Standard Four
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Description
Overview of Boston University and Integrity of Academic Credit
From its roots as a Methodist seminary, Boston University has grown in multiple directions. The result today is an educational institution of extraordinary breadth and depth that blends the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. The following overview of Boston University’s growth provides a brief introduction to each of the 17 schools and colleges currently located on the Charles River and Medical campuses.
The School of Theology (STH), established in 1839, is Boston University’s founding school and the oldest United Methodist seminary in the country. STH played a central role in the development of the fields of philosophical theology, social ethics, missions and ecumenism, and pastoral psychology. It is a member of the Boston Theological Institute consortium and now enrolls more than 300 students in master’s and doctoral programs.
The School of Law (LAW) was established in 1872 by a group of educators, lawyers, law teachers, and jurists united by two beliefs: that a superior legal education requires instruction in the theory, analysis, and practice of law; and that educational opportunities should be available to anyone, with merit as the only test. Among its early graduates was the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts bar. The BU School of Law was the first law school in the United States to inaugurate a three-year course of study and to require an admissions examination. LAW currently enrolls more than 1,100 students in its master’s and doctoral programs.
Boston University’s distinctive College of Fine Arts (CFA) traces its beginnings to the founding in 1872 of our School of Music, the oldest degree-granting music program in the country. Today CFA also includes the School of Theatre and the School of Visual Arts, and enrolls approximately 1,700 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs.
The College of Liberal Arts—founded in 1873 and since renamed the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)—was also organized around the kernel of the School of Music. CAS is by far the University’s largest and most central teaching unit, offering more than 70 major concentrations and providing varying levels of core instruction in the liberal arts to students in all ten degree-granting undergraduate schools and colleges. Approximately 7,400 undergraduates and 1,900 graduate students are enrolled in CAS and the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GRS), respectively.
Boston University’s Medical Campus has a rich history dating back to the founding of the New England Female Medical College, the first institution in the world to offer medical education to women and the first to graduate a black woman physician, in 1848. The Medical College merged with Boston University in 1873 to become the School of Medicine (MED), the first coeducational medical school in the nation. The Medical Campus also comprises the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (SDM), founded in 1963, and the School of Public Health (SPH), founded in 1976. The three schools on our Medical Campus are known for the quality of their teaching and research as well as their emphasis on serving the community, particularly disadvantaged and indigent populations. Together, they enroll more than 3,000 students.
The College of Business Administration—now the School of Management (SMG)—was established in 1913, in part to attract more young men to Boston University. Nearly, 3,000 students are enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs at SMG today.
The School of Education (SED) was established in 1918 and today has more than 1,000 students in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. Then as now, SED looked for innovative ways to help professionals who are teaching full-time continue their own educations.
Similarly, Metropolitan College (MET) was founded in 1966 to meet the needs of adult learners and working professionals in the Boston area. MET has had success with both continuing and distance education, most recently as an international leader in online distance education programs. Enrollments increased by 30% between 2002 and 2004, with more than 4,000 students enrolled at the bachelor’s and master’s levels and in certificate programs today.
In 1929, Boston University incorporated into its programs the Sargent School of Physical Training, which was independently established in 1881. Renamed the College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College (SAR), it enrolls approximately 1,300 students at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.
The School of Social Work (SSW) grew out of a department in the now-defunct School of Religious Education and Social Work. It was established as a separate entity in 1940, one year after the American Association of the Schools of Social Work specified that professional training in social work should be undertaken exclusively at the graduate level. SSW currently enrolls more than 300 full- and part-time students in master’s and doctoral level programs.
The College of Communication (COM) began offering professional education in public relations, journalism, broadcasting, and film in 1947—only six years after standards for education in that field were first established. More than 2,300 undergraduate and graduate students are now enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s programs at COM.
In 1950, Boston University incorporated the independent College of Industrial Technology and expanded its focus, formerly limited to aeronautical engineering, into a standardized engineering curriculum. Renamed the College of Engineering (ENG) in 1963, it now offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs and enrolls more than 1,700 students.
The College of General Studies (CGS) was founded in 1952 on the model of Robert Maynard Hutchins’s core curriculum at the University of Chicago. Initially intended to recruit and educate veterans on the G.I. Bill, CGS today continues to provide an interdisciplinary, liberal arts core curriculum for undergraduates in their first two years; students then advance to another BU school or college to finish their degrees. Approximately 1,400 students are currently enrolled in CGS.
The University Professors Program (UNI) is an interdisciplinary program, which was established in 1972 to give talented students with a range of interests the opportunity to explore more than one field and to build bridges between disciplines. UNI is the smallest academic unit with just over 100 students enrolled in bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs. In 2007, the decision was made to close the University Professors Program; this decision will be discussed in more detail in the Projection subsection.
Since its founding as a division within Metropolitan College in 1981, the School of Hospitality Administration (SHA) has developed an undergraduate program combining a background in the liberal arts and management with hospitality coursework and fieldwork. The program is well respected by and thoroughly integrated with the hospitality industry, both locally and internationally. SHA, which currently enrolls approximately 375 students, became a freestanding academic unit at Boston University in 2002.
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The dean and faculty of each academic unit determine the curricula for individual degree programs, subject to review and approval by the Provost and President. Boston University’s use of a four-credit per course system is standard among research universities. Full-time students must complete between 12 and 18 credit hours per semester; typically, students are expected to take a 4/4 course load—that is, four courses in each of the fall and spring semesters—with some exceptions at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Course descriptions for all courses are updated annually and published in bulletins and on school and college websites. Course descriptions are also searchable online via the Student Link. Required courses are offered regularly in order to ensure that students are able to fulfill their degree requirements in a timely manner.
Once admitted, students are held to the clearly articulated and widely published degree requirements of their respective academic programs. Students are also expected to adhere to all relevant policies and procedures, such as those governing the acceptance of Advanced Placement and transfer credit, satisfactory progress toward the degree, withdrawals, leaves of absence, and readmission to programs; these policies are published in print and online. Academic advisors monitor each student’s record at the departmental or school/college level to ensure that he or she has met all pertinent degree requirements and is on track to graduate.
The integrity of individual grades earned is the responsibility of both students and faculty. Expectations for course credit are clearly outlined on class syllabi. The Code of Student Responsibilities, which is also published both in print and online, clearly outlines the University’s expectations concerning academic conduct:
The value of any grade, credit, honor, or degree received by a student presupposes that all work submitted by a student is his or her own. A student who uses or relies upon work of others or who, except under conditions expressly permitted by the instructor, furnishes assistance to another student violates the standards of the University. Students must insist upon academic honesty and integrity from their fellow students and must report promptly any case of alleged violation of academic conduct. Failure to do so is a violation of this code.
The resolution of matters involving academic conduct and standards is determined by the appropriate school, college, or program of the University through the procedures established by the dean and faculty. All such cases are subject to review and final determination—including determination of the sanction—by the Provost or his or her designated representative.
Faculty members determine grades based on the criteria articulated in their course syllabi. To ensure that grades are entered accurately, an electronic system allows faculty to input grades directly into the central student academic database.
As a small but growing number of courses and degree programs moves to an online format, Boston University is careful to maintain consistency in course content, programmatic requirements, and grading policies. The Office of Distance Learning in Metropolitan College, which has been at the vanguard of technologically mediated instruction, has partnered with several academic units in other schools and colleges to help design and create online certificate and degree programs at various levels. BU has also utilized outside firms specializing in distance education support and delivery. In both instances, the responsibility of Distance Learning and of outside firms is limited to technical support and marketing. Course content is provided solely by faculty in the relevant department or program.
Because the faculty members who develop each online course or degree program are the same faculty members who teach its on-campus equivalent, Boston University can be sure that distance learners receive the same quality of instruction and are held to the same standards for grading as on-campus students. In addition, many online programs include a residency requirement, which gives distance education students the opportunity to interact with faculty in person.
Each undergraduate school and college at Boston University accepts applications from transfer students, with two exceptions: the College of General Studies and the Science & Engineering Program within Metropolitan College, both of which offer carefully delineated and sequenced programs of study. Applications from prospective transfer students are reviewed by the Office of Admissions, which carefully evaluates credits amassed at other institutions. Admissions personnel review students’ transcripts in conjunction with the appropriate school or college, in order to identify analogous BU coursework before extending an offer of admission.
Residency requirements and policies related to the transfer of academic credit are determined by individual schools and colleges. In the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), for example, undergraduate students may transfer no more than 20 courses (80 credits) from other institutions; the residency requirement for CAS undergraduates consists of a minimum of 12 courses completed while registered as a full-time student during the junior and senior years, as well as full-time registration in CAS for the two consecutive semesters preceding graduation. Graduate students may petition to transfer a limited number of credits into a master’s or doctoral program. Policies on the transfer of academic credit are easily accessible in print and electronic copies of the Undergraduate Bulletin, as well as on individual school and college websites.
Undergraduate Degree Programs, including General Education and the Major
Ten academic units offer undergraduate degree programs; an eleventh unit, the College of General Studies, provides the general education portion of a bachelor’s degree for approximately 1,400 undergraduate students. In total, more than 16,000 undergraduates are enrolled in some 150 programs. The minimum number of credits required for a bachelor’s degree is 128. The distribution of these credits among major and general education requirements varies from school to school.
The range and depth of programmatic opportunities at Boston University appeals to many applicants, particularly those who have not yet decided on a major concentration. Students may be admitted to the College of Arts & Sciences or the College of General Studies, or directly into one of the professional schools. For all students, regardless of the school or college in which they are enrolled, the undergraduate program is built on a solid foundation of the liberal arts and sciences. In addition to fulfilling general education requirements, students are expected to take some combination of professional courses, courses to fulfill the major requirements, and electives. The rationale behind this approach is eloquently summarized by the College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), though it can also be accurately applied to the approach to undergraduate education taken by Boston University as a whole: “The CAS College Program offers the student the broad base of knowledge that is the mark of a liberally educated person and the in-depth study of a concentration suited to the student’s interests, abilities, and goals.”
Boston University currently awards six types of bachelor’s degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Liberal Studies. Students enroll in at least one of these degree programs. They may also complete the requirements for a minor concentration (including minors outside their school or college of registration; for example, a BA in Painting with a minor in French).
Undergraduates may also undertake a dual degree program by double-majoring in their school or college or by participating in the Boston University Collaborative Degree Program (BUCOP), which allows students to receive simultaneous bachelor’s degrees from two separate schools or colleges, provided that they complete a total of 136 credits and meet all requirements for each degree. BUCOP allows students to earn two different types of degrees simultaneously, for instance, a BA in English and a BS in Journalism. In dual bachelor’s/master’s programs, the last two years of undergraduate study are integrated with the first year of graduate work, eliminating duplication of coursework and often reducing the time required to earn the two degrees. This kind of combined undergraduate/graduate program can provide students with an advantage as they pursue employment, professional training, or doctoral studies. Four schools and colleges offer BA/MA, BS/MS, or BS/MPH programs. The College of Arts & Sciences also offers BA/DMD and BA/MD programs in collaboration with the School of Dental Medicine and the School of Medicine, respectively. College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College offers a BS/DPT for students entering the physical therapy field.
In all dual degree programs, students must be accepted into each program separately and fulfill the necessary degree requirements for both. A particular course offered by one program may be counted toward the fulfillment of requirements for both degrees, provided that faculty in the other program review the course and deem it equivalent to a comparable course in their own department. Course equivalencies are carefully and periodically reviewed by faculty to ensure that students meet the academic and professional standards for both degree programs.
General education requirements for breadth of study may be fulfilled in several ways, depending upon the college or school of enrollment. Students in the College of Arts & Sciences, who constitute a plurality of undergraduates, have two options: the Core Curriculum and the Divisional Studies program. The Core Curriculum is a signature interdisciplinary program consisting of eight integrated courses covering the arts, humanities, and natural and social sciences, which together provide a coherent overview of culture and thought from antiquity to the modern day. Biweekly lectures are complemented by small, faculty-led seminars three times a week. Natural science courses include a lab component in addition to seminars. The Core Curriculum takes up half of a student’s coursework in his or her first two years.
The Divisional Studies program offers students more flexibility, by allowing them to choose eight courses from a preselected list, two in each of the following subject areas: humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and mathematics and computer science. Divisional Studies courses are suitable for non-concentrators and serve as an introduction to a particular area of study. When applicable, Divisional Studies courses include direct experience with basic methods such as laboratory and fieldwork.
Students in the College of Arts & Sciences are also required to complete foreign language study through the fourth semester.
Most other undergraduate schools follow an adapted version of the general education framework in the College of Arts & Sciences. Common elements across all ten undergraduate schools include a foundation in the liberal arts through general education requirements and formal writing instruction. Instruction in composition is offered in large part through the CAS Writing Program, though undergraduate students in the College of Communication and the School of Management may elect to take writing and composition courses in COM and SMG respectively. Sargent College and the College of Fine Arts require students to take one semester of seminar-based writing instruction. All other undergraduate academic units require their students to take a full academic year (two semesters) of composition.
Students in the College of General Studies (CGS) fulfill their general education requirements by means of a highly structured two-year curriculum, which is taught through a system of team instruction. The extensive core curriculum, which is both interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary, is delivered in a systematic, coherent sequence that is designed to develop students’ writing, critical thinking, and persuasive communication skills. After CGS students complete the general education component of their bachelor’s degrees, which culminates in an extensive capstone project, they advance into one of the University’s other undergraduate schools and colleges in their junior year.
Major concentration requirements vary from department to department and school to school. Generally, a major consists of between nine and 18 vertically aligned courses designed to provide significant understanding and skills in a given area. Most major concentrations specify foundational coursework and then give students flexibility in choosing upper-level electives and/or a focused track within the concentration.
Expectations and requirements for the bachelor’s degree are clearly articulated and easily accessible in a number of print and electronic resources, including the Undergraduate Bulletin, school and college websites, departmental handbooks, and the degree audit system through the Student Link. The Undergraduate Bulletin also contains a wealth of other information useful for undergraduates, including policies and procedures.
Graduate Degree Programs
Boston University has a large number of graduate programs in 15 different schools and colleges, at both the master’s and doctoral levels. These programs, which may be research-oriented or professional/practice-oriented in nature, are differentiated by type of degree (e.g., the MS in Biomedical Engineering program is distinct from the MEng in Biomedical Engineering), requirements, and capstone experience.
Boston University currently offers 22 types of master’s degrees: Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Education, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Dentistry, Master of Music, Master of Engineering, Master of Business Administration, Master of Laws, Master of Social Work, Master of Sacred Music, Master of Sacred Theology, Master of Divinity, Master of Theological Study, Master of Liberal Studies, Master of Liberal Arts, Master of Mathematics for Teaching, Master of Urban Affairs, Master of City Planning, and Master of Criminal Justice. In addition, 11 of the 15 schools and colleges that offer graduate degrees have one or more dual degree programs which link a master’s degree with a bachelor’s degree, a second master’s degree, or a doctoral degree (either from the same academic unit or from another school or college at the University).
As a result of the wide array of offerings, it is difficult to generalize about the nature of the master’s degree at Boston University. Some master’s students are seeking a terminal degree, others plan to continue their studies at the doctoral level. The majority of master’s programs require some form of evaluation in addition to coursework, such as internships, practica or colloquia, performances, theses, and comprehensive exams.
Degree requirements, which are set by individual schools, generally include between 32 and 44 credit hours. The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences requires all master’s students to complete a minimum of 32 credit hours plus a comprehensive exam or thesis. Many programs have foreign language requirements as well.
The requirements for some programs are determined in part by outside licensure or accrediting bodies. As a result, these programs may specify a greater or lesser number of credit hours as appropriate. For instance, the 20 credit hours required by the School of Law for a master’s in Banking and Financial Law Studies and the 96 credit hours required by the School of Theology for the M.Div. both conform to the guidelines of the appropriate accrediting agencies. Other programs require clinical experience or internships, in addition to credit hours, in order to meet relevant accreditation and licensure requirements.
Thirteen schools and colleges at Boston University offer 13 different types of doctoral degrees: Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Science, Doctor of Medicine, Juris Doctor, Doctor of Musical Arts, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Doctor of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Business Administration, Doctor of Public Health, Doctor of Dental Medicine, Doctor of Ministry, and Doctor of Theology.
As befits the highest level of educational achievement, doctoral degrees are awarded only when candidates have met a rigorous set of academic requirements. Doctoral candidates (with the exception of students in clinial doctoral programs) must complete a dissertation presenting original research, together with some combination of the following: specified and elective coursework, demonstrated proficiency in one or more foreign languages, and a comprehensive examination in the respective discipline. Each school and college has a uniform set of requirements for all of its doctoral programs, with only minor variations from unit to unit. All doctoral candidates must defend their dissertations before a committee of scholars in their fields.
As in a number of master’s programs, some doctoral programs structure their degree requirements around standards set by outside licensing and accrediting agencies. In a small number of instances, the doctoral degree itself is accepted for licensure; these include the specialization in Pastoral Psychology in Religious Studies; Business Administration; the clinical track in Audiology; Musical Arts; and all programs in the School of Theology. The requirements and standards of each doctoral program are clearly articulated in several print and online publications, including relevant school, college and departmental websites, and the appropriate graduate bulletin. Many departments also put together handbooks for their graduate students reiterating degree requirements, policies, and procedures.
Doctoral degree programs are divided into post-master’s and post-bachelor’s programs. Students may enter a post-master’s program after earning a master’s degree at Boston University or elsewhere, or they may enter a post-bachelor’s doctoral program (often with the option of earning a master’s degree en route). The time to complete a doctoral degree varies widely across the disciplines, according to the nature of the scholarship and the availability of financial support in the form of teaching fellowships and research assistantships, which may affect a student’s ability to pursue graduate study full-time. The time to complete a post-bachelor’s doctoral program is typically four to six years. In the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine, there is a time limit of seven years after initial registration for a student to complete a post-bachelor’s doctoral program, and five years for a post-master’s program. Students who need more time must petition annually for an extension. The College of Engineering has a five-year limit for both post-bachelor’s and post-master’s programs.
The post-master’s doctoral degree requires completion of at least 32 credits, and the post-bachelor’s doctoral degree requires at least 64 credits. There is variation from program to program in the fraction of these credits that can be met through research activities (as distinguished from academic classes or seminars). In a typical post-bachelor’s program, at least half of the total number of credit hours must be earned through academic coursework.
A minimum residency requirement of two consecutive semesters of full-time study is standard in most doctoral programs. Generally, students are required to be registered each term until completion of the program, unless they are on an approved leave of absence. Those who have completed course requirements may register for continuing study status with full-time certification while completing their doctoral research.
Development and Periodic Review of the Academic Program
The number and configuration of schools and colleges at Boston University has remained essentially the same over the last few decades, though plans are currently in place to close one academic unit, the University Professors Program (UNI). The rationale behind UNI’s closure, and the University’s plan to meet its commitments to students currently enrolled in the program, is discussed in the Projection subsection.
Where interests and programmatic advances have warranted, some departments have been reconfigured and reorganized; the Department of Modern Foreign Languages & Literatures, for instance, recently split into two departments: Modern Languages & Comparative Literatures and Romance Studies. At the program level, curricula across all units have been subject to regular review and modification in order to keep pace with advances in knowledge and changes in licensure or accreditation requirements. The careful processes by which curricular changes are proposed, developed, reviewed, and implemented are used to ensure the quality and rigor of academic programs at Boston University.
Entirely new degree programs may be proposed for one of several reasons: the emergence of a new field of inquiry, a confluence of faculty interest across several departments and disciplines, or a groundswell of interest among students. Proposals for new degrees may be put forward by faculty or administrators in an academic unit. In 1995, the University Council approved a procedure requiring new programs (that is, major concentrations and degrees not previously offered at Boston University) to undergo multiple reviews at the departmental, school/college, and University levels.
Typically, the department proposing a new degree program will undertake an initial review to determine the proposed program’s structure and degree requirements, its compatibility or overlap with existing programs, and the resources needed to implement the proposed program. If the proposal is endorsed by the department, it is then reviewed by an Academic Policy Committee at the school or college level (which may be a standing or ad hoc committee, depending upon the unit) and the dean. The vote of the full unit faculty is also required. After that, the proposal is forwarded to the University Provost, who may endorse, reject, or return the proposal for revision or more information. Once endorsed by the University Provost, the proposal moves on for consecutive review by the Council of Deans, Faculty Council, and University Council Committee on Academic Policies. Through this extensive vetting process, proposed programs are assessed based on their rigor, coherence of structure, and relationship to existing programs; their centrality to the mission of the academic unit and the University as a whole; projected enrollments; the estimated resources required to implement the program; and the common standards for that type of degree.
The review of existing programs can take a number of forms. Reviews may be mandated by outside accrediting agencies or they may constitute part of the academic unit’s strategic planning or decanal recruitment. Programs in the schools of Engineering, Law, Management, and Social Work all undergo periodic review in order to stay abreast of any required changes by the appropriate accrediting agencies. In the past few years, the School of Education and the College of Communication have both undergone external reviews as precursors to the recruitment of deans, in order to provide each incoming dean with an objective account of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and limitations of the school.
In addition, Boston University has begun utilizing the Board of Overseers and other advisory bodies at the school and college level to review programs and units. So far Metropolitan College and the College of General Studies have undergone Overseer-led reviews to assess their strengths and weaknesses within the context of the strategic plan for Boston University. The review of Metropolitan College (MET) was undertaken by a combination of Overseers and members of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Board. After several months of study, the review team produced a report assessing the quality of MET programs, the soundness of its strategies for creating new programs, and the caliber of its distance education programs. These results were presented to the President, Provost, and the full Board of Overseers in May 2008. A similar review of the College of General Studies in fall 2008 led to a report in December 2008, which has been presented to the President, University Provost, and Overseers and which will ultimately go to the Board of Trustees in the spring of 2009. Overseer-led reviews have given the deans of Metropolitan College and the College of General Studies material with which to stimulate conversations about new directions for growth, ways to shore up real and perceived weaknesses, and to assess programs against peer institutions.
Finally, there are individual initiatives within schools and colleges to review their programs, as well as an incipient undertaking by the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research to review all graduate programs on a five-year cycle. Annual updates to the undergraduate and graduate bulletins ensure that new programs and changes to existing programs are reflected in all published resources concerning degree requirements.
Assessment of Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness
Expectations for student learning are consistent with the mission of Boston University, which at its most distilled can be summarized as a commitment to excellence and inclusiveness in education, and to meaningful engagement with the wider community. Boston University maintains high standards for its faculty, students, and programs, and utilizes multiple methods to assess learning. The faculty and administration support a broad-based approach to student learning that encompasses both traditional measures of learning (such as course grades, comprehensive examinations, graduation rates, licensure passage rates, scholarships and fellowships received, and publications) as well as internships and other fieldwork experiences, performance and portfolio development, and research experience in both basic science and clinical settings.
Appraisal
Overview of Boston University and Integrity of Academic Credit
As even a brief overview of Boston University’s history and growth shows, the University has continuously sought out new ways to offer a high quality educational experience based on a sound liberal arts foundation, often in combination with professional training. Boston University is also distinguished for its commitment to providing educational opportunities to a diverse student body, including continuing and distance education learners.
Boston University maintains direct control and sole responsibility for the academic quality of all its programs, whether on campus or online, and provides adequate resources to maintain quality in both formats. Courses are designed and taught by Boston University faculty, and coursework is evaluated by BU faculty. Residency requirements and restrictions on transfer credits are used to ensure that a Boston University degree is in fact just that.
The configuration of Boston University’s schools and colleges has remained unchanged for the last decade; however, changes are planned for the near future, which are described in the Projection subsection. Any one of the 17 schools or colleges may develop new programs, sometimes in collaboration with another academic unit. Proposed degree programs undergo a thorough process of review. By evaluating proposed programs at several levels of University governance, Boston University ensures that degree requirements are appropriate, rigorous, and in line with the institution’s mission.
Undergraduate Degree Programs, including General Education and the Major
Learning outcomes figure prominently in the design, review, and revision of majors. Departments are required to provide a detailed rationale for each proposed program, including a description of how it complements existing programs and fills a gap in the University’s curricula. “Industry standards” for comparable programs at peer institutions and relevant information on requirements for graduate school admission are also taken into account. Learning outcomes are measured by means of Work for Distinction theses, capstone seminars and projects, individual and team performances in disciplinary competitions, exit assessment surveys, licensure and professional examination passage rates, and percentages of students who go on to further study in graduate or professional schools.
The School of Management (SMG), for instance, undertook a comprehensive review of its undergraduate curriculum in academic year 2007–08. The review utilized student satisfaction data, feedback from alumni and employers of SMG graduates, and information on competitor programs. Reviewers found that students in the School of Management would benefit from a strengthened mathematics requirement, more flexibility in the curriculum, a resequenced series of finance coursework, and more global learning experiences. The School of Management is addressing each of these modifications. In addition, the academic year 2008–09 has seen the College of Arts & Sciences begin a planned self-study review of all majors offered by the College.
Graduate Degree Programs
Proposals for new graduate programs are put through a rigorous review process. Once vetted at the unit level, successful proposals must be seen and approved by the Office of the Provost, Council of Deans, Faculty Council, University Council Committee on Curriculum and Academic Practices, and eventually the full University Council. The faculty of each program or subconcentration has the autonomy to specify curricular and degree requirements, as long as requirements conform to the standards set by their respective schools and colleges. This process is designed to ensure that new graduate programs are rigorous and coherent; it also aims to avoid duplication of effort and to foster cooperation across academic units.
Boston University has been prudent in its growth of graduate programs. Six schools and colleges offer graduate degrees only. In the other eleven academic units, graduate programs are clearly distinguished from undergraduate programs in terms of requirements, level and difficulty of coursework, and the scope of qualifying and comprehensive examinations, fieldwork, and research. Students may not apply undergraduate credit toward graduate programs. Faculty members are often involved in the training of both undergraduate and graduate students, but expectations for the two student populations are appropriately different.
As a research university, Boston University expects full-time faculty to engage in scholarly and creative activities which complement and inform their work in the classroom. Externally funded research projects offer a number of opportunities for students to gain firsthand experience in laboratories and archives. For a large number of undergraduates, involvement in faculty-led research is facilitated by the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). For students in professional programs, practica and other fieldwork experiences are overseen by faculty and carefully aligned with the curriculum.
Each department has specific admissions criteria for graduate students, including GRE or GRE subject test scores; TOEFL scores for applicants whose first language is not English; undergraduate (and, if applicable, previous graduate) GPAs; writing samples; letters of reference; and statements of intent.
In order to successfully complete a graduate program at Boston University, students must demonstrate that they have acquired a knowledge base and skill set that matches the program’s objectives. Student learning is assessed by means of theses and dissertations; qualifying and comprehensive exams; dramatic performances; supervised experiences (e.g., internships, practica, or fieldwork); and capstone projects. Other measures of graduate student success include: the number of students funded through external fellowships, number of papers submitted to and accepted by conferences and publications, and career placement. Recently, Boston University submitted data to the National Research Council (NRC) survey to assist in the assessment of our graduate student training and the development of new programs in the future.
There is a mandate from the President to conduct regular, comprehensive evaluations of the quality and curricula of graduate programs. The Office of the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research has been charged with instituting a review process for graduate programs on the Charles River Campus. For the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, this task has been delegated to the Dean. On the Medical Campus, the Office of the Dean has conducted an evaluation of its Basic Medical Sciences program and the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.
Development and Periodic Review of the Academic Program
Programmatic review at a number of levels ensures that course and degree offerings at Boston University are up to date and of high quality. External reviews by the Board of Overseers, school and college advisory bodies, and teams composed of faculty from other institutions are also used to assure the continued quality and relevance of programs.
With undergraduate programs in particular, it is vital to balance breadth and depth of study in order to allow students the flexibility to discover and explore new interests. For some programs, such as the BA in Marine Science, it has proved challenging to set degree requirements that cover a sufficient number of the relevant basic science courses and also leave students with a fair number of electives. To help achieve this balance, the review process for new degree proposals brings in a number of different perspectives. Faculty members from inside and outside the proposing department ensure that the course selection is rigorous and thorough, while allowing students space to pursue electives; the Academic Policy Committee and dean in each school or college help to identify an appropriate mix of components within the degree; the University Provost and Provost of the Medical Campus consider whether the proposed program aligns with the mission and priorities of the larger institution; the Council of Deans and Faculty Council consider the program’s relation to existing programs; and the University Council Committee on Academic Policies takes into account all of these issues.
Assessment of Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness
Several programs at Boston University are leading the way in effective assessment of student learning, including the College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program; the College of General Studies’ capstone experience; the College of Arts & Sciences’ independent Work for Distinction option; and the College of Engineering’s senior design project. A brief description of each follows.
CAS Writing Program: The College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program was established in 2001 to offer topic-based writing instruction to undergraduates. The program is based on a two-course seminar sequence consisting of WR 100, a course in rigorous reading and academic writing, and WR 150, a research-based writing course. All incoming students, regardless of SAT score or AP credit, must take at least one semester of writing. Most take two. Students’ writing ability is assessed at Summer Orientation by means of the Boston University Writing Assessment (BUWA). On the basis of BUWA scores, students are assigned to WR 100, indicating average writing ability; WR 150, for students who already display evidence of close reading and thoughtful prose; or to one of three preparatory courses that focus on the basics of writing (WR 097, 098, or 099). Upon completion of any WR course, an exit BUWA is administered to evaluate the overall improvement in writing skills for each student and student cohort. The exam itself is currently being assessed and may be modified in the future. Though the Writing Program is housed in the College of Arts & Sciences, it provides instruction to nearly all undergraduates at Boston University, regardless of the school or college in which they are enrolled.
CGS Capstone Project: Students who complete the general education portion of their undergraduate degree in the College of General Studies must participate in the CGS capstone experience. Having been instructed for two years by teams of faculty in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and rhetoric, CGS students work in teams of five or six to prepare an interdisciplinary 50-page policy paper. Teams must then defend their policy paper before faculty members in a two-hour oral examination. The capstone project requires students to work collaboratively as well as to demonstrate their research capabilities, writing skills, and ability to formulate effective arguments.
CAS Work for Distinction: Students in the College of Arts & Sciences who wish to conduct an in-depth investigation of a topic relating to their major or minor concentration may complete an independent Work for Distinction project. Approximately 100 students elect to complete Work for Distinction projects annually.* Students typically complete Work for Distinction over two semesters in their senior year. Independent study is supplemented by regular meetings with a faculty supervisor, though the hallmark of Work for Distinction is the way in which projects are conceived and created by students. Work for Distinction culminates in a thesis and oral examination before a faculty committee. Students gain valuable research skills and benefit from having completed a sustained research project comparable in length and quality to an M.A. thesis.
ENG Senior Design Project: The senior design project in the College of Engineering calls for students to work independently or in small groups to analyze an engineering problem, design a viable solution, and present that solution to the ENG community. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of the undergraduate program. Approximately 260 ENG students complete a capstone senior design project each year, with a focus in one or more of the following areas: computer systems; aerospace, mechanical, biomedical, electrical, or manufacturing engineering. Recent projects have led to the development of an eMouse that can sense motion and avoid predators; a car that can parallel park itself using sensors, circuitry, and programming; a satellite that would research magnetosphere phenomena generated by a high-intensity magnet onboard; a prototype paraplegic snowboard system; an analog brain–computer interface; and an analysis of manufacturing production processes to move products more quickly from the prototype stage to mass production.
Projection
Overview of Boston University and Integrity of Academic Credit
Following a review of the University Professors Program (UNI) in 2007, which found that dwindling enrollments and a departure from UNI’s initial mission had made the program unsustainable, the President announced that the program would be closing. All UNI students who were offered admission prior to the decision to close the program, as well as those in the process of earning their degrees, will finish as planned. All UNI faculty members have appointments in at least one other department; each will retain the title of University Professor until 2011, when the last class of UNI undergraduates is expected to graduate, and then return to their primary appointment.
Undergraduates who are interested in exploring the boundaries of knowledge across a number of disciplines in the humanities, sciences, arts, and the professions may soon have the option to enroll in New College, a proposed four-year undergraduate honors program designed to introduce students to research topics and both new and traditional methodologies ranging from editorial practices to digital media. The proposed curriculum—which is now under discussion by the faculty and can be integrated with any major in any other school or college at Boston University—would feature two freshman seminars under the title “Approaching the World”; a sophomore lecture series called “Architecture of Discovery”; a summer research internship following the sophomore year; a one-semester junior-year course called “Proposal and Performance”; and a complementary keystone research project during the senior year, for a total of 28 credits earned in New College. If New College is approved, approximately 200 students will be accepted into the program the first year, for a total enrollment of 800 students from the fourth year.
There are no plans to change the awarding of academic credit at Boston University. Degree programs and courses will continue to be developed by BU faculty, courses will continue to be taught by BU faculty, and student work will continue to be evaluated by BU faculty. Whether courses are taught in the traditional classroom setting or through online distance learning, on campus or abroad through International Programs, students will be expected to meet the same high academic requirements.
Undergraduate Degree Programs, including General Education and the Major
Another direct outgrowth of Boston University’s recent strategic plan was the formation of a Task Force on Undergraduate Education, chaired by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education. Convened during the summer of 2008, the task force was asked:
- to articulate the general education requirements and other elements common to all undergraduate schools and colleges that constitute the Boston University undergraduate educational experience;
- to ensure that this foundation is incorporated into all academic units and to find ways to integrate it into the University’s residential and co-curricular programs;
- to identify particular learning goals, as well as strategies to implement and measure these goals; and
- to help remove any institutional, administrative, and philosophical barriers that may limit students’ ability to take full advantage of the curricular and extracurricular activities offered at Boston University.
The Task Force on Undergraduate Education includes both undergraduate student leaders and distinguished faculty members from a number of schools and colleges. The task force is expected to produce a report and a set of recommendations in the spring of 2009. In the meantime, the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education has developed a website to post background reading that is informing the task force’s work, to invite feedback, and in general to facilitate a dialogue between the task force and the BU community. Several units are also in the process of independently examining the undergraduate experience in their school or college, with particular emphasis on the first year.
Graduate Degree Programs
In the 2007–08 academic year, Boston University began to develop a process for evaluating graduate programs. When implemented, this process is intended to eliminate duplication among programs and leverage resources and talent across departments, colleges, schools, and campuses to improve existing programs. It will also be used to develop a uniform model for graduate student funding and to achieve greater funding equity among related disciplines, in order to recruit the most talented students. Finally, periodic evaluation of graduate programs will be closely tied to an ongoing effort to establish procedures and metrics for reviewing all of Boston University’s graduate programs on a five-year cycle.
In addition to a thorough review of curricula, any assessment of graduate programs will necessarily require evaluators to measure both the scholarly productivity and pedagogical efficiency of faculty in each program, and to track student success both during and after their time at Boston University. To this end, the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research recently convened a task force charged with developing a quantitative study of faculty and student productivity. The study will utilize data provided by Boston University’s Office of Institutional Research (which maintains a wealth of statistical data on BU and peer institutions) and by an outside firm, Academic Analytics, which compiles information on publications, citations, prizes and awards, and external funding. To supplement this information, the Associate Provost and Vice President for Research also plans to conduct an online longitudinal study of graduate students on both the Charles River and Medical campuses.
Discussions about how best to review and evaluate graduate programs have already begun to help shape the development of a targeted institution-wide research strategy. This strategy will invest in a number of specific traditional and interdisciplinary areas, many of which correspond to important issues in society today: the role of religion in modern society; the development and use of quantitative tools that can be applied to social sciences and public policy; globalization and sustainability; energy and the environment; and interdisciplinary integrative approaches to the life sciences and medicine (particularly, approaches relating to neuroscience and neurological diseases, infectious diseases, molecular and nanoscience). Disciplinary and interdisciplinary research focused on timely issues will provide graduate students with unique intellectual and career opportunities and allow Boston University to compete with research institutions of the highest caliber both across the country and around the world. Two recently established groups, the University Research Council and its administrative counterpart, the Research Strategy Group, are currently identifying ways to facilitate interactions and collaborations among different departments, schools, colleges, and campuses.
Boston University is keenly aware that the development of interdisciplinary programs must not come at the expense of traditional disciplines and departments. Accordingly, curricula and degree requirements for new interdisciplinary programs will be designed to ensure that students have a foundation in at least one of the relevant disciplines on which to build a broad knowledge of the interdisciplinary area of study. Sufficient resources will be allocated to traditional departments to ensure that they remain strong and vibrant.
Development and Periodic Review of the Academic Program
The University Council Committee on Academic Policies is currently considering ways to streamline the process of instituting new degree programs while preserving the rigor and thoroughness of the current review procedure. One possibility now under consideration is the creation of a two-stage process, in which units are initially asked to submit an abstract rather than a full degree proposal. Abstracts would prevent departments from potentially spending significant amounts of time and effort on a degree proposal that may not be aligned with the University’s mission and priorities or may overlap with an existing program in another school or college. It would also allow proposals to be circulated broadly and to receive constructive criticism in the early stages of program development.
Assessment of Student Learning and Institutional Effectiveness
At present, Boston University can lay claim to few standard instruments of formal assessment of student success that are used uniformly across the institution, and the University recognizes that there is room for improvement. As the work of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and the Task Force on Undergraduate Education progresses, the University will have a clearer definition of what it is that every Boston University undergraduate is expected to know and be able to do by the time he or she graduates. Only after student outcomes have been clearly articulated at the institutional level, rather than at the departmental level, will it be possible to design and implement assessment mechanisms across the board.
In terms of department-specific learning outcomes and measures of student success, a number of programs and departments are setting the trend with continuous, calculable assessment. The examples given earlier include the College of Arts & Sciences Writing Program and the Work for Distinction option; the College of General Studies capstone experience; and the College of Engineering’s senior design project. Another example of continuous assessment—and of a learning outcome closely tied to a specific discipline—can be found in the College of Fine Arts, where students are required to meet regularly with advisors in addition to undergoing periodic reviews in the form of recitals, performances, or exhibitions.
At present, there is particular interest among faculty and administrators at Boston University in the use of instructional technology to assess and track student learning. Among the projects being considered are an expanded student response system (“clickers”) for use in lecture settings, and an ePortfolio program that would allow students to chart, document, and reflect on their learning over the course of a degree program. The use of technology in and out of the classroom is currently the subject of an ongoing discussion among deans, faculty members, and the Office of the Provost.
*The actual numbers have varied since independent Work for Distinction was dropped as a requirement for Latin honors in AY 2005–06, though they are starting to rise again.
