PLANNING PROCESS
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PLANNING PROCESS |
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May 29, 2002
9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m
University of
Wisconsin at Eau Claire
Present: Rita Kerr (Capital); Elaine Wendt (UWEC); Karen Solheim (UWEC); Marie-Luise Friedemann (FIU)
The German guests were delayed and scheduled to arrive
early afternoon due to a flight cancellation. Ed Freeman from FIU could not come
since he was attending a prescribed treatment course. Partners expressed their
concern.
Discussion about program and its future.
Courses are considered property of all partners. Partners are willing to share them after grant period is over. Wish to continue partnership was expressed.
Student exchange lags behind schedule since September 11.
Several Students scheduled for travel by all partners. Rita will request time
extension from FIPSE to meet the targets. Multilateral Agreement does not have a
termination date. Partners could continue exchanges. Grants would need to be
written for scholarships, not only for student exchange, but also faculty.
FIU has an approved Certificate in place. UWEC is planning to apply for a Certificate.
Capital is using the program as study concentrate. Its
future will depend on number students.
FIU is developing a marketing plan in order to enroll students nationwide. Also plans on opening the program up to other health related disciplines. UWEC also thinking of using Outreach for marketing. Partners will include Capital in their efforts.
In order to expand the program to other countries (e.g.
UWEC to Asia; FIU to Latin America; Capital to Africa), partners would write
grants as possible.
Discussion about courses.
UWEC is happy with the Interdisciplinary course. Last chat was scheduled at noon.
Student evaluations were favorable.
Culture course (Capital) was successful and valuable for students. Rita is working on a last module independently since the Roman counterpart of the course seems substantially different.
Family course was successful also. Video strips are now part of the web-program. Students enjoyed them very much and critiqued with insight.
Culture Immersion was offered every semester. FIU to do it
once more in Fall, Capital with Witten in the Spring. Students are having fun
with it and learn useful facts. Language training was offered by CD and tapes
with tutoring in German for outgoing students. European students seem proficient
in English.
It is hoped that transatlantic collaboration will increase. Experience of Witten and UWEC is excellent, there was common understanding and agreement about learning assignments. All courses included students from both continents. This enriched the experience for the students.
Discussion of
evaluation.
Karl Markgraf, consultant, outlined the procedure and materials needed. Evaluation will follow the objectives in the grant.
Rita will need the names and numbers of students in all courses from the partners.
Ronald Satz, Provost
Mark Clark, Dean of College of Professional Studies
Christopher Lind, Assistant Vice Chancellor for research and Sponsored Programs
Donald Zuetschel, Coordinator, University Research
Michael
Rindo, Executive Director, University Communication
Partners presented the program.
Discussion about expansion across disciplines.
Possibility of getting certain foundations (RW Johnson; Kellogg, etc.) interested was
discussed and will be pursued.
Administrators expressed support.
Adjourned to pick up German partners in Minneapolis.
3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire
Present: Rita Kerr (Capital); Elaine Wendt (UWEC); Marie-Luise Friedemann (FIU); Andreas Buescher (Witten); Elke Donath (Witten)
Discussion topics from the morning were shared with the German partners. There was agreement about sharing course when the term will be up and hope was expressed to continue exchanging students and possibly faculty.
The group discussed the importance of ongoing communication and of face-to face meetings while the grant continues twice a year. The German partners expressed enthusiasm about working together and thought the best model for the courses was the model followed by Eau Claire and Witten where there was team teaching a common course. They also found that cultural differences could be diminished by working out issues together and that all students benefited from the resulting course.
Hope was expressed that the separate development of courses in the U.S. and in Europe could lead to mutual sharing and working together to improve courses on both sides of the Atlantic. Possibly, the separate courses would become similar over time.
The group toured the facilities at Eau Claire and was impressed with the high-tech installations in the class rooms. To make mutual learning a reality, the partners could try video conferences. Eau Claire could be the leader in this venture. Even phone conferences at an agreed time could be very beneficial.
Evaluation was discussed. Elaine Wendt suggested that Eau Claire had staff who could transcribe the audio tape made in Muenster since Ed Freeman could not do it.
Marie-Luise Friedemann will inquire about the whereabouts of the tape. The question was raised about the evaluation questions used. Witten and Eau Claire are using the questions in a chat group from which they develop a summary. FIU and Capital will summarize the individual evaluation of students to also produce a summary. These summaries will constitute the basis for a publication.
Adjourned at 5 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by
Marie-Luise Friedemann, FIU