Southern Connecticut State University
University Wide Impact Committee Minutes of 4/24/03

Chair:  Shelley Bochain
Attending:  K. Gatzke, J. Mielczarski, K. Swenson, C. Ogbaa, S. DiFrancesco, N. Henderson, C. Barrett
Guest:  W. Faraclas

UWIC continued discussion on combined undergraduate and graduate courses.  W. Faraclas attended our meeting to share his insights on teaching two combined summer courses.  He stressed that the nature of a combined course must be explained to students during the first day to avoid confusion about expectations.  Students complete identical projects, but are graded on the sophistication of skills expected of an undergraduate and graduate student respectively.  His courses are combined 400 and 500 level courses that are experiential in nature.  Therefore, the level of knowledge between an undergraduate and graduate student does not interfere, but rather enhances the course through the diversity of age and experience.

The committee discussed concerns about combined undergraduate and graduate courses with W. Faraclas including impact on both undergraduate and graduate students and impact on graduate programs.  W. Faraclas commented that if the effort to combine the course appears to be too great then it probably should not run combined.  His courses are enhanced by the diversity of students and he is able to grade their work based on appropriate skill level.  He does not think a 200 level course should be combined with a graduate course.  It was discussed that enrollment expectations drive the combination of courses to allow the courses to run.  The examples from W. Faraclas taught the committee that in some cases a combined course may make sense and that more attention should be focused on the enrollment mandates that force combined courses or cancellation.