The following project has been modified by Arnold Foelster.
Project Name
SAAAC - Syllabi Archiving
Project Sponsor
Amanda Knapp
Project Description
What is the syllabi archive initiative?
An initiative that will provide faculty with a mechanism to post syllabi for each course/each semester that would be archived into a central repository. The syllabi archive would be made accessible to individuals with a UMBC login. While it is not possible to establish a formal policy requiring all faculty to post syllabi at the end of each semester (intellectual property rights issues), it has been deemed important to pursue a mechanism to make the option available.
Some background: In Spring 2013, the SGA reached out to the ASEC and the ASAC to request consideration of a policy (require faculty to post syllabi) much like the one recently passed at the University of Maryland, College Park. Following various conversations, ASEC and ASAC agreed to support SGA in the initiative with the understanding that this will only be pursued as a technical option - not a formal policy.
The items that have changed are:
Status Summary:
Arnold, Pam and Amanda met with the Undergraduate Program Directors on November 17 and 18, 2015. Some very good feedback was received as noted in the UPD meeting minutes copied below. The goal is to launch a syllabi archive pilot in spring 2016 once some additional updates and testing have been completed.
Syllabi Archive Initiative Minutes from November 17 and 18 UPD Meeting
In 2012, the Student Government Association (SGA) reached out to the Academic Standards Advisory Committee (ASEC) to partner on a project that would allow for faculty to post syllabi into a UMBC-managed repository. It was their hope that access to typical course syllabi would help students to make informed decisions when selecting courses. The request from SGA was to model the policy that was implemented at the University of Maryland College Park.
After much conversation with the SGA, the Academic Standards Advisory Committee (ASAC), and the Academic Standards Executive Committee (ASEC), there was agreement that the initiative was worthwhile. In consultation with the Office of the General Counsel as it relates to intellectual property rights, there was agreement that any implementation would need to be optional for faculty.
There are benefits of a syllabi archive for faculty, departments, staff, and students. For instance, some departments have expressed an interest in having a syllabi repository for purposes of electronic management, instead of maintaining hard copy syllabi binders. It was also expressed that such a system would be useful during academic program reviews. Others have indicated that the syllabi archive could be useful for certain grant applications and for prospective students and faculty hires.
There will be clear disclaimers that any syllabi posted to the archive are samples only and that course requirements are subject to change.
Later, when the archive becomes robust, we will add a search by faculty. Until a significant number of faculty are included
Link to project summary in Project Tracker: Click Here
Project Name
SAAAC - Syllabi Archiving
Project Sponsor
Amanda Knapp
Project Description
What is the syllabi archive initiative?
An initiative that will provide faculty with a mechanism to post syllabi for each course/each semester that would be archived into a central repository. The syllabi archive would be made accessible to individuals with a UMBC login. While it is not possible to establish a formal policy requiring all faculty to post syllabi at the end of each semester (intellectual property rights issues), it has been deemed important to pursue a mechanism to make the option available.
Some background: In Spring 2013, the SGA reached out to the ASEC and the ASAC to request consideration of a policy (require faculty to post syllabi) much like the one recently passed at the University of Maryland, College Park. Following various conversations, ASEC and ASAC agreed to support SGA in the initiative with the understanding that this will only be pursued as a technical option - not a formal policy.
The items that have changed are:
Status Summary:
Arnold, Pam and Amanda met with the Undergraduate Program Directors on November 17 and 18, 2015. Some very good feedback was received as noted in the UPD meeting minutes copied below. The goal is to launch a syllabi archive pilot in spring 2016 once some additional updates and testing have been completed.
Syllabi Archive Initiative Minutes from November 17 and 18 UPD Meeting
In 2012, the Student Government Association (SGA) reached out to the Academic Standards Advisory Committee (ASEC) to partner on a project that would allow for faculty to post syllabi into a UMBC-managed repository. It was their hope that access to typical course syllabi would help students to make informed decisions when selecting courses. The request from SGA was to model the policy that was implemented at the University of Maryland College Park.
After much conversation with the SGA, the Academic Standards Advisory Committee (ASAC), and the Academic Standards Executive Committee (ASEC), there was agreement that the initiative was worthwhile. In consultation with the Office of the General Counsel as it relates to intellectual property rights, there was agreement that any implementation would need to be optional for faculty.
There are benefits of a syllabi archive for faculty, departments, staff, and students. For instance, some departments have expressed an interest in having a syllabi repository for purposes of electronic management, instead of maintaining hard copy syllabi binders. It was also expressed that such a system would be useful during academic program reviews. Others have indicated that the syllabi archive could be useful for certain grant applications and for prospective students and faculty hires.
There will be clear disclaimers that any syllabi posted to the archive are samples only and that course requirements are subject to change.
Later, when the archive becomes robust, we will add a search by faculty. Until a significant number of faculty are included
Link to project summary in Project Tracker: Click Here
