Discovery Review Committee

2019-2021 Discovery Review Committee (DRC) 

Faculty Senate Motion to create a new ad hoc committee on a General Education Diversity Requirement 
(approved on May 3, 2021, with 60 in favor, 4 opposed, and no abstentions)

Faculty Senate motion to Recommit and Create a New ad hoc committee to reassess the DRC recommendations 
(approved on April 19, 2021, with 36 in favor, 19 opposed, and 2 abstentions) 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the 02/22/21 version of the DRC Proposal 
(03/04/21) 

Summary of 02/22/21 version of DRC Proposal
(Distributed to the Senate on 02/24/21)

Motion to Endorse DRC Recommendations  (this motion was not approved) 
(presented to the Senate 02/22/21) 
 
PPT slide deck from Nicky Gullace's 02/22/21 presentation 

Agenda Committee Summary of Feedback on DRC Recommendations
(02/01/21)

Summary of DRC Proposal that was presented on December 7, 2020
- Distributed to the Faculty Senate on 12/20  (No longer current.  See 02/23/21 version above)

Presentation of DRC proposal to the Faculty Senate on December 7, 2020 - See Minutes, including slides here 

2020 Discovery Review Committee Final Report and Proposed Modifications 
-Presented to Agenda Committee and Administration in September 2020
-Distributed to Faculty Senate members in November 2020 

Discovery Review Committee Charges 2019-2020

  1. Investigate ways the Discovery Program can become more manageable for students in highly structured pre-Professional majors.
  2. Investigate ways the Discovery Program can develop the flexibility to allow Transfer Students to achieve their degrees in a timely fashion.
  3. Investigate the First Year experience at UNH to achieve academic and community engagement through interdisciplinary Discovery offerings.1)
  4. Investigate ways to encourage High Impact practices (such as Study Abroad and Internships) by aligning the transfer and assessment of credits with the goal of encouraging, rather than deterring, students who wish to take advantage of these enriching opportunities.
  5. Investigate ways Discovery can accommodate qualified students who wish to fulfill distributive requirements in upper-division courses, possibly as part of a Minor or Cognate cluster and/or through a deeper understanding of a content area or category (depth).
  6. Investigate the possibility of incorporating Ethical Attributes (such as Diversity, Civic Education, and Sustainability) that are politically, socially, and culturally inclusive.
  7. Review the concerns about Discovery delivery by colleges and "turf" battles over Discovery courses.
  8. Tasks 1–7 should be carried out in concert with a review of the best practices and successful strategies adopted by other universities, especially our comparators.

Discovery Review Committee Membership

Voting Members

  • Chair - Scott Smith (CHI) COLA
  • Sajay Arthanat (OT) CHHS
  • Kathrine Aydelott – Dimond Library
  • Devkamal Dutta (ADMN) PCBE
  • Art Greenberg (CHEM) CEPS
  • Nicoletta Gullace (HIST) COLA; Discovery Program
  • Jesse Stabile Morrell (ANFS) COLSA
  • Melinda Negron-Gonzales (PS) UNHM
  • Bill Stine (PSYC) COLA

Non-Voting Members

  • Kimberly Babbitt, Assoc Dean, COLSA
  • Andy Colby, Univ. Registrar
  • P.T. Vasudevan, Sr. Vice Provost for Academic Affairs
  • Charles Zercher, Dean, CEPS

Discovery Review Committee 2014-2015

On August 31, 2015, this committee fulfilled its charge in its report:
Final Report Discovery 5-Year Review Committee

Charges 

  1. Conduct the required 5-year review of the Discovery Program

Discovery Review Committee Membership

  • David Richman, Theatre & Dance, COLA, Chair
  • Jessica Bolker, Biological Sciences, COLSA
  • Jim Connell, Physics, CEPS, EOS, & Faculty Senate
  • Todd DeMitchell, Education, COLA, Faculty Senate, & Discovery Committee
  • Richard England, Economics, PCBE
  • Ted Kirkpatrick, COLA, Associate Dean
  • Stephen Pugh, UNH-Manchester, & Discovery Program
  • Barbara White, Occupational Therapy, CHHS, Director of Discovery Program
  • Benjamin Bertrand, Student (class of 2015)