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Last updated August, 2022.
Salisbury University’s academic majors, minors, and General Education curriculum are described in the Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog. Appendix C of the Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog describes SU’s General Education Student Learning Principles and Goals.
The process for curriculum approval is described in detail in the University’s Curriculum Approval Guide. Curriculog serves as the University’s main technological tool in guiding curriculum through the approval process. Faculty/Staff may access Curriculog by using this link and signing on by using their Duo-Protected SU account.
**We suggest updating the Technology Fluency section in the Faculty Handbook to reflect the ever-changing digital landscape, and the digital agility required of our graduates for success in the future workforce. As an example, Penn State’s Center for Teaching and Learning with Technology has developed a digital fluency framework that is characterized by three fluencies (storytelling fluency, maker fluency, and informational fluency) which share seven common practices: (1) identifying a need, (2) practicing creativity and innovation, (3) solving problems, (4) communicating outcomes, (5) adhering to disciplinary norms, (6) protecting information security, and (7) adopting a growth mindset. “A Digital Fluency Framework to Support 21st Century Skills” is attached here for your consideration.
Erica C. Fleming, Jenay Robert, Jennifer Sparrow, Josephine Wee, Patrick Dudas & Margaret J. Slattery (2021) A Digital Fluency Framework to Support 21st-Century Skills, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 53:2, 41-48, DOI: 10.1080/00091383.2021.1883977
Current Version:
The Mission of Salisbury University states, “Our highest purpose is to empower our students with the knowledge, skills and core values that contribute to life-long learning and active citizenship in a democratic society and interdependent world.” In the 21st century, information technology is a crucial component in that process of empowerment. Therefore, it is the policy of Salisbury University that all students graduating from this institution can demonstrate an appropriate level of fluency with information technology with regard to discipline-specific requirements within academic departments. Salisbury University recognizes that fluency in information technology requires three kinds of knowledge: contemporary skills, foundational concepts, and intellectual capabilities. This knowledge is attained in four broad context areas, namely:
As outlined in the book, Being Fluent with Information Technology (National Research Council 1999), the National Research Council has outlined ten specific skills that fall into these four categories. These specific skills have been suggested by the USM Board of Regents as the appropriate starting point for achieving technology fluency on the campus of Salisbury University:
I. Basic Operations and Concepts
- Setting up a personal computer: A person who uses computers should be able to connect the parts of a personal computer and its major peripherals (e.g., a printer). This entails knowing about the physical appearance of cables and ports, as well as having some understanding of how to configure the computer (e.g., knowing that most computers provide a way to set the system clock, or how to select a screen saver and why one may need to use a screen saver).
- Using basic operating system features: Typical of today’s operating system use is the ability to install new software, delete unwanted software, and invoke applications. There are many other skills that could reasonably be included in this category, such as the ability to find out from the operating system whether there is sufficient disk space.
- Connecting a computer to a network: This process can be as simple as wiring the computer to a telephone jack and subscribing to an Internet service provider, although as more powerful communications options become available, this process may become more complex.
II. Accessing Information through Technology
- Using technology (e.g. Internet) to find information and resources: Locating information on the Internet involves the use of browsers and search engines. The use of search engines and browsers requires an understanding of one’s needs and how they relate to what is available and what can be found readily. Additionally, it is important to both be able to specify queries and evaluate the results.
- Using instructional materials to learn how to use new applications or features: This skill involves using online help files and reading and understanding printed manuals. One aspect of this process is obtaining details or features of systems one already comprehends; a second aspect is using the tutorial to grasp the essential models and ideas underlying a new system.
III. Communicating Effectively using Technology
- Using a word processor to create a text document: Minimal skills in this area include the ability to select fonts, paginate, organize, and edit documents. Integration of image and other data is becoming essential. Additional possible applications include the creation of Web pages using specialized authoring tools.
- Using a graphics and/or artwork package to create illustrations, slides, or other image-based expressions of ideas: Today, this skill involves the ability to use the current generation of presentation software and graphics packages.
- Using telecommunications to communicate with others: Electronic mail is a primary mode of computer-based communication. However, discussion boards, web pages, and instant messaging are also valid telecommunication modes. Variants and improvements, as well as entirely new modes of communication, are expected in the future.
IV. Organizing and Analyzing Information with Technology
- Using a spreadsheet to model simple processes or financial tables: This skill includes the ability to use standard spreadsheet systems and/or specialized packages (e.g., tax preparation software).
- Using a database system to access useful information: Database systems are becoming ubiquitous in the workplace, and personal information managers are becoming increasingly common. In the future, different approaches, perhaps Web-oriented, may become the prevalent mode.
However, while the National Research Council and the USM Board of Regents have endorsed student competence in these ten generic skills as the recommended goal for each USM campus, we at Salisbury University recognize that each academic discipline will have a specific set of contemporary skills, foundational concepts, and intellectual capabilities that it considers to be critical to success of its graduates. For example, within the Sciences, a special emphasis may be placed on organizing and analyzing information while in the Liberal Arts, communication with technology may be of primary importance.
Therefore, it is the policy of Salisbury University that all students graduating from this institution can demonstrate an appropriate level of fluency with information technology with regard to discipline-specific requirements within academic departments. As part of the upcoming annual assessment process, academic departments will identify the technology skills, concepts, and capabilities they consider to be most important to success in their discipline. Within this assessment process, departments will create measurable outcomes to demonstrate the level of technology fluency within their majors, create means to assess these student learning outcomes, and include the results in their annual assessment report. Obviously, all of the possible student technology fluency goals cannot be assessed in a given year; departments should prioritize their goals and assess a few each year.
In summary, Salisbury University believes that being fluent with information technology is crucial for the success of our graduates in the Information Age. We agree with National Research Council (1999) when they wrote that students: …should use information technology confidently, should come to work ready to learn new business systems quickly and use them effectively, should be able to apply information technology to personally relevant problems, and should be able to adapt to the inevitable change as information technology evolves over their lifetime. (p. 5)
By assessing our students’ fluency with information technology, we will be helping to ensure that their college degree is competitive in the marketplace and that they are prepared for a lifetime of learning about ever-changing technology.
BOR III-6.10
Academic courses offered at Salisbury University are numbered in the following way:
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000-099
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Non-degree-credit Courses
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100-299
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Lower Division Courses, primarily for Freshmen and Sophomores
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300-499
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Upper-Division Courses, primarily for Juniors and Seniors; 400-499 courses may be available for credit toward some graduate degrees
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500-899
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Post-baccalaureate Courses
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900-999
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Post-doctoral Courses
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Faculty who wish to change course numbers must follow procedures outlined in the University’s Curriculum Approval Guide.
BOR III-7.00
The requirements for the degrees currently offered by Salisbury University have been established by the faculty of the University’s academic departments and are published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog in the Majors, Minors and Graduate Programs by School/College section.
Matriculated students normally meet degree requirements as stated in any University Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog when they have met the following conditions:
- Matriculated in the University.
- Successfully completed at least (120) credit hours of coursework with a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or higher. Students must take (30) of the last (37) credit hours at SU (special cooperative programs are exempt).
- Completed at least (30) credit hours at the University by direct classroom instruction and/or laboratory experience and not through Credit by Examination.
- Completed at least (30) credit hours at the 300- or 400-level with a grade of C or better. Transfer students must complete at least (15) hours of their (30) upper-level credits at Salisbury University (Note: Other than field-based courses in the Department of Education, courses taken on a pass/fail basis do not satisfy this requirement).
- Satisfied all general education requirements.
- Satisfied the requirements in at least one major program of study including the major’s required grade point average.
- Earned grade of C or better in ENGL 103.
- Submitted an Application for Graduation Form to the Registrar by the appropriate date.
- Made arrangements for the repayment of any outstanding debt.
- Returned all materials borrowed from the Library or academic departments.
Minors
Faculty of the University have also established minor programs of study, which are published in the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog in the Majors, Minors and Graduate Programs by School/College section. The general requirements for completing a minor are as follows:
- At least fifteen (15) hours of the work applied toward a minor must consist of courses not used to satisfy general education.
- At least nine (9) hours of the work applied toward a minor must be credits earned at Salisbury University.
- Students must earn grades of C or better in all courses applied toward completion of minors.
University faculty may modify existing degree programs or develop new ones in accordance with the following procedures:
- Faculty and department chairs/school directors secure approval to proceed with program design from the dean and the Provost.
- Program designers develop a full program description using guidelines in the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Policies and Procedures for Academic Program Proposals and technical assistance from the associate vice president of Academic Affairs (AVPAA).
- Program designers secure approval for the program and its component courses from their school curriculum committee and the University Curriculum Committee or Graduate Council.
- The University Curriculum Committee or Graduate Council recommends the program to the Provost who secures approval for the program from the USM chancellor and MHEC.
When this sequence is complete and the Chancellor of the USM notifies the President of the University that the program has been approved, it becomes part of the University’s curriculum.
BOR III-7.01
In the matters of the review and approval of new academic programs that do not require new resources, Salisbury University operates under USM BOR Policy III-7.01. Instructions for obtaining local approvals and preparing appropriate forms are available in the Provost’s Office.
BOR III-7.02
In the matters of the review and abolition of existing academic programs, Salisbury University operates under USM BOR Policy III-7.02. Instructions for obtaining local approvals and preparing appropriate forms are available in the Provost’s Office.
BOR VIII-2.61
In the matters of off-campus programs, Salisbury University operates under USM BOR Policy VIII-2.61. The University provides access to high-quality academic programs throughout the State of Maryland and beyond. An emphasis on excellence in teaching and innovative education delivery platforms for both undergraduate and graduate education allows us to meet the diverse educational needs of our students. To learn more about our off-campus programs, see the Regional Programs website.
Salisbury University Faculty Handbook ©
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