Natural Sciences Seminar in Natural Sciences Seminar in Social Sciences Seminar in Social Sciences Seminar in Humanities Seminar in Humanities Integrative Studies Freedom and Human Nature Rationale: The current lockstep structure of six required courses plus a six hour thesis constitutes approximately two-thirds of the total requirements in a program intended for adult students who -- according to national studies -- resist such heavily structured programs. Although we should not necessarily be "demand driven" in designing an MLA program, we should understand that the needs of adults differ from eighteen year-old undergraduates who may require more firm guidance. Reducing the total number of requirements also makes the program somewhat more easy to administer. This proposed change does not alter the basic philosophy of the original document. By placing the Integrative Studies course at the end as a capstone experience, it provides a way of pulling together various interdisciplinary courses, as well as providing direct guidance into the required integrative Master's thesis which would follow. 2. Make the thesis a three-to-six hour project rather than a mandatory six hours. Rationale: Experience in other programs of this nature again strongly suggests the need for flexibility. Because this is not a specialized program in which a traditional thesis based on narrowly specialized research is expected, and because interdisciplinary studies in itself suggests that the nature of a final thesis may need to be more experimental, integrative, or imaginative, other programs have repeatedly found that this requirement must retain a great deal of flexibility. 3. Reduce the total number of required hours from 36 to 33. Students who choose the 3-hour thesis option would take an extra course to complete the 33 hours. Rationale: Because the program is designed for part-time study by adults who may be able to carry ony one course per semester, the current 36 hours could mean up to six uninterrupted years to complete a Master's Degree. Studies show that over a six year period adults are likely to need at least one or more semesters off for any number of personal or professional reasons. A slight reduction of the total number of hours allows the normal to happen without penalizing the student. Because we want students to complete degrees, not merely take courses, we do not want to stretch out the time necessary to a point at which it begins to seem impossible. Six years in itself is a long time. (The proposed number of 33 hours continues to remain within the national norm of 30-36 hours required for master's level programs.) 4. Eliminate required entrance examinations (GRE and Miller Analogy Test) Rationale: Because this program is designed for adults who may have been out of college from ten to twenty-five years, the GRE provides no valid measure of potential. Required testing for admissions is used at few other programs of this type nation-wide, and Phyllis O'Callagan, National President of the Graduate Liberal Studies Association, recommends against imposing such testing on adults, many of whom are highly qualified and committed but terrified of objective testing. Experience in other programs indicates that the autobiographical essay and pre-admission interview are the two most important determinants for potential success in the program. 5. Change the teaching load from the current proposed 12 hour load to a nine hour load for those faculty teaching one of the required core courses, or any course in the program designed solely for graduate students. Rationale: The current document requires faculty to teach a graduate level course as part of their full 12 hour load. At the same time, it indicates that "it is expected that the scholarly activity of the faculty participating in the program will increase." Such a rationale seems contradictory and unproductive. Faculty teaching graduate level work should receive graduate level credit. Only by providing six hours of credit for each graduate level course will the quality of the program be assured. (This proposal would not affect the teaching load of faulty teaching a 400-level undergraduate course which might have a few graduate students enrolled.) 6. Increase the request for new faculty from one director teaching half time (paid for from new funds), plus one new faculty member paid for in year three from increased enrollment, to one director teaching one-quarter time and one new faculty member in year two (both paid for from new funds), and one new faculty member in year three paid for from increased enrollment. Rationale: Almost all directors of MLA programs nationwide are full time administrators. To request a half-time director is unrealistic based on the workload expected. At the same time, UNCA's tradition of desiring administrators to teach is a good one. Expecting the UNCA director to teach no more than one course a semester is a compromise between the two positions. By requesting a second new faculty member from initial funding we improve support for the program and prevent further drain on current resources. Senate approval of this program is contingent upon the University receiving special funding as requested.