Critical & Creative Thinking Graduate Program, 07-08

 

Numbers

15 M.A. students and 1 certificate student matriculated in 07-08.  (Compared with 9 matriculants in M.A. program last year and an average over the previous three years of 13±2.)

 

As of April Õ08, there were 32 students in M.A. program and 3 in certificate program.

7 of the 32 had completed all course work and were working, some with significant life/family interruptions, on completing their capstone syntheses.

2 of the 32 graduated in May/June and 6 more plan for August degrees.

In addition, 3 graduated in December 07.

Synthesis topics ranged from ÒFrom humor in the workplace to humor as a means of healing from lossÓ by Sheryl Savage, a community college administartor, to ÒMeaning through metaphor: Visual dialogue and the picturing of abstraction,Ó by John Quirk, a Dean of Students at a boarding school.

Anticipated M.A. matriculants for Fall Õ07 = 7±2  + 2 certificate students

 

Developments 07-08

 

1.  The highest priority for CCT is providing the teaching, advising, mentoring, and a coherent program of study for students, and support for alums in their intellectual, professional, and personal development. 

 

A. The biggest challenge in this regard is to ensure coverage of CCT teaching and administration given that the GCE has no plan to seek authorization for a search for a second regular (tenure-track) member of CCT and is not committed at this point to continuation of a CCT lectureship (50% or 100%) after Nina GreenwaldÕs position ends in August 2009.

 

  1. We prepared a multi-year plan that ensures that matriculated students can still be served (Attachment A).  This involves the required courses being offered 1 semester in 3 and electives being offered every 2nd year.  The main gap that needs to be filled after AY08-09 is funding for a dynamic, well-qualified instructor for the core course, CrCrTh 602 Creative Thinking, after Nina GreenwaldÕs appointment ends (or the course is shifted to CCDE after Nina GreenwaldÕs appointment ends).
  2. We clarified the administrative division of labor (Attachment B).[1]  The biggest gaps in this regard are whether: a 100% replacement will be funded whenever Peter Taylor (as the only professor full-time in CCT) takes leave; whether CCT faculty members from CLA can serve as Program coordinator; and staff assistance for the program coordinator with the myriad of particular administrative needs of a small program.   The 1 section/year course release for program coordinators ("PAL"s) established in Spring 08 is a positive development.  In addition, funding is being cobbled together to support 10 hours/week assistance, 11 months/year for one of the GAs, Jeremy Szteiter, who is committed to serving CCT and the CCT Network (see f below) for at least a year after he graduates.  This continuity ensures a payoff for the time invested in training him.
  3. Coordination with the non-licensure track of the M.Ed. program, "Track A," has been enhanced so as to draw more M.Ed. students into CCT electives, have faculty from CCT & Track A share advising of capstones in the two programs and program administration, borrow ideas (e.g., capstone options) from each other, and, if worse came to worse for CCT, CCT students could be transferred to the M.Ed. track to graduate.   
  4. Faculty discussion of what we are not doing well, with a view to identifying and prioritizing improvements, still lies ahead.  Attachment C gives Peter Taylor's contribution to this process.

 

B.  Curriculum enhancements

  1. The main shortcoming of the CCT curriculum is that some students get to the capstone synthesis course but are not well prepared to write a major paper and/or do not finish during the synthesis semester.  Attachment D details the measures planned and underway.
  2. Faculty discussion of the CCT curriculum as a whole led to a proposal to help students perceive the interconections among courses by compiling a Reflective Practice or MetaCognitive Portfolio during the course of their CCT studies (see Attachment E).  This would feed into the exit selfassessment, which has now been made a formal capstone requirement.
  3. Building on gripping presentations by alums at a Fall Open house and the keen involvement of the two CCT GAs, several outreach activities have been folded under the umbrella of a CCT Network, which has been hosting month events this spring (Attachment F).  The main goals of the CCT Network are to *organize, in a sustainable fashion, personal & professional development, community building, and educational-innovation activities beyond the formal CCT program of studies; and *supplement students' education through the involvement of alums and alums' education by their involvement in the education of students and each other.  (Secondary recruitment goals are mentioned below under 2.)
  4. A series of steps have been taken and are continuing to promote the graduate certificate focus on "Science in a Changing World" and to build on faculty strength in this area in the M.A. program (Attachment G).
  5. The CCT wiki is evolving as a repository of tools and resources for creative thinking, critical thinking, and reflective practice (see http://cct.wikispaces.com/ IndexOfPages - CCTs).  Peter Taylor and GA Jeremy Szteiter are collaborating on a book manuscript of tools for Research and Engagement from CrCrTh692 and 693.

 

2. The next highest priority for CCT is to attract applicants to the Program and advise them through to matriculation.

 

a.  Open houses and CCT Network events are publicized to people who have inquired about the Program; the experience of the events complements the regular email and phone responses to inquiries. Graphic content has been added to the CCT website (http://www.cct.umb.edu), with links to the associated activities.  The CCT news (monthly email bulletins) has been revived.

b.  Publicity packets (bookmarks, flyers, etc.) have been prepared for distribution at such events and records made of who takes them.  Followup is planned to see whether these are being used prouctively.

c.  Inquiries are tracked in CCT's database with periodic followup emails and calls made.

d.  The CCT Network is intended to support recruitment by stimulating alums to mention the Program to others and, eventually, to coach alums in hosting outreach events in their own communities and workplaces.   Many hours have been spent tracking down active email addresses and phone numbers for alums; more are planned.

e.  Gail Hobin of Community Relations is providing resources for a major outreach event for Fall 08.

f.  International recognition for CCT is being pursued through: the Science in Changing World activities (see h above) and a pilot collaboration with the University of Exeter in which four students from each program support each other during the development of their thesis/synthesis projects.  Local and national recognition is being pursued through the book project (see i above), a collaboration with UM Darrtmouth regarding arts education, as well as the Science in Changing World activities.

 

Peter Taylor, CCT Program Coordinator, June 08.



[1] In September, Nina Greenwald, moved to a 2 and 2 teaching load and Peter Taylor stepped back in as coordinator. Larry Blum has been on sabbatical 07-08 and Carol Smith is on sabbatical for calendar year Ô08.  Arthur Millman now chairs the Philosophy Department.