Dear Faculty Colleagues--

As you perhaps know, President Gillis, Provost Auston, and the Faculty Council have jointly asked us, the members of the Ad Hoc Curriculum Review Committee, to develop recommendations for improving the undergraduate curriculum, particularly those aspects of the curriculum that do not ordinarily fall under the purview of the various majors. We have been meeting since mid-September, sharing our experiences and preferences, discussing programs that have been instituted at other colleges and universities, and thinking about how best to draw upon the wisdom and creativity of our several constituents: faculty, students, administrators, staff, parents, alumni, benefactors, employers, and policy-makers. We expect to consult with a wide range of people, but since any signficant decision on the shape of the curriculum will rest with the faculty, we want to make sure that we have the benefit of your best counsel throughout this process. To that end, we plan to meet with every faculty member who wishes to have a part in the process.

Attached is the schedule for meetings with all departments. If you can not make your departmental time, you welcomed to join us at another department's time. We have an open meeting on April 24th.

If you would like to find out a little more about us, please check our web site at: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~currrev/. If you would like to send email to the full committee, please address it to curr-rev@rice.edu. If you have any questions Priscilla Huston at x4007 is providing staff support.

Sincerely,

THE AD HOC CURRICULUM REVIEW COMMITTEE

Brandon Bidlack (Undergraduate Representative)

Sidney Burrus (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Priscilla Huston (Provost's Office)

John Hutchinson (Chemistry)

Walter Isle (English)

Benjamin Lee (Anthropology)

William Martin (Sociology, Chair)

Kathleen Matthews (Biochemistry and Cell Biology)

Carol Quillen (History)