Senate Document Number 0200F

Date of Senate Approval 10/12/00

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO ESTABLISH A NEW DEGREE PROGRAM

Date: September 8, 2000

Constituent Institution: University of North Carolina at Asheville

CIP Discipline Specialty Title: Interdisciplinary Studies

CIP Discipline Specialty Number: 24.0101 Level: B X M I Prof. D

Specify Type of Degree (e.g. B.S., B.A., M.A., M.S>, Ed.D., Ph.D.): B.A.

Proposed program is at a more advanced level than those previously authorized: Yes No X

Proposed program is in a new discipline division: Yes No X

Program Tracks (If any): ____________________________________________

I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAM

A. Describe the proposed degree program and associated degree program tracks.

B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree Concentration

(CIP definition: An instructional program that describes a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in either independently designed, individualized, or regular programs.)

The Interdisciplinary Studies major: Individual Degree Concentration, offers students the opportunity to develop an individual degree program which transcends the scope of a single traditional academic discipline or major program. The Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree Concentration replaces the former "Individual Degree Program" granted by traditional departments, although outside the normal list of major programs and combining features of more than one major. The Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree Concentration will offer new flexibility and increased adaptability to a rapidly changing epistemological environment in the liberal arts.

B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration

The Interdisciplinary Studies: Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration is designed to enable students to examine and evaluate social issues from interdisciplinary perspectives. The Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration draws courses from many disciplines, including but not limited to Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, and Sociology.

B. List the educational objectives of the program.

Individual Degree Concentration:

a.) Students will synthesize and integrate ideas, perspectives, and alternative theories related to the challenging questions that individuals, cultures, and societies face;

b.) Students will question conventional explanations and search out and make explicit the assumptions of disciplinary and interdisciplinary theories and practices;

c.) Students will explore diverse, pluralistic approaches to critical and analytical thinking, while developing breadth and depth in their individually designed programs;

d.) Students will engage in interdisciplinary participatory and interactive learning and research by designing their own undergraduate programs;

e.) Both students and the university will be able to exploit new opportunities for flexibility and to develop adaptability in dealing with rapid institutional, societal, and epistemological change;

f.) Students in programs including, but not limited to Honors, Undergraduate Research, and Teaching Fellows will enhance individualization of their programs within an interdisciplinary perspective.

Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration:

a.) Students will analyze economic, political, and cultural institutions, including markets, governments, and community organizations and their interrelationships;

b.) Students will learn how institutions and individuals influence each other;

c.) Students will learn about the processes which result in social choice;

d.) Students will determine the ethical implications of the processes and outcomes of social choices;

e.) Students will analyze contemporary social issues from an interdisciplinary perspective;

f.) Students will choose and follow a course of study consistent with their educational and career goals.

C. Indicate the relation of the program to other programs currently offered at the proposing institution, including the common use of: (1) courses, (2) faculty, (3) facilities, and (4) other resources.

UNCA has achieved national recognition from its interdisciplinary humanities program which enables students to bridge the traditional disciplines in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Interdisciplinary Studies Major allows us to continue to develop in this integrative tradition, enabling liberal arts students to articulate and design individual programs bridging the traditional disciplines, integrating diverse domains, and addressing in an individualized manner the challenging questions people and societies face today. The Interdisciplinary Studies Major configures existing courses in the curriculum in a new and individualized way, drawing upon existing faculty from all disciplines, sharing the same facilities as the academic disciplines and programs, and re-configuring existing administrative and secretarial resources.

D. Identify similar programs offered elsewhere in North Carolina. Indicate the location and distance from the proposing institution. Include both publicly-supported and private institutions of higher education.

Only three of the other fifteen UNC institutions offer similar programs in Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree, at the undergraduate level: Chapel Hill offers the A.B. in General Liberal Arts and Sciences; UNCG, the B.A. and B.S. in Special Programs in Liberal Studies; and N.C. State, the B.A. and B.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies.

There are two degree programs in North Carolina, only one of which is found at one of the fifteen UNC institutions, which have a similar intent and disciplinary mix as the concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions: Duke University's Public Policy Studies and Chapel Hill's Public Policy Analysis. The major in Interdisciplinary Studies is, in the end, unique and individualized. A truly similar program would be impossible.

E. List the names of institutions with similar offerings regarded as high quality programs by the developers of the proposed program.

Chapel Hill's B.A. with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies is considered by the developers of the proposed program to be a high quality program which is similar to the Individual Degree. Duke University's Public Policy Studies and Chapel Hill's Public Policy Analysis are considered as high quality programs similar in some ways to the concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions.

F. List other institutions visited or consulted in developing this proposal. Also list any consultant reports, committee findings, and simulations (cost, enrollment shift, induced course load matrix, etc.) generated in planning the proposed program.

Program developers consulted the descriptions of programs in area studies at Duke University, the Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Programs descriptions provided by the Directory of the Association for Integrative Studies, Carleton University's Directed Interdisciplinary Studies Program, Appalachian State's Department of Interdisciplinary Studies descriptions, and the description of the Interdisciplinary Studies Field Major at UC-Berkeley. Oxford University's program in Politics, Philosophy and Economics was also consulted as a basis for the Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration.

G. Indicate how the proposed new degree program differs from other programs like it in the university. If it is a program duplication, why is it necessary or justified? If it is a first professional or doctoral degree program, compare it with other similar programs in public and private universities in North Carolina, in the region, and in the nation.

UNCG's Special Programs in Liberal Studies more closely fit the description of "area studies," such as African American Studies, Archaeology, Study in Christianity, Gerontology, History and Philosophy of Science, International Studies, Linguistics, Russian Studies and Women's Studies, and are not comparable to the proposed Individual Degree Concentration at UNCA. Both N.C. State's B.A. and B.S. in Multidisciplinary Studies and Chapel Hill's B.A. with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies correspond closely with the proposed new major. Duke University's Public Policy Studies and Chapel Hill's Public Policy Analysis differ from the proposed concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions in that the former have a much stronger focus on policy analysis. Furthermore, the proposed new concentration more strongly emphasizes the ethical consideration of institutional decision-making. Most important is that because each program is individually designed, by its inherently unique nature, each degree necessarily differs significantly from another.

II. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROGRAM

A. Narrative statement. Describe the proposed program as it relates to:

1. the institutional mission:

The proposed new major in Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree Concentration is consistent with the University's mission and with its traditional strengths and national reputation for general education programs such as the humanities, the arts, and the integrated sciences, as well as its sole graduate program, the Master of Liberal Arts. The University's mission statement articulates its role as a Public Liberal Arts University: "It promotes understanding of the connections among the traditional disciplines of the Liberal Arts through interdisciplinary studies and integrates these areas of inquiry with programs that prepare students for meaningful careers and professions." UNCA has a solid tradition in the liberal arts of providing a "liberating education." The Individual Degree Concentration in the Interdisciplinary Studies Major extends that tradition and provides a distinctive path to this "liberating education" of the university's mission statement. In making explicit disciplinary and interdisciplinary theories and practices, the Individual Degree Concentration integrates studies beyond disciplinary bounds and questions conventional assumptions and explanations. The major prepares the liberal arts graduate to explore and analyze diverse approaches to critical thinking and to participatory and interactive learning, preparing the graduate for active engagement in solving the plethora of problems that contemporary society faces.

The proposed new Concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions also fulfills the University's commitment to "a liberating education emphasizing the central role of humane values in thought and action, the free and vigorous pursuit of truth, and a respect for differing points of view and heritage" and with the University's aim to "develop men and women of broad perspective who think critically and creatively and who communicate effectively." The Concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions is designed to fulfill the objectives of the University's mission through a broad interdisciplinary study of social institutions which incorporates a philosophical and ethical component, a combination that is relatively unique in undergraduate education and that is of increasing social interest. While all students concentrating in Ethics and Social Institutions will be required to take a core of courses, the bulk of their academic programs will be individually designed, following thematic concentrations which best meet their individual educational objectives.

Both the new Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration and Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration fulfill the University's "ultimate aim…to provide students the best possible opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to pursue their goals, to find meaning in their lives, and to take their places as contributing citizens of a changing society."

2. overall state plans (higher education and service programs),

The 1998 Long-Range Planning document of the University of North Carolina (1998-2003), indicates that from 1986-96, in the UNC System, the number of students enrolled in Interdisciplinary Studies has nearly tripled at the undergraduate level and has more than tripled on the graduate level. Interdisciplinary Studies has the fourth highest number of Baccalaureate programs approved by the University of North Carolina since 1972, following the areas of Education, the Health Professions, and Public Affairs and Services. This indicates the increasing awareness of the appropriateness and usefulness of the undergraduate interdisciplinary studies major.

3. student demand (Note: For graduate, first professional, and baccalaureate professional programs, cite manpower needs in North Carolina and elsewhere.),

The projected Individual Degree Concentration replaces the former Individual Degree Program which, according to data gathered by the Office of Institutional Research, has produced an average of five to six graduates per year since 1992. Some students in programs like, but not limited to, the Honors Program, Undergraduate Research, and the Teaching Fellows Program will be drawn to an individually designed program giving them more flexibility and allowing them to pursue more effectively their individual programs of scholarly research in preparation for careers or for graduate study. In order to estimate student demand for the concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions, the Office of Institutional Research conducted a survey of students majoring in philosophy or in the social sciences, and students enrolled in one of our existing interdisciplinary programs, as well as undecided students. More than fifty students responded that they would choose to major in ESI if available or that they considered the program a valuable option for other students with different academic objectives. Individual degree programs are not held to the productivity structure standard because each program is unique; completely similar programs will not be found.

4. the strengthening of the existing undergraduate and graduate academic programs of your institution

Currently the Interdisciplinary Studies Program at UNCA offers minors in Africana Studies, Humanities, International Studies, Religious Studies, and Women's Studies, and a major in Multimedia Arts and Sciences. The eve of the 21^st century has witnessed the rapid expansion of knowledge of the human condition with the proliferation of area and comparative studies and the recognition of synergisms of alternative disciplines and new ways of organizing knowledge which often transcend traditional academic disciplines. The Major in Interdisciplinary Studies: Individual Degree Concentration and the Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration enable us to continue to develop in UNCA's integrative tradition, enabling liberal arts graduates to articulate meaningful programs bridging the disciplines, integrating domains of knowledge, and individualizing their studies. The American Association of Colleges has at times in the recent past found it useful in its on-going studies of curricular structures, to use the term academic "domain" in lieu of "discipline." James R. Davis, in Interdisciplinary Courses and Team-Teaching: New Arrangements for Learning, has suggested that the traditional disciplinary structure of a university is not always "the best way of organizing knowledge for instruction in post-secondary education," and that even professional areas of study require "new configurations of subject matter that often require interdisciplinary courses." As Davis states, an interdisciplinary course of study can sometimes "better serve the students themselves in their quest for personal growth and the development of a clearer identity." The new major extends and strengthens UNCA's solid tradition as the Public Liberal Arts Institution of the UNC System in preparing the liberal arts graduate for active participation in problem-solving in contemporary society.

B. Enrollment (upper division program majors, juniors and seniors only, for baccalaureate programs):

Use the format in the chart below to project the enrollment for four years and then explain the basis for the projections:

Based on data collected by the Office of Institutional Research on the number of graduates in the Individual Degree program since 1992, on projections by the planning committee for the interdisciplinary studies major, and on interviews with department chairs from departments closely related to interdisciplinary studies, the projected enrollment for the Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration and Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration are as follows:

III. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND CURRICULUM

A. Admission. List the following:

Admissions requirements for proposed program (indicate minimum requirements and general requirements).

The proposal for the Interdisciplinary Studies Major must be submitted before the student completes seventy-five hours of college work; satisfactory completion of LANG 102 and Library Research requirements are required before declaring the major.

2. Documents to be submitted for admission (listing or sample)

Documents to be submitted for admission include a specific list of required courses fulfilling the requirements for the major, a specific statement as to the demonstration of substantive and oral competency and a description of the paper, project, or course which will serve as a capstone experience for the course of study, a persuasive educational rationale for the individual program which explains the reasoning behind the focus, outlines central themes to be studied, and demonstrates that the proposed course of study is in harmony with UNCA's mission, and a supporting letter from the faculty advisor or advisory committee which includes a timetable for completion.

B. Degree Requirements. List the following:

1. Total hours required. Major. Minor.

2. Proportion of courses open only to graduate students to be required in program (graduate programs only).

3. Grades required.

4. Amount of transfer credit accepted.

5. Other requirements (e.g. residence, comprehensive exams, thesis, dissertation, clinical or field experience, "second major," etc.).

6. Language and/or research requirements.

7. Any time limits for completion.

Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration:

Total hours required: at least thirty-six and no more than forty-five credit hours drawn from at least three different disciplines available at UNCA. No more than one half of the required credit hours may come from any one department and at least twenty-one of these hours must be at the 300 level or above. At least two-thirds of the major must be taken while a student at UNCA. A student wishing to double major may count only six of the credit hours for an Individual Degree toward an additional major. None of the Individual Degree credit hours can be counted toward a minor in another department.

The concentration requires the demonstration of substantive and oral competency by a paper or project which serves as a capstone experience for the course of study.

Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration:

Total hours required: Required foundations: six hours (PHIL 201, ESI 101); plus six hours selected from ECON 101 or 102, POLS 220 or 281, SOC 100, no more than three of which may be from one discipline; required seminar (3 hours): ESI 490; 21 hours of electives including at least 15 at the 300 level or above. No more than 9 elective hours may be from a single discipline. Three elective hours may be from ESI 480.

The concentration requires the demonstration of substantive and oral competency by ESI 490 which serves as a capstone experience for the course of study.

C. List existing courses by title and number and indicate (*) those that are required. Include an explanation of numbering system and describe new courses proposed.

Virtually any course in the university catalog is eligible for inclusion in some combination of the individually designed interdisciplinary studies major. No new courses are proposed for the major, although three new courses are proposed for the concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions:

ESI 101: "Introduction to Ethics and Social Institutions" (also may be used as an option in General Education): ESI 101 is intended to provide students with the opportunity to assess the ethical implications of both the process and the outcome of social decision-making. Students will also acquire an understanding of the structure of social institutions and the process through which social choices are made. The course will begin with a study of ethics and criteria for assessment of social decision-making. This foundation will be used during the remainder of the semester, which will focus on the study of particular issues of social choice. Throughout the semester, the tools of social science disciplines will be developed as appropriate in the context of particular issues.

ESI 171-6, ESI 271-6; ESI 371-6; ESI 471-6: Independent Study in Ethics and Social Institutions.

ESI 480: "Internship in Ethics and Social Institutions"

ESI 490: "Readings and Research in Ethics and Social Institutions".

IV. FACULTY

A. List the names of persons now on the faculty who will be directly involved in the proposed program. (Include resumes in an appendix or attachment.) Provide complete information on each faculty member's education, teaching experience, research experience, publications, and experience in directing student research, including the number of theses and dissertations directed for graduate programs.

Faculty directly involved in the Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration include the Degree Planning Committee:

Shirley Browning, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Professor of Economics;

Peter Caulfield Ph.D., Immediate Past Chair, University Planning Council and Professor of Literature and Language;

Archer Gravely, Ed. D., Director of Institutional Research and Research Assistant Professor of Computer Science;

Jeff Konz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics and Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions,

Sandra Malicote, Ph.D., Director, Interdisciplinary Studies and Professor of French;

Bill Sabo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science.

Faculty directly involved in the Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration include the Planning Committee:

Chris Bell, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics;

Melissa Burchard, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Philosophy;

Linda Cornett, Ph.D., Instructor in Political Science;

Mark Gibney, Ph.D., Belk Professor of Humanities and Political Science;

Bruce Larson, Ph.D., Chair of Economics and Professor of Economics;

Leah Greden Mathews, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Economics;

Bill Sabo, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science;

Gordon Wilson, Ph.D., Chair of Philosophy and Associate Professor of Philosophy;

Professors Malicote and Konz, named above.

Faculty directly involved in the teaching circle for the planning of "ESI 101: Introduction to Ethics and Social Institutions":

Ken Betsalel, Associate Professor of Political Science

Allan Combs, Professor of Psychology

Volker Frank, Assistant Professor of Sociology

Mark West, Chair of Mass Communications and Associate Professor of Mass Communications

Professors Burchard, Bell, Cornett, and Konz, mentioned above

It is conceivable that virtually all of the faculty will be directly involved eventually in the Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration and Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration. Because every program is individually designed and is constituted of twelve-fifteen courses in the major drawn from at least three different disciplines available at UNCA, it is likely that most faculty will be contributing individual courses at the very least to an Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree or to a concentration in Ethics and Social Institutions.

B. Project the need for new faculty for the proposed program for the first four years. If the teaching responsibilities for the proposed program will be absorbed in part or in whole by the present faculty, explain how this will be done without weakening existing programs.

The teaching responsibilities for the proposed program and concentration will be absorbed nearly entirely by the present faculty without weakening existing programs, because in the Individual Degree Concentration, all courses will be drawn from current offerings already in the catalog but reconfigured by the individual program into a synthesized major outside the normal list of major programs and combining features of more than one discipline. The Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration similarly presents minimal resource needs for faculty. There will be 1-2 sections of the introductory course (ESI 101) and one seminar (ESI 490) offered each year. Faculty who teach these courses will be teaching fewer courses in their home departments, in the same way as faculty who teach in Humanities, the Arts, and Women's Studies or other interdisciplinary programs.

C. If the employment of new faculty requires additional funds, please explain the source of funding.

The reduction in departmental teaching resources will need to be met either through departmental re-allocation or through adjunct funding from Academic Affairs, expected to be no more than 1-2 courses per year. There will be no adjunct teaching in the Ethics and Social Institutions concentration, but adjuncts may be necessary to replace faculty in their home departments. Adjuncts are currently chosen to enhance the major offerings and represent an enhancement, rather than a weakening, of the departmental curriculum.

D. Please explain how the program will affect faculty activity, including course load, public service activity and scholarly research.

The Individual Degree Concentration will not affect faculty workloads, since the courses required for the major will be drawn exclusively from currently or regularly offered courses. The Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration is expected to enhance public service activity of faculty through the internship. Past experience and recent research in the United Kingdom have demonstrated that scholarly research in the interdisciplinary and disciplinary domain has generally been positively affected by faculty involvement in interdisciplinary endeavors.

V. LIBRARY

A. Provide a statement as to the adequacy of present library holdings for the proposed program.

Present library holdings are adequate for the Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration, since the program reconfigures regular course offerings already supported adequately by library resources.

B. State how the library will be improved to meet new program requirements for the next five years. The explanation should discuss the need for books, periodicals, reference material, etc. What additional library support must be added to areas supporting the proposed program?

Over the next five years, the library will be improved in the context of normal operations to support the regular university curriculum. The area of interdisciplinarity itself as an epistemological phenomenon will no doubt require growth and enhancement of holdings, as it will in any university library in the near future, so will constitute a portion of the normal growth and development of a university library supporting a liberal arts undergraduate curriculum.

C. Discuss any contemplated use of other institutional libraries.

Through the normal pattern of use of the "ABC Express" and the combined regional libraries of UNCA, Appalachian State University, and Western Carolina University, the proposed program will be using resources normally available to students at UNCA.

VI. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

A. Describe facilities available for the proposed program.

The proposed major and concentrations will use facilities normally available to the university in the context of the academic majors and will require no new facilities.

B. Describe the effect of this new program on existing facilities.

Since the program is a reconfiguration of existing courses and academic structures and a re-allocation of existing resources, it is not anticipated that the program or concentration will have any effect on existing facilities.

C. Indicate any computer services needed and/or available.

Computer services needed by the program major and concentrations, by its students and faculty, are currently regularly available in offices and computer labs in all campus buildings with one exception. That exception is scheduled for a computer and multipurpose language lab for use of the interdisciplinary Humanities Program and the academic departments in the humanities (foreign language, philosophy, history, and classics, along with the arts program and the drama department) when capital funds become available.

D. Indicate sources of financial support for any new facilities and equipment.

No new sources of financial support will be required for new facilities and equipment. A one-half time secretarial position will be shared with another existing department and will not present additional costs.

VII. ADMINISTRATION

Describe how the proposed program will be administered giving the responsibilities of each department, division, school, or college. Explain any inter-departmental or inter-unit administrative plans. Include an organizational chart showing the "location" of the proposed new program.

The Interdisciplinary Studies Major's Concentrations are reconfigurations of existing administrative structures under the direction of one faculty member, with no reassigned time. The Director of Interdisciplinary Studies or Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions will confer initially with students before they submit their proposals for the major, to review the proposal requirements. The completed proposal with all documentation must be submitted to the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies or to the Coordinator for Ethics and Social Institutions for approval before it is submitted to the Registrar's Office where it is evaluated to determine if it meets all graduation requirements. The Director or Coordinator approves the proposal; then the student formally declares a major in Interdisciplinary Studies in the appropriate Concentration. A faculty advisor or team of advisors will work with a student interested in pursuing an individual degree to develop a course of study and will provide a letter in support of the proposal, along with a timetable for completion. The Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration will be housed administratively in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program; the Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration will have a coordinator who functions much as the individual interdisciplinary studies program directors for Africana Studies, the Arts, Humanities, International Studies, Religious Studies, Multimedia Arts and Sciences, and Women's Studies. An organization chart showing the "location" of the proposed new program is appended.

Organization Chart of

University of North Carolina at Asheville - 2000

VIII. ACCREDITATION

Indicate the names of all accrediting agencies normally concerned with programs similar to the one proposed. If the proposed new degree program is at a more advanced level than those previously authorized or if it is in a new discipline division, was SACS notified of a potential "substantive change" during the planning process? If so, describe the response from SACS and the steps that have been taken to date with reference to the applicable procedure.

SACS is the accrediting agency normally concerned with programs similar to the Individual Degree Concentration and the Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration. The proposed new program and concentrations are not at a more advanced level than those previously authorized. The new major does not constitute a substantive change according to SACS requirements.

IX. SUPPORTING FIELDS

Are other subject-matter fields at the proposal institution necessary or valuable in support of the proposed program? Is there needed improvement or expansion of these fields? To what extent will such improvement or expansion be necessary for the proposed program?

Other subject-matter fields at UNCA are valuable in support of the proposed programs of the Interdisciplinary Studies Major: Individual Degree Concentration and the Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration. For the latter, the Departments of Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy will be especially valuable. However, since the new degree is a re-configuration of existing programs and degrees, no expansion of these fields is needed.

X. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Include any additional information deemed pertinent to the review of this new degree program proposal.

Reviewers of the "Request to Plan" documents noted that enrollment in the Individual Degree Concentration was projected to be only 10-12 after three years. Since the Concentration replaces the former Individual Degree Program which yielded an average of six graduates per year, over the last ten years, the projected figure represents nearly twice as many graduates at the three-year point as in the past. The number of graduates in similar programs at state institutions much larger than UNCA varies from 12 (UNCCH), up from 7 (97-98), to 63 graduates at ASU (98), up from 24 of the previous year. At three of the four schools with similar programs, the number of graduates in these programs has doubled or tripled in the past two years, the exception being NCSU. Chapel Hill's interdisciplinary degree program is more akin to the proposed major at UNCA than is NCSU's multidisciplinary degree programs. The need for the Interdisciplinary Studies Major will, according to the Long-Range planning document, likely increase greatly over the long term. Reviewers indicated that the Ethics and Social Institutions Concentration can be reasonably offered under the auspices of the Interdisciplinary Studies Major; the request to establish represents concurrence with the reviewers' statement that when and if the Concentration enrolls a sufficient number of students, UNCA may request stand-alone status for an ESI major.

XI. BUDGET

Provide estimates (using the attached form) of the additional costs required to implement the program and identify the proposed sources of the additional funds required. Prepare a budget schedule for each of the first three years of the program indicating the account number and name for all additional amounts required. Identify EPA and SPA positions immediately below the account listing. New SPA positions should be listed at the first step in the salary range using the SPA classification rates currently in effect. Identify any larger or specialized equipment and any unusual supplies requirements.

For the purposes of the second and third year estimates, project faculty and SPA position rates and fringe benefits rates at first year levels. Include the continuation of previous year(s) costs in second and third year estimates.

(see attached form)

XII. EVALUATION PLANS

All new degree program proposals and degree program track descriptions must include an evaluation plan which includes: (a) the criteria to be used to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the program, (b) measures to be used to evaluated the program, (c) expected levels of productivity of the proposed program/track for the first four years of the program (numbers of graduates), (d) the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three persons (six reviewers are needed for graduate programs) qualified to review this proposal and to evaluate the program once operational, and (e) the plan and schedule to evaluate the proposed new degree program prior to the completion of its fifth years of operation once fully established.

PROGRAM EVALUATION FORMAT

A. Criteria to be used to evaluate the proposed program:

In order to fulfill relevant aspects of the university's mission statement, the Interdisciplinary Studies Major must provide a liberating education emphasizing the central role of humane values in thought and action, the free and rigorous pursuit of truth, and a respect for differing points of view and heritage; aim to develop men and women of broad perspective who think critically and creatively and who communicate effectively; promote understanding of the connections among the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts and integrate these areas of inquiry to prepare students for meaningful careers and professions, and provide students the best possible opportunity to acquire the skills, knowledge, and understanding necessary to pursue their goals, to find meaning in their lives, and to take their places as contributing citizens of a changing society.

Because the Interdisciplinary Studies Major will transcend disciplinary domains, its proposed student learning objectives are that:

1) the student will synthesize perspectives on the topic from at least three distinct disciplines;

2) the student will be able to recognize primary source materials, methodologies and epistemologies from more than one discipline;

3) the student will understand diverse approaches to critical thinking and participatory, interactive learning;

4) the student will develop an interdisciplinary approach to thinking and will be able to synthesize alternative points of view.

B. Measures to be used to evaluate the program:

Assessment of the Interdisciplinary Studies Major will follow the clear national trend identified by the Association for Integrative Studies, which is "a move to locally devised, qualitative techniques," such as the portfolio, along with selected quantitative assessment methods. The Interdisciplinary Studies Major will establish a portfolio with either the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies or the Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions and with the faculty sponsor(s), or advisory committee. The portfolio will contain:

1) the initial proposal for study; (assesses 1, 4);

2) a statement of feasibility and support of the Concentration, its objectives, and the proposed courses from the student's faculty advisor(s), and a model timetable for completion of degree, (assesses 1, 4);

3) the statement of concurrence of the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies or the Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions, indicating that the proposal complies with stated criteria for the major, (assesses 1, 4);

4) sample papers and projects from major coursework and undergraduate research, when applicable, (assesses 2, 3, and 4);

5) summary statements from regular, periodic advisement and assessment meetings of a team that includes the student, the faculty advisor(s) or advisory team, and the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies or the Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions, indicating progress towards and achievement of individual goals and objectives, (assesses 1, 2, 3, and 4);

6) a listing of all courses completed for the major, (assesses 1, 4);

7) the capstone paper or description of capstone project or coursework which synthesizes and summarizes the major and demonstrates oral competency, (assesses 1, 2, 3, and 4).

Selected quantitative assessment methods to measure effectiveness of the degree concentrations include:

1) senior exit interviews conducted by the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies or the Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions (assesses 3, 4);

2) surveys of graduates conducted by the Office of Institutional Research, (assesses 3, 4).

Assessment results of the individual portfolios will be discussed and analyzed by an Interdisciplinary Studies Advisory Committee in an annual meeting to consider program effectiveness and quality and to consider program or criteria modifications. The annual report of the program will incorporate reports from the faculty involved with each assessment for the previous year.

C. Projected productivity levels (number of graduates):

Key: B-Bachelor's, M-Master's, I/P-Intermediate or Professional, D-Doctoral)

D. Recommended consultants/reviewers: Names, titles, addresses, and telephone numbers. May not be employees of the University of North Carolina.

The three external reviewers who have agreed to be consulted are:

1. Robert J. Manning
Dana Professor of Physics and Humanities
Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies
Davidson College
Davidson, NC 28036
(704) 892-1283

2. Julie Thompson Klein
Professor of Humanities
Interdisciplinary Studies Program
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI 48202
(734) 482-2793

3. Bruce W. Jentleson
Director, Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy
Professor of Public Policy and Political Science
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 613-7309

E. Plan for evaluation prior to fifth operational year.

Before the fifth operational year of the Interdisciplinary Studies Major's Concentrations, the Director of Interdisciplinary Studies Programs will form an interdisciplinary studies major advisory committee, composed of one faculty member from each academic area (humanities, natural and social sciences), and the Coordinator of Ethics and Social Institutions, with the charge to evaluate the Major's Concentrations, to evaluate the program's articulation of its assessment standards, and to prepare an assessment report due on or before March 1 of the fifth year of the program's operation.

XIII. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

See Appendix D, First/Second Year Status Report and Appendix E, Third/Fourth Year Status Report in these Procedures.

Date proposed degree program was authorized for planning: January 31, 2000

Proposed date of initiation of proposed degree program: January , 2001

Chancellor: