REQUIREMENT NO LONGER COMPUTES
The use of computers has become so well integrated into the academic departments at the University of Redlands that the university has decided that a general requirement on the subject is no longer necessary.
The faculty voted recently to eliminate a requirement called Computing across the Curriculum from the university's Liberal Arts Foundation -- essentially the general education requirements for graduation. Foundation requirements include courses on such topics as the creative process, cross-cultural studies, history, literature and science.
The requirement asked students to complete at least one course that examined the practical, theoretical and/or societal aspects of computing.
"The reason for requiring such a course in a liberal arts context was not simply to encourage development of computing skills but to foster critical understanding and analysis of the technology," said Judith Tschann, professor of English and chair of the curriculum committee of the College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Assembly. "We have not been able to offer enough courses that fit this description. And many departments and programs are already determining what specific computer skills their students should have," she added.
For example, Psychology 300, a research methods course, requires various computing skills including using software to compute reliability, between-group tests, some repeated measures and correlation. The music department offers Computer Techniques in Music Education and uses various software programs to teach music theory. Virtually all disciplines require skills in using the computer for research.
In addition, students arrive with more computer skills than in the past. And the university's Fletcher Jones Academic Computing Center in recent years has added more resources and support for students, including a "resnet" staff that works with network and computing needs in the residence halls.
The computing requirement was introduced in fall 1997 and most often was fulfilled by taking Computer Science 100, 101 or 102, introductory courses in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science. Those courses will continue to be offered.
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