Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill.). Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience
Dates
- Existence: 1987 - 1988
Biography
The Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience was established in May 1987 as a result of various discussions among the Deans, General Faculty Committee, and members of the Board of Trustees. It was headed by Provost Robert Duncan.
The Task Force included faculty members, students and administrators during the 1987-1988 academic year. It was chaired by Professor Bill Heyck, of the History Department.
The members of the Task Force had a two-day retreat in October 1987 to clarify the Task Force's objectives and procedures, build an agenda, plan the organization and data-gathering efforts, and schedule the work of its subcommittees. The Task Force was charged with assessing various undergraduate programs and activities and with making recommendations for improvements.
The Task Force was divided into Group A and Group B. Group A studied Curriculum and Pedagogy, and was divided into five focal groups: Quantitative Skills, Writing and Oral Communication, Pedagogy, Research, and Natural Science and Technology. Richard Wendorf, Associate Dean for Studies of the College of Arts and Science, served as chair of Group A.
Group B studied Student Life and Student Support, and was divided into five subcommittees: Resources, Housing and Residential Life, Alcohol and Drugs, Race Relations, and Public/Community Service. Kathleen Galvin, Professor of Speech, served as chair of Group B. There were four joint committees: Advising and Counseling, Introduction to Northwestern, Academic Integrity, and Mission Statement. The subcommittees and focal groups gathered data on their respective topics. The Task Force as a whole reviewed all assessments and recommendations from the subcommittees, and issued all the reports and recommendations.
Information was gathered using a variety of methods: readings on related topics, questionnaires, soliciting data from other colleges and universities, letters to members of faculty soliciting suggestions, and surveys.
In order to prepare for their work, members of the Task Force were asked to read several books and articles during the summer of 1987. They were also asked to write an essay on their "Best and Worst Experiences" at Northwestern University with an emphasis on undergraduate students or experiences.
The research phase of the Task Force's work was extensive. The Chair sent a "Dean's Questionnaire" to deans of the various schools requesting responses to fifty-five questions seeking information and opinions on a broad range of academic subjects. The Survey Research Laboratory at Northwestern conducted a student survey to establish facts relating to undergraduate life at the University and to elicit student opinion on particular issues. A faculty survey was also conducted.
Catalogs from thirty colleges and universities were used to compile data on issues addressed by the Task Force. Four external consultants were invited for a two-day visit to meet with the Task Force and with members of the subcommittees. Reports were then submitted.
The first draft of Report: Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience was distributed to Task Force members in August 1988 with a cover letter soliciting responses and suggestions. The second draft was distributed to members in September 1988. The final meeting of the Task Force was held on November 1, 1988.
Found in 1 Collection or Record:
Records of the Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience
The records of Northwestern University's Task Force on the Undergraduate Experience fill three boxes and span the years 1983-1988, with the bulk of the material dating between 1987 and 1988. Materials include research and reports conducted prior to the formation of the Task Force, and data gathered by the focal groups, subcommittees and joint committees of the Task Force.