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News and Updates
Program consolidation is proceeding as outlined in the revised Students First plan adopted by the Board of Regents in June, which includes two primary goals related to curriculum:
- Aligning program curricula to provide a common and consistent high-quality higher education, enabling students to take courses on different campuses without concerns about course transfer or conflicting program requirements
- Establishing a common General Education curriculum that is more efficient to navigate for students
As defined in the BOR plan, faculty workgroups from each academic discipline will lead this program consolidation work. The first round of program consolidation began on November 2 with a convening of existing faculty workgroups at Manchester Community College. These workgroups are focused on TAP programs and will:
- Consolidate existing TAP programs
- Consolidate non-TAP certificates and degrees in the TAP disciplines
- Align courses such as prerequisites
More workgroups will be formed as program consolidation unfolds in three rounds, with the final round scheduled to conclude in December 2020. For more information, see the timeline on the last page of the revised Students First plan
Meanwhile, a General Education workgroup has developed a proposal for a common General Education core. This workgroup, established in the spring, includes eighteen members - one elected by each of the twelve colleges, and six representatives of the Students First Academic and Student Affairs Consolidation Committee (SFASACC). This team worked through the summer and their proposal was distributed to all colleges earlier this fall for feedback. That feedback period is ongoing. Please submit your feedback by December 1 to the elected Gen Ed representative from your campus, listed below.
Both program consolidation and redefining the General Education Core are critical to the implementation of Guided Pathways in our system. As faculty workgroups build common programs, they are using program mapping guidelines designed by the faculty, staff and administrators on our Maps and Plans team to ensure that Guided Pathways principles are at the heart of the newly developed programs. This design provides each student with the information and support they need to get on an academic plan and then either stay on that plan or set a new one that's a better fit for their goals.
Background and Key Terms
When the first Pathways colleges began their work across the U.S., a primary design principle was that "the redesign process starts with student end goals for careers and further education in mind and 'backward maps' programs and supports to ensure that students are prepared to thrive in employment and education at the next level." Read more about that history
Individuals from your campus
Each campus has an elected representative to the General Education workgroup. If you have feedback on the general education core proposal please contact the representative from your campus:
- Joseph Berenguel, Asnuntuck
- Bob Brown, Tunxis
- Michael Buccilli, Gateway
- Emily Canto, Middlesex
- John Christie, Capital
- Lauren Doninger, Gateway
- Sandra Eddy, Naugatuck Valley
- Ken Klucznik, CSCU
- Maribel Lopez, Gateway
- Catherine Milton, Norwalk
- Jane O'Grady, Northwestern CT
- Jamilet Ortiz, Housatonic
- Erin Pagano, Quinebaug Valley
- Christopher Paulin, Manchester
- Ronald Picard, Naugatuck Valley
- Fran Rosselli-Navarra, Manchester
- Michael Stutz, Three Rivers
- Heidi Zenie, Three Rivers
Getting involved
Given the volume of work in front of us, we are regularly building teams to engage in this effort. In building these teams, we aim to include faculty, staff, and administrators with diverse perspectives and skills. If you are interested in joining one of these teams, contact successcenter@ct.edu.
In our next issue:
In CSCU Student Success Update #3, which we'll email in December, we'll look at some of the efforts underway to help students choose their pathway and move toward their goals, including a look at meta-majors, a College and Career Success course, and recent developments in TAP.
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