Annual Report of the Committee on Preparatory Education

2000-01

TO: The Representative Assembly, Davis Division of the Academic Senate

We discussed the "Report of the Task Force to Review the L&S Composition Requirement" (the Zender report). Most of us were supportive, believing that the Report proposes a desirable strengthening and redistribution of the composition requirement during a student's undergraduate years. The hesitations that were expressed included questions about whether (1) upper division writing courses can be designed in a way appropriate to specific majors; (2) uniform standards for writing can be set and maintained, especially in upper division writing courses. Our committee will have further meetings in order to consider both President Atkinson's proposal that SAT I not be a requirement for UC admission and an issue soon to be taken up by a campus ad hoc committee whether an alternate means for fulfilling the Subject A requirement should be devised in order to alleviate the long delays in passing the Subject A exam encountered by some students, especially ESL students.

Respectfully submitted,

Richard Levin, chair

Conrad Bahre

Jim Diederich

Ellen Lang, Academic Federation

Kathryn McCarthy

Sherry Soliman, Student

Karl Zender

Patrick Farrell, ex officio