Minutes

Review the minutes of the March 1, 2004 Meeting.

MOTION: Accept minutes as previously distributed by email.

   PASSED

Announcements

1.   Peter Williams announced the Faculty Retreat will be held May 15, 2004 at Sunwood.   The topic is Renewing Education.   Registration and breakfast at 8 a.m.

2.   Peter Williams introduced Dr. Elza Mylona.   Dr. Mylona's position is the Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs and the Director of the Center for Educational Support.   She comes to us from USC.   Dr. Mylona played a key role in helping to guide USC's curricular design and successfully reconfiguring their curriculum.   Her expertise will help in updating our curriculum.   Her assistants are Jean D'Andraia and Karen Geyer.

SubCommittee Reports

•  Directors of Didactic Courses                          R. Steigbigel

The minutes from the February meeting were distributed by email.   There were no additional comments on the report.  

2.     Directors of Clinical Courses                          J. Sorrento

             The minutes from the March meeting were distributed by email.   There were no additional comments on the report.

3.     Innovation Group                                              P. Williams

             The new calendar is up and the class schedules for the first and second year are being entered.   Peter Williams will be emailing the calendar's URL: https://cbase.som.sunysb.edu/conet/calendar/mainframe.cfm.

Neuroscience, Physiology and Pathology will be taught in blocks next year.

              A subcommittee, Practice in Medicine Group, is made up of the course directors of ICM, IPM, IHB, MCS Nutrition.   They are working together to join all four courses into one for the September 2004 semester.

4.     Evaluation Subcommittee                                  A. Jaffe

             Arnold Jaffe reported on the Guidelines to Competencies.   Arnold Jaffe plans to present a report at the Curriculum Committee at the May 3rd meeting.

5.     Teaching & Learning Strategies                      A. Wackett

              No report.

6.      Information Technology                                 P. Viccellio

              No report.

7.      Objectives Project                                           J. Chaves

              Dr. Chaves announced that the 10 Objectives Committees have been set up.   There are 55 faculty and 20 students involved in the subcommittee.   Dr. Chaves said the draft report is expected to be completed by April 21st and be presented at the Faculty Retreat on May 15 th .

Committee Accepted Minutes.

Committee Accepted Minutes.

MOTION: Roger Cameron suggested having 3 major Basic Science Courses in the first year as blocks.

ACTION: The Curriculum Committee voted.   It was PASSED.

Course Evaluations

1.     Course evaluation of the MCS IV (J. Coulehan-Director)-by. H. Carlson &   J. Stern

2.     Course evaluation of Surgical Anatomy (J. Stern-Director)-by R. Jaber & P. Bingham

The report was accepted.

The report was accepted.

Old Business

1.      Five year curriculum schedule                           Nisson   Schechter

Dr. Schechter was not present.   There was no discussion at the meeting.   His five year curriculum schedule has been tabled indefinitely.

New Business

•  Channeling course evaluations through the evaluations subcommittee was proposed.   The consensus was that doing so was unnecessary.

•  Evaluation Subcommittee on test questions-Dr. Fred Miller volunteered to chair the group but needed more help.   Dr. Mylona proposed that every exam be reviewed before given.   Prior review requires exams be handed in two weeks before being administered.   Essay questions would not be reviewed.     The subcommittee will review the form of the questions, not their content.   Elza Mylona informed the committee that at USC uses it was very beneficial.    The committee will invite Dr. Miller to the May Curriculum Committee meeting to discuss the proposal.    

•  Standards for voluntary faculty                            Peter Halperin

Dr. Halperin was not present at the meeting.   The topic was tabled.

•  Preliminary schedule for 2004-05

https://cbase.som.sunysb.edu/conet/calendar/mainframe.cfm

•  Structural curricular principles (distributed for review before the meeting)-will be an action agenda for the Curriculum Retreat.   Elza Mylona feels the school hours should be reduced to 20 hours a week.   The students need time to do homework.   Elza has the data from other schools as to what they are doing with their schedules.   Peter Williams said to focus on the most important points in the proposal.

•  Peter Williams will discuss student participation at April's Clinical Course Director's meeting and the Didactic Course Director's meeting.   He will bring the results to the May Curriculum Committee meeting.  

•  Peter Williams introduced a proposal made by Drs. Stern and Cameron to allow the students to take “proficiency” quizzes at various stages in their courses.   Passing all would assure a pass in the course, though the actual grade would be determined by the performance on the final exam.   Students could take the quizzes as many times as necessary to pass.   The quizzes could be given at any time the student wanted it and no proctor would be required.  

Jack Stern would still give a lab exam during the block period (mid exam) and final exam both requiring a proctor.  

Course directors decide how much NBME exams will count -- it could be as little as 5 to 10% of the grade – but should give the tests sufficient weight to assure they are taken seriously by the students.

•  Put on the May agenda-elective on “International Health Course” given by Thomas O'Riordan.   This is a no credit course for 12 hours.   The grade goes on the transcript.   Any student could take this course.

The proposal was tabled.

MOTION: The committee proposed to have the subcommittee review two year old exams and see how to re-write the questions.

ACTION: PASSED

ADDEDUM: Roy Steigbigel said that old questions will become new questions.

ACTION: Tabled

MOTION: Roger Cameron asked the committee to allow the students to take the quizzes as many times as needed to pass.

ACTION: PASSED

Next Meeting

The next Curriculum Committee meeting will be held on Monday, May 3, 2004 in the

OVP Conference Room.

Meeting adjourned at 9:25 A.M.