Report of the Montana Academic Forum

Academic Year 1996-97

Report to the Montana University System Board of Regents, May 1997

Contents

Executive Summary
Introduction
History of the Montana Academic Forum
Section 1 - Distributed Learning
Section 2 - Services to Students
Section 3 - Proficiency-Based Admissions and Graduation Requirements
Concluding Comments
Acknowledgements

May 14, 1997

TO: Commissioner Richard Crofts
Members of the Montana University System
Board of Regents

FROM: Stuart E. Knapp, Interim Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs

SUBJECT: Report of the 1996-97 Montana Academic Forum

The Montana Academic Forum was initiated in the fall of 1996 as a result of the Board of Regents’ restructuring process. The core membership of the forum included student body presidents, faculty governance leaders, and chief academic officers of the four-year MUS institutions, the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, and the Board of Regents. Many other individuals from universities and colleges, the K-12 community, and various business leaders became participants.

When the Forum began we hoped to be able to develop some specific policy statements that could be considered by the Board of Regents. This has not been the case. Instead, the report contains a set of analyses and recommendations presented under three headings: Distributed Learning, Service to Students, and Proficiency-Based Admissions and Graduation Requirements. Each of the three main sections was prepared by members of the steering committee.

The following Executive Summary contains the most important of the recommendations.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Distributed Learning

Require campuses to implement distributed learning programs.

• determine demand and audience;
• institute a mix of traditional, technology-dependent, and distributed education;
• create a model for assessment of fees and assessment of learner capabilities;
• provide necessary resources and rewards for innovations, risk-taking, increased workloads, retraining of faculty and staff, standardization and maintenance of system wide hardware and software; and
• initiate and continue coordination of MUS efforts to provide distributed education opportunities.

Service to Students

Build an educational process that defines learner responsibilities and provides assistance to students when needed.

• continue existing alliances and develop new ones;
• recognize the value of post-secondary education and promote all higher education learning opportunities (rather than just college);
• provide accurate and timely information for those planning to continue their educations;
• examine and assign value to advanced placement and testing out of courses; and
• recognize and train faculty and staff for appropriate types of advising (class scheduling, career planning, mentoring, mediating, personal counseling) to help students succeed.

Proficiency-Based Admissions and Graduation

Institute a system of learning that builds proficiencies as part of the educational process.

• recognize and insist upon standards of proficiency at every step in the educational process;
• focus efforts of educational institutions upon educating students; and
• evaluate and develop a process for measuring proficiency.

In conclusion, perhaps the following quotation is appropriate: "Since the mid-1980's, the point at which most scholars date the beginning of the contemporary school reform movement, schools have been under enormous pressure to change, while little change has been expected in the behavior and traditions of higher education. For example, the development of college preparatory curricula through prescribed coursework--a common strategy for improving K-12 education (the so-called Carnegie units)--was fully compatible with the discipline-based organization and values of higher education. Until recently, partnerships for preparing better teachers have also required little change of higher education. It is not likely that higher education’s business-as-usual approach will significantly improve student achievement in the schools or increase educational opportunity for the next generation. It is more likely that pressures, both political and financial, will require that higher education become an active partner with schools--in their own efforts to promote reform." (From Connecting K-12 and College, Education Week on the WEB, May 7, 1997 by Joni E. Finney).

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