U.S. Higher Education: Overview, the Credit System, and Syllabus Design

1. U.S. Higher Education: Overview, the Credit System, and Syllabus Design Mary Elizabeth Collins, A.M., PhD. Professor, Boston University School of Social Work Visiting Lecturer, Vietnam National University School of Social Sciences and Humanities Department of Social Work

2. Outline of Presentation • Overview: Types and Characteristics of Schools • Overview: Faculty, Students, Financing, Structure of Academic Year • The Credit System: Purpose, GPA, and Transfers • Syllabus Design • Processes of Syllabus Construction • Mechanisms of Curriculum Review: Internal and External • Aiming for Teaching Excellence • Conclusion: Comments and Questions

3. Types of Schools • Community colleges • Public 4+ year colleges and universities • Private 4+ year colleges and universities • For-profit institutions (2 or 4 year)

4. My Experience with These Types • One year community college • B.A. – University of Illinois, Chicago Campus (public 4-year) • A.M. – University of Chicago (private 4-year) • Ph.D. – University of Chicago (private 4-year) • Post-doctoral Research Associate – University of Michigan (public 4-year) • Faculty member (14 years) – Boston University (private 4-year) Note: except for the community college, all would be considered research institutions Note: except for community college, all are large institutions Note: no experience with for-profit institutions (not considered of same quality)

5. Public 2-year: Community Colleges • Award associate degrees in vocational fields • Prepare students for transfer to four-year institutions • Serve communities : English language instruction for immigrants, recreational courses, etc.

6. Public 4+ year colleges/universities • Comprehensive universities: range of programs, focused on undergraduate teaching; some focus on graduate education. • Some of these are research universitiesthat offer a comprehensive set of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and have a research mission as well as a teaching mission. • Every state has at least one of these institutions; funded primarily by state legislatures. • Some (large) states have multiple campuses, for example, University of California – Berkeley, University of Texas – Arlington, University of Tennessee – Memphis. • Variation in quality; many public colleges and universities have well-established reputations as high quality institutions, for example, University of Washington, University of Michigan, University of California.

7. Private 4+ year college/universities • Non-profitinstitutions • Wide variety of institutions in this category: - research universities - four-year “liberal arts colleges” - specialized institutions (faith-based, women’s colleges, historically black colleges).

8. For-profit institutions • Primarily focused on vocational programs that result in certificates. • I will not be discussing these types of institutions further.

9. Number/types of different institutions • Associate Institutions (41.4%) - 1054 Public - 114 Private non-profit - 752 Private for-profit • Baccalaureate Institutions (17.4%) - 137 Public - 532 Private non-profit - 139 Private for-profit • Master’s Institutions (15.7%) - 273 Public - 382 Private non-profit - 73 Private for-profit • Research Institutions (6.4%) - 175 Public - 109 Private non-profit - 11 Private for-profit (Source: Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org)

10. Number/types of different institutions Observations: • Associate Institutions are the most common, but these tend to be small. • Research Institutions are least common but tend to be large and more famous.

11. My Institution: Boston University(Boston, MA) • “Doctoral/Research University-Extensive” Wide range of baccalaureate programs Committed to graduate education through the doctorate. Give high priority to research ($$$ federal research funding) • 4+ year Private University (non-profit) • Large Students: 33,480 (16,683 undergraduate; 13, 956 graduate and professional) Includes 5,464 international students from 139 countries 16 Colleges and Universities (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Management, College of Fine Arts, School of Theology, College of Engineering, School of Law, School of Social Work, etc.) 3,936 Faculty

12. My Institution: School of Social Work • MSW and Ph.D. (Interdisciplinary with Sociology) Main campus: Charles River Off-campus Part-time Program: Meets Friday nights/Saturday morning (for working professionals) • Approximately 250-300 students; 28 full-time faculty • Some innovations: Bridge Program: supports “newcomer” populations New on-line MSW program

13. Faculty • Faculty vs. staff: “Faculty” is the term given to instructional personnel (professors, lecturers); “administrator” is the term given to personnel directing programs, (e.g., dean, admissions director); “support staff” is the term given to secretarial level personnel. • Faculty qualifications: Usually a Ph.D. especially at research institutions; some professional, arts, or practice programs utilize some Master’s level educators. • In social work, Master’s level educators are highly experienced at the practice of social work and are needed in the classroom to teach skills.

14. Faculty • Levels: Lecturer Assistant Professor Associate Professor Full Professor • Tenure: Tenure-track faculty members are hired at level of Assistant Professor. In their 6th year they are evaluated for tenure. If approved: promoted to Associate Professor with life-time appointment. • Evaluations: Tenure-track faculty are evaluated on: research, teaching, and service. Different schools weight these categories differently. Research schools emphasize research the most. Non-tenure-track faculty are evaluated solely on teaching and service.

15. Non-Traditional Students Three out of four American college students are considered nontraditional: • They are age 25 or older • Have delayed entry into higher education after completing high school • Did not earn a traditional high school diploma • Are married • Attend part time • Work full time • Or, have children Source: U.S. Department of Education, 2002, cited in Eckel, P.D. & King, J.E. (n.d.) An Overview of Higher Education in the United States: Diversity, Access, and the Role of the Marketplace. American Council on Education

16. Costs and Financing Major sources of revenue: • Tuition and fee payments from students and families (including government-backed financial aid) • Appropriations, grants, and contracts from federal, state, and local governments • Private gifts • Endowment and other investment earnings • Sales from auxiliary enterprises and services Some of these sources are more important to some types of institutions than to others. • Public institutions (2 and 4 year) more reliant on state government funding • Research institutions more reliant on research grants, endowments and tuition Source: Eckel, P.D. & King, J.E. (n.d.) An Overview of Higher Education in the United States: Diversity, Access, and the Role of the Marketplace. American Council on Education

17. Structure of Academic Year: Semesters and Quarters • Two main ways of organizing the academic year: semester and quarter. • Semester: 2 main semesters (approximately 14 weeks each). Often a summer semester is available. This can be particularly helpful to make up missed work or ease workload during the school year. But summer offerings are usually limited. • Quarter: 3 quarters of approximately 10 weeks each. Often a summer quarter is available for same reasons as above. • Semesters seem to be dominant and there is some variation on this organization.

18. Questions ??? Any questions related to Higher Education Overview: • Types of Schools • Faculty • Students • Costs and Financing • Structure of Academic Year

19. The U.S. Course and Credit System(Source: www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com) • Academic work is organized into concentrated modules of subject matter called courses. • Each U.S. academic course occupies a scheduled amount of instructional time each term, in addition to laboratory, field exercise, homework, and research or creative requirements associated with the course. • Full-time student status is typically 3-4 courses depending on the credit hours of each course.

20. The U.S. Course and Credit System(Source: www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com) • Successful completion of a course results in the student's academic record being marked with both a course grade and a set number of credit hours. • Credit hours are (usually) the number of hours of instruction that the course is scheduled for per week. Degree programs require that a specified number of credit hours be accumulated by the student as one of the graduation requirements. • U.S. courses are not always classroom lectures. Laboratory, fieldwork, seminar, and independent study courses all involve concentrated research studies and the preparation of reports and papers. • Field practicum or clinical courses involve supervised activity in professional work settings (medicine, social work).

21. The U.S. Course and Credit System(Source: www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com) • There are various grading systems depending upon the nature of the work being assessed and the philosophy of the faculty or institution regarding judging student work. • Most grading systems use numerical or alphabetical scores to assess examinations, projects, or papers. Numerical grading systems usually are on a scale running from 0 to 4.0, with 4 representing outstanding work. Letter systems generally run from A to F, with A representing outstanding work and F representing failure. • Occasionally some schools use detailed qualitative assessments of work (especially in “creative” or non-traditional programs). • Pass/Fail can also be used in subjects that do not lend themselves to quantitative ratings. Two examples: clinical practicum and dissertations.

22. Transfer Credits Credits can be thought of as a common “currency” to measure academic progress. Credits can often be transferred to another institution if the receiving institution agrees that the academic rigor and material in the courses is roughly equivalent to its own similar courses. Many institutions develop transfer agreements to facilitate student mobility, determining in advance which courses are of equivalent value. Source: Eckel, P.D. & King, J.E. (n.d.) An Overview of Higher Education in the United States: Diversity, Access, and the Role of the Marketplace. American Council on Education

23. Transfer Credits: Example • After my first year of community college I transferred those credits (basic courses, e.g., Introduction to Sociology) to University of Illinois. • In the summer after my second year at University of Illinois I took two additional classes at community college (the community college was closer to home and less expensive) that were also excepted at University of Illinois.

24. BU Undergraduate • To obtain a bachelor’s degree, most students must complete a minimum of 128 credits and 32 courses. • As a guide for completing the four-year undergraduate program: Sophomore (2nd year): completed 32 credits Junior (3rd year): completed 64 credits Senior (4th year): completed 96 credits • The individual schools and colleges of the University have specific academic requirements and standards for determining satisfactory completion of a program of study (e.g., grades, concentrations, divisional studies).

25. Credit and Grade Point Average The University uses a system of letter grades for evaluating coursework. Individual schools and colleges, however, may place restrictions on the use of certain grades, such as Pass/Fail. Grade point averages are computed by dividing the number of grade honor points earned by the number of credits attempted. A = 4.0 (excellent) A- = 3.7 B+ = 3.3 B = 3.0 (good) B- = 2.7 C+ = 2.3 C = 2.0 (satisfactory) C- = 1.7 D = 1.0 (low pass) F = 0 (fail, no credit) E.g., one semester student takes 4 4-credit courses get an A in all classes (4.0 GPA); next semester the student takes 4 4-credit courses and get an B in all classes (3.0 GPA). This results in a Cumulative GPA of 3.5.

26. Credit Transfer Policies at BU Undergraduate • Credits and coursework of incoming transfer students are evaluated by the Admissions Office.  • Recency: Credits received seven or more years before a student’s expected date of graduation are not transferable. • Equivalency: Only courses equivalent to those offered by the undergraduate schools and colleges of Boston University will be accepted for transfer. • Quality: No correspondence or distance learning courses will be accepted. • Limit: The maximum number of courses allowed to transfer is 20; a total of 32 courses are required for graduation. • Department: Approval of transfer credit toward major (or minor) requirements must be obtained from the department of the major (or minor) after initial approval by the Admissions Office. • Non-concurrence: No enrolled student may carry courses concurrently in another institution.

27. Credit System: Other Issues • Facilitates transfer equivalency of programs/courses/content • Used in calculating grade point average (GPA) • Must have sufficient “credits” and GPA to graduate • Denotes full or part-time status which can have other implications (cost, student long repayment ) • Equity in “teaching load”: can be used as a measure of equivalency in teaching load. One faculty member may teach 2 two-credit courses while another faculty member may teach 1 four-credit course.

28. Questions??? Any questions related to: • Credit system: Purposes and practices • Grades and GPA

29. Course Syllabi • Content • Process of Construction and Review • Evaluation and Assessment

30. Standard Syllabi Content • Institution • Instructor(s) name and contact information • Course description • Course objectives • Text(s) and readings • Detailed content per session: topic, readings, specific assignments • Assignments • Grading criteria • University/school policies

31. Example: School/Department, Course Name/Number, Semester BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Social Welfare Policy and Programs on Children WP 707 Spring 2010

32. Example: Instructor Name and Contact Information Mary Elizabeth Collins, Ph.D. 617/353-4612 mcollins@bu.edu Room 144 Office Hours: All meeting times available; arrange with instructor

33. Example: Course Description “This course is designed to provide an overview of the field of child welfare policy and children and youth services. Background information on the status of children and youth, and the historical, political and organizational context of services will be presented, reviewed and analyzed. Several key substantive areas related to child welfare will be examined including: child poverty, protective services, substitute care, adoption, and family support services. Throughout the course, enduring and contemporary value conflicts that impact policy debates will be highlighted and discussed. Also, both class reading and assignments will emphasize the available research that may guide policy development and program implementation.”

34. Example: Course Objectives By the end of the course, students will be able to: Examples…. • Understand the status of America’s children and youth and the scope and correlates of specific problems that children (and their families and communities) face. • Gain an understanding of the political, organizational, and financing context and how these factors influence the development of policy/services for children. • Describe and analyze the current status of policy and program models in several areas of child welfare.

35. Example: Texts TEXT & READINGS Required: Rauner, D. M. 2000. They Still Pick Me Up When I Fall. New York: Columbia University Press. Other recommended texts may be of interest: Lindsey, D., & Shlonsky, A. (Eds.) 2008. Child Welfare Research: Advances for Practice and Policy. New York: Oxford University Press. Mallon, G.P., & Hess, P.M. (Eds). 2005. Child Welfare for the 21st Century: A Handbook of Practices, Policies and Programs. New York: Columbia University Press. Pecora, P.J., Whittaker, J.K., Maluccio, A.N., Barth, R.P., Plotnick, R.D. 2000. The Child Welfare Challenge: Policy, Practice, and Research (2nd edition). Hawthorne, NY: Aldine DeGruyter.

36. Example: Details of course content each week Session 2 (January 20): Historical, Political, and Economic Context of Child Welfare Policy Grason, H. & Guyer, B. 1995. Rethinking the organization of children’s programs: Lessons from the elderly. The Milbank Quarterly, 73, 4, 565-597. Jimenez, J. 2006. The history of child protection in the African American community: Implications for current child welfare policies. Children and Youth Services Review, 28, 888-905. McGowan, B.G. 2005. Historical evolution of child welfare services. In, Child Welfare for the 21st Century: A Handbook of Practices, Policies and Programs. G. P. Mallon & P.M Hess (Eds). Columbia University Press: New York. Minow, M. & Weissbourd, R. 1993. Social movements for children. Daedalus, 122, 1, 1-29.

37. Example: Details of course content each week – a focusing point Policy: Social Security Act – Title IV Questions: What has been the U.S. historical response to vulnerable children? How are children’s rights represented in the political sphere? How are children’s services financed? What are the strengths/weaknesses of the financing mechanisms? 

38. Example: Assignments ASSIGNMENTS  There will be three components of the final course grade. 1) Each student will sign up to present readings on one of the session (3-11) topics. In addition to the assigned readings for the session, the student should also seek out an additional policy-related article on the topic. In addition to general preparation and contribution to each session this will account for 20% of student’s grade. 2) Each student will prepare a paper (8-10 pages) which critically analyzes issues related to a policy topic. It is recommended that the student choose a topic similar to that for which he/she presented readings (#1 above) in order to build on earlier work. The emphasis of the paper should be on policy analysis and policy recommendations. It should include a concise literature review using approximately 8 research-based journal articles. This will account for 60% of student’s grade. The paper will be due April 28th. 3) Each student will give a short (5-10 minute presentation) on the results of his/her paper in class session 14. The presentation will account for 20% of student’s grade.  

39. Example: Grading Criteria COURSE GRADING CRITERIA Written products are graded according to the following criteria: addressing the assignment, clarity of writing, selection of appropriate research sources, integration of articles, focus on policy recommendation. Presentations are graded according to the following criteria: addressing the assignment, time management, clarity and organization. Consistent attendance and participation are expected.

40. Example: Standard University/School Policies COURSE POLICIES Attendance: It is the student’s responsibility to attend classes regularly and to inform the instructor of any absences – unusual, anticipated, or repeated. Academic honesty: Papers and presentations in the School of Social Work must meet standards of academic honesty and integrity, avoiding any possibility of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct. For specific information about the BUSSW policy regarding academic misconduct, see Ways and Means. Students with disabilities: If you have a disability and want to request reasonable accommodation, the University requires that you consult with Boston University’s Office of Disability Services for information regarding this process. Writing style and references: Students are expected to follow the editorial and reference standards set out in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2001). This manual is available at the Mugar Library reference desk. A Summary ofAPA Guidelines for Citations in Writing is provided to students at BUSSW Orientation. Academic writing assistance: If you would like academic writing assistance, contact the BUSSW Office of Student Services for information about available supports.

41. Some Variations • Multiple instructors for same course – a common, agreed-upon syllabus is used. • Greater detail about grading criteria – some faculty are more extensive in describing the criteria. • Additional readings for reference – some syllabi provide an extensive list of additional recommended reading.

42. Processes of Syllabi Construction • Combination of institutional responsibility and instructor responsibility

43. Processes of Syllabi Construction: Institutional Responsibility • required courses of the program should maintain a repository of syllabi • new instructors should have access to existing syllabi and guidance from senior instructors • courses taught by more than one instructor should have meetings to jointly construct a syllabus and reflect on/update syllabus

44. Processes of Syllabi Construction: Instructor Responsibility • Review and update syllabus after each course is completed • Keep up-to-date with new readings, especially courses that have contemporary relevance • Reflect on each class session: what worked well and what did not • Experiment with new assignments and learning technologies – better to try something that doesn’t work than to keep doing the same thing repeatedly

45. Mechanisms of Curriculum Review • Internal: Departments and Curriculum Committee • External: Accreditation (Council on Social Work Education)

46. Curriculum Department responsibility: • to administer, plan and evaluate course offerings in their particular area; • to evaluate, revise and update curriculum delivery; • to develop and plan curriculum; • to present recommendations to the Curriculum Committee for changes in courses and in the ordering of courses; • to engage in such other activity as will further the objectives of the department and the School.

47. Curriculum Committee Purpose: The Curriculum Committee is charged with the general monitoring of the quality and integration of the total curriculum of the School and is responsible for making recommendations to the faculty for curriculum development, innovation, evaluation of the MSW Program, and changes associated with program assessment. Membership: (12) with voting privileges ensuring full-time faculty representation of the Departments : 5 full-time faculty, 1 full-time administrator representing Field Education, 1full-time faculty representing the Dual-degree Programs, The Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, 1 representative from Part-time Programs, 1 alumnus/a agency representative appointed by the Dean, 1 full-time second year student, 1continuing part-time student. Chairperson: The chairperson must be a full-time faculty member. The term of office for the chairperson shall be two (2) years. The chairperson shall be elected by the current membership of the Committee.

48. Curriculum Committee Elective Courses: Responsibility for elective courses is delegated to the departments, the Dean, and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. • Elective courses must be initiated through departments by faculty members in consultation with the chairperson. • If a course is approved and will be offered a third time, it shall be presented to the Curriculum Committee for approval and then presented to the faculty for a vote.

49. Program Assessment Committee Purpose: To develop methods of assessment of the curriculum to be used for continuous quality improvement and to address accreditation requirements. For example: Field education assessments, grade point averages, identification of specific assignments that demonstrate competencies in different areas (research, policy analysis, clinical intervention), pass rates of licensing exams after graduation. Caution: There is too much data available!!! Programs must make decisions on which existing data elements to utilize to assess their program.

50. Accreditation Federal and state governments have some accountability requirements imposed on institutions, but they generally have left the assessment of academic quality to institutions themselves through the self-study and peer review processes of accreditation. Source: Eckel, P.D. & King, J.E. (n.d.) An Overview of Higher Education in the United States: Diversity, Access, and the Role of the Marketplace. American Council on Education