Given the upcoming SACS reaffirmation, it is imperative that we are able to describe the curriculum development process, scheduling, and assessment for all interdisciplinary (XIDS) courses and programs. While UWG’s curriculum development process for XIDS courses is clear and well-established, this is not the case for the process by which XIDS course sections are scheduled semester-to-semester and, thus, for their assessment.
At present, each semester multiple academic departments and colleges independently schedule XIDS course sections. In doing so there is no regular coordination nor communication beyond their own scheduling teams. This hinders consistent assessment of these courses, particularly those offered in the Core. In order to ensure the use of valid assessment tools, their appropriate implementation, and collection of the assessment data, it is necessary that UWG put in place a system for managing XIDS course offerings each term.
The Provost’s Office has charged Dr. Neema Noori, Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, housed within University College, to address this issue. Dr. Noori will be responsible for writing the reports for the XIDS course stem for GEAC and ultimately SACSCOC. Dr. Noori must therefore ensure that all XIDS courses have an SLO related to interdisciplinarity (appropriate to the level of the course) and that all XIDS courses offered in the Core Curriculum will both list the student learning outcomes for the respective Core Area Program and appropriately measure those SLOs in the course.
To that end - namely, improving communication about XIDS teaching and assessment - beginning with Fall 2022 scheduling: All departments and colleges whose faculty will offer XIDS course sections will communicate the scheduling information to Dr. Noori; University College will schedule these XIDS courses, regardless of whether they are offered by the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Academic Transition Programs, or any other department. This will not have any effect on the curriculum development process and XIDS courses will continue to be offered by departments and programs across the university. This new protocol simply allows for better communication about, and planning for, XIDS course scheduling and assessment.
To house all this information, we have created the following form for all XIDS course scheduling including cornerstone/first-year seminar course. The faculty member who is planning to teach the course should submit this form for each respective XIDS course s/he is planning on teaching.
Thank you for your patience and collegiality as we work through this process.
Should you have any questions, please contact Dr. Neema Noori (nnoori@westga.edu).