Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008

Reformed GE lists almost complete

A movement to have all undergraduate schools at UCLA abide by a general education requirement foundation paralleling that of the UCLA College is almost complete, as the UCLA School of Engineering and Applied Science plans on finalizing their revisions this spring.

The UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the UCLA School of Arts and Architecture have already approved and implemented a reconstruction of their GE requirements that parallel the foundation areas and course list found in the UCLA College.

Though the School of Engineering has decided to adopt the general framework of the UCLA College’s GE requirements, what is left to vote on is the course list from which engineering students can choose, said Professor Harold Monbouquette, chair of the Faculty Executive Committee of the School of Engineering.

“We could accept the UCLA College course list – it is likely that we do, but we (Faculty Executive Committee) have not voted on it yet,” Monbouquette said.

The substantial 2001 UCLA College GE reform, and changes in the Engineering Accreditation Board requirements, encouraged the School of Engineering to update its current GE structure.

Though the schools are closer to sharing a common general education foundation, the status of a proposed diversity requirement, which was voted down by the faculty of the UCLA College in fall 2004, continues to be stagnant in all four schools.

Since its defeat by the UCLA College’s faculty members, no new advancements have taken place.

“As far as I know, it has no official status at the moment,” said Kathleen Komar, chair of the Academic Senate. “I suspect people want to wait a while before they resurrect it.”

Professor Raymond Knapp, head of the GE Governance Committee, added that the previous proposal for a diversity requirement has to be changed in order for it to be justifiable to bring to another vote in the UCLA College. He is hopeful the FEC of the UCLA College will bring it to a vote next year, he said.

As for the School of Engineering, Monbouquette said that he is adopting a “wait-and-see attitude” regarding the inclusion of a diversity requirement.

“It has not been taken up formally by the Faculty Executive Committee (of the School of Engineering),” Monbouquette said, adding that it is currently unlikely given that it did not go through the UCLA College.

Monbouquette said the school’s main concern is that engineering students may have to take extra classes. He also said implementing a diversity requirement is something the school will certainly look at if it fits into the GE framework.

Discussion regarding the diversity requirement is ongoing among the faculty of both the School of Theater, Film and Television and the School of Arts and Architecture, but no official actions have been planned in the advancement of the requirement, administrators said.