For three years, Ohio University's University College has helped seniors needing to fill their Tier III requirement, but a debate over Tier III's efficiency continues.
Last week, OU Faculty Senate rejected a replacement to OU's tier system, but assigned the Educational Policy and Student Affairs Committee (EPSA) to investigate future changes.
As of now, the interdisciplinary Tier III requirement remains, and graduating seniors have had to find a place in the 22 sections offered Spring Quarter.
¥David Descutner, dean of University College, said UC has created temporary solutions to the Tier III problem.
We have saved seats to go strictly to graduating seniors
and asked that Honors Tutorial College students not register for Tier III Descutner said. Right now we don't have enough Tier III courses to handle student demand so we continually have to go to this damage approach.
Tier III course offerings are not accommodating student demand partly because not all colleges are offering courses, Descutner said. The OU registrar currently lists no Spring Quarter Tier III courses from the College of Communication or the College of Education.
If Tier III is going to continue
we're going to have to have more colleges offering courses
Descutner said.
Though the disparity between student demand and Tier III course offerings has been a recent issue,¥Margret Appel, chair of University Curriculum Council, said Tier III has been a point of contention with faculty and administrators since its creation nearly 25 years ago as an interdisciplinary experience for seniors.
¥Professor Charles Buchanan, who will teach a Tier III art course Spring Quarter, said students taking the courses are often divided on Tier III's usefulness.
Some students...appreciate the fact that they have this opportunity
Buchanan said. Then there's another group of students who are there simply because there's a requirement and they have to take it. Many feel that it's not necessary in their overall picture of what education is about.
Professor ¥David Ingram, who chairs the EPSA committee, said another Tier III problem results from recent efforts to provide more seats in courses.
Some professors have agreed to increase enrollment
but that's really taken away from the philosophy of the class
Ingram said.
Though no decision on the future of Tier III will be made immediately, many are divided on its future.
Descutner of University College said he would prefer to see Tier III removed and substituted with a capstone course, a required synthesis course for some student's majors.
Buchanan said that, despite enrollment problems, Tier III should stay.
I think it's a good idea having a capstone class that is interdisciplinary in nature
Buchanan said. It allows students to get beyond their discipline's focus to see how things are related outside disciplines.
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