From jfquinn@ucdavis.edu Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2003 12:31:43 -0800 From: "Quinn, Jim" To: Joe Kiskis Cc: "CA&ES Executive Committee (E-mail)" Subject: RE: CAES Executive Committee & UG Council writing report Hi Joe, The CA&ES EC reviewed the report, and had much the same reaction as the Executive Council. In general, we agreed with the assessment on the state of undergraduate writing skills, and would probably support a more detailed proposal for the modified curriculum and writing center. However we had the same concerns Alan Hastings and Kyaw Tha Paw U voiced in the Executive Council discussion: With declining funds for instruction, we would need more information on where additional funds for writing instruction were coming from. In particular, many of us view undergraduates' background and skills in math and physical sciences as needing at least as much attention as writing, and we would want to understand the relationship between a new writing initiative and the curriculum and funding for quantitative skills. We were also unclear on the implications of the approach advocated by the report for the English Department's long-term responsibilities to provide service courses in language skills. There is a lot of curriculum review underway in the college in the context of consolidation of programs and majors in plant sciences and environmental biology, and a new initiative for an undergraduate program in sustainable agricuture (or perhaps more broadly in sustainability), and I feel sure those committees will have concerns and advice on the more particular requirements and services for our majors. The CA&ES EC certainly supports having the UG Council develop a more fleshed-out proposal with resource needs better identified, which was my understanding of the recommendation of the Executive Council. In the meantime, we had not planned to develop a more detailed response to the current document. If there are particular issues the UG Council would like us to address, I can certainly add them to the agenda of an upcoming meeting. Best, Jim ********************************************************* James F. Quinn Professor Department of Environmental Science and Policy One Shields Avenue University of California Davis, CA 95616-8576