Members Present: Co-Chair Padilla, Co-Chair Porter, Robert Brentano, Barbara Davis, Catherine Koshland, Michael Mascuch, Christina Maslach, Ellen Meltzer, Mark Tanouye, Ling-Chi Wang. Staff: Gail Kaufman, Cynthia Schrager, Alix Schwartz, Karen Warren.

Unable to Attend: Alice Agogino, Erin Bardin, Jen Chang, Kwong-Loi Shun, Aisha Knowles, Sonja Redmond, Angy Stacy,

Before the meeting officially began, Christina Maslach (and later Catherine Koshland) described the discussion of the "Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology" that took place at the recent Divisional Council meeting. Divisional Council members requested examples of the models used at other campuses and expressed a concern that the technology component might drain resources from other faculty priorities. The Divisional Council is considering asking Faculty Assistant Agogino to make a presentation to address these and other concerns.

Handouts
· UGIS 10: Introduction to the Principles of Communication course proposal summary (Co-Chair Porter)
· Teaching Library Quick Bibliography (Ellen Meltzer)
· CUE Email Survey of Undergraduates Possible Questions (Ellen Meltzer)
· L & S Economics Major vs. CNR Agricultural and Resource Economics Major
· Presidential Chair in Undergraduate Education Call for Proposals (Barbara Davis)

I. Communications Course
Co-Chair Porter introduced a proposal for a new course in Communications designed in collaboration with a faculty member in the business school in the hopes of garnering CUE’s endorsement for the initiative. Co-Chair Porter said the need for the course is due to the gap between first year composition and the writing skills necessary within upper division courses. This course speaks to a critical need that CUE and students (via the Mid-Career Survey) have identified. One goal of the course is to instruct students on how arguments are made within different disciplines, as a way to develop more sophisticated writing skills within their major.

This course might become quite popular, as it will be recommended by business school faculty to its prospective students; course enrollment for spring is estimated at 240 students. Michael Mascuch mentioned that the course expectations, especially the oral-presentation component, might be unrealistic due to the large class size, and Alix reported that the initial class size number was 40 and they halved it. CUE members suggested that we might want to look at the first year as a pilot that could be modified in the future.

CUE discussed further the cost of the course and the potential for it to become popular as more students outside the business school learn about it. Members agreed that it should remain open to all students and that the business school development office might consider raising funds to support a portion of the course. Barbara Davis distributed the form for the Presidential Chair in Undergraduate Education Call for Proposals as a possible funding source.

II. Question for Email Surveys

Genaro asked that CUE members do an electronic brainstorming to the CUE listserve by emailing possible survey questions stemming from the results of the Mid-Career survey distributed by Gregg Thomson. It was suggested that questions might be organized according to the Undergraduate Framework: Cornerstone, Spring Point, and Capstone. Members are asked to email these questions to the group by 3/12, for review by Gregg Thomson and discussion at the next full CUE meeting on 3/15.

III. Advising Conference Proposal

Gail solicited presenters for the two sessions that CUE will present that the upcoming Advising Conference on March 28. Cathy Koshland will coordinate and facilitate the morning presentation and Genaro Padilla will coordinate and facilitate the afternoon session.

IV. The College of Letters and Science in relation with Other Undergraduate Colleges

Dean Porter described a proposal that is intended to make admissions standard across L&S and the College of Natural Resources and provide more options for students interested in impacted L & S majors such as economics. One part of the proposal is to open some of the majors in CNR to L & S students. Examples of CNR majors that are similar in content to L&S majors are Agricultural and Resource Economics and Plant Biology. There were concerns raised about students earning a degree from one college, while taking a major in another college.

One idea is to have L & S be the undergraduate college. Would that mean that L & S would provide prerequisites and breadth and nothing else? The issue is how to maintain L & S as a core/center of undergraduate education while steering away from a pure pre-professional function–i.e. to ensure that -L & S not become a service college.

This discussion gave rise to a conversation about the goals of a liberal education. Dean Porter noted that many students are more focused on the pragmatic and functional aspects of what they glean from an undergraduate education and that Berkeley has not been clear about its position on a liberal education. Members wondered if this focus on career and away from a liberal education was going to effect our ability for common discourse. Is a liberal education passe? Ling Chi Wang stated that CUE’s final report needs to reaffirm its commitment to liberal education.
Christina Maslach posed the question of how to articulate what exactly a UCB education is. Carolyn asked CUE to consider how we can conceptualize undergraduate education and be cognizant that many students are on a track to professional school.

**Carolyn asked the CUE members to think about what each of us consider to be the core principles of an undergraduate education, and to submit these ideas to the listserve before the next general CUE meeting, where these ideas will be discussed.