[Proflist] RE: Fwd: Draft Bachelor's Degree Statement

Wed Oct 20 16:52:53 MDT 2004

Hi Alan,

Here's a copy of the recommendations that were made at the H&C meeting,
including the statement on "27 hours." While I can appreciate your
philosophical argument, and agree with it, changing the core requirements
for a BS in atmos sci from 24 to 27 is not likely to impact the liberal arts
core. Most, if not all, programs already have more than 27 semester hours in
their required and electives block for the major. 

The rationale behind this recommendation stems from the way the semester
hours are distributed in the revised draft - the one that Mohan presented at
H&C. Bullet #4 specifies 3 semester hours of electives in atmos sci, and
bullet #5 specifies 3 semester hours from the long list of what we would
probably call electives, which also includes an undergraduate research
experience or an internship. The group that made the attached
recommendations argues that 3 semester hours was not enough to accommodate
this important component of undergraduate education. Thus, we suggest
combining bullets #4 and #5 into a 6 semester hour "electives" list, and
adding 3 semester hours as a capstone experience. We think that given the
trend toward capstone experiences, learning communities, and portfolios
across the curriculum, that the capstone experience, which includes the
undergrad research, internship, or a capstone course, would be a meaningful
addition to the curriculum guidelines. Interestingly, the capstone
experience is one that is coming from the general education community, not
the disciplinary bodies. The liberal arts core is important, but in my
opinion, this additional 3 semester hours will have no impact on its
integrity.
Thanks
Rich

Richard D. Clark, Ph.D.
Chair, Department of Earth Sciences
Professor of Meteorology
Millersville University
P.O. Box 1002
Millersville, PA 17551-0302
Tel: (717) 872-3930
Fax: (717) 871-2079
Email: Richard.Clark at millersville.edu
Web: www.atmos.millersville.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Robock [mailto:robock at envsci.rutgers.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, October 20, 2004 2:07 PM
To: Brenda Ward
Cc: proflist at ucar.edu; balbrecht at rsmas.miami.edu;
bruce.berryman at lyndonstate.edu; ebierly at agu.org; Steve Colluci;
bobe at met.fsu.edu; john.gyakum at mcgill.ca; hobgood.1 at osu.edu;
hooke at dc.ametsoc.org; VPI at ATMOS.ALBANY.EDU; LupoA at missouri.edu;
jmalieka at weather.brockport.edu; Ron McPherson; smeacham at nsf.gov;
mower1rn at cmich.edu; trnathan at ucdavis.edu; Richard E. Orville;
pickerin at atmos.umd.gov; Mohan Ramamurthy; rodi at uwyo.edu; stamm at oswego.edu;
gstakle at iastate.edu; toon at lasp.colorado.edu; winkler at msu.edu;
ezipser at met.utah.edu; pcornillon at gso.uri.edu; roland.list at sympatico.ca;
jsnow at ou.edu; wetzel at dri.edu; wuebbles at atmos.uiuc.edu; walyons at frii.com;
fcarr at ou.edu; Judy Curry; moore at eas.slu.edu; richard.peterson at ttu.edu;
crowe1 at unl.edu; ahansen at stcloudstate.edu; miller at imcs.marine.rutgers.edu;
kph at hawaii.edu; drsmith at usna.edu; Richard.Clark at millersville.edu;
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cmanduca at carleton.edu; Fred Spilhaus; fulker at ucar.edu;
william.hoyt at unco.edu; Keith Seitter
Subject: Re: Fwd: Draft Bachelor's Degree Statement

Dear Mohan,

1.  As you know, I have already made the following suggestion:

I think we need to specify recommended numbers of faculty and not just 
the minimum.  This would be very valuable for all departments seeking to 
hire more faculty.  In other disciplines, national accredidation panels 
specify the number of faculty needed, and AMS can do a similar service 
for us.  In the second paragraph from the bottom on page 4, I recommend 
the following change:

"At undergraduate colleges with full-time teaching faculty, there should 
be a minimum of three faculty members, but the recommended level is five 
or more.  At research universities, where faculty devote a substantial 
amount of time to graduate teaching and research as well as 
undergraduate teaching, there should be a minimum of six faculty 
members, but the recommended level is ten or more to be able to cover 
all the necessary disciplinary areas.  The faculty members should have 
the expertise ..."

----

2.  In addition, a resolution was passed quickly at the end of the Heads 
and Chairs meeting in Boulder last week that recommended changes in the 
statement that would require 27 credits rather than 24 credits in the 
program.  I have not yet received a copy of it, but would like to 
recommend against it on a basic philosophical ground.

An undergraduate liberal arts education is the last chance a student 
will have to take courses in literature, fine arts, humanities, and 
social "science."  Students can specialize as graduate students or go on 
learning about meteorology in their jobs, but I would not like to 
require that they take additional courses as part of their undergraduate 
major.  This will allow them to take other elective courses in subjects 
that will broaden them as people and citizens, which I think is more 
valuable than one more meteorology or related course.

Thanks for considering my views.  I feel more strongly about the first 
one than the second one.

Alan

Professor Alan Robock
   Editor, JGR - Atmospheres
   Director, Center for Environmental Prediction
Department of Environmental Sciences              Phone: +1-732-932-9478
Rutgers University                                  Fax: +1-732-932-8644
14 College Farm Road                   E-mail: robock at envsci.rutgers.edu
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8551  USA      http://envsci.rutgers.edu/~robock

On Tue, 19 Oct 2004, Brenda Ward wrote:

>
>> 
>> Dear Colleague,
>> 
>> On behalf of the Board on Higher Education of the American Meteorological

>> Society, I seek your comments on the revised draft statement on the 
>> Bachelor's Degree in Atmospheric Science.  The draft statement is
available 
>> at:
>> 
>>
http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/content/publications/Bachelors_degree_statement_2
004.pdf
>> 
>> For your background, the current AMS statement on this subject is
available 
>> at:
>> 
>>
<http://www.ametsoc.org/policy/bachelor99.html>http://www.ametsoc.org/policy
/bachelor99.html
>> 
>> Also, please share this draft statement with colleagues in your
department. 
>> Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.  It would

>> be most helpful if you can send me (mohan at ucar.edu) your comments by 15 
>> November.
>> 
>> Thank you in anticipation,
>> 
>> Mohan Ramamurthy
>

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