TO: Academic Colleagues in Psychology
FROM: Mark Van Selst, Psychology Lead for IMPAC

RE: Student Transfer and Curricular Processes

There are a large number of curricular initiatives “in play” during the 2005/2006 academic year. I am asking for you, along with another of your department or discipline colleagues from your institution, to participate in the upcoming regional and statewide IMPAC meetings1. My specific goal in the coming meetings is to facilitate the work being undertaken in each of the segments to develop appropriate course descriptors for Psychology and its support courses while minimizing unintentional differences in the description of what might otherwise be considered analogous course content and objectives. For CSU faculty, appointing the same person to the Psychology IMPAC group as is responsible for the Psychology LDTP process would be beneficial.

In years past, we have viewed the work of IMPAC as being “largely complete” vis-à-vis Psychology. The renewed push to develop assessment metrics, the CSU LDTP process, and the UC major preparation initiative have converged to produce a demand on the faculty to take a system-wide view of curricular objectives. Your department's participation is critical to IMPAC's work. Through your participation you can ensure that the unique perspective of your department and educational segment (CCC, CSU, or UC) is brought to the table. As an added benefit, much of this work will inform and/or impact other statewide initiatives (e.g., replacement of CAN) and potentially give local curriculum committees a head start in developing or assessing their own courses. You will be working towards facilitating student access to a higher quality education.
Up to two representatives from each department should attend the appropriate IMPAC regional meeting2 and the IMPAC statewide meeting (see attached announcements). We will further request that these individuals report the content and conclusions of these discussions to their colleagues.

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1 The Intersegmental Major Preparation Articulated Curriculum (IMPAC) project is a faculty-designed and faculty-run project that focuses on students transfer into and across the three segments of state-supported higher education (the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California). One of the goals is to have transfer students properly and appropriately prepared for progressing in their chosen major (i.e., without having to engage in additional or repetitive coursework). The grant enables faculty from the state’s three higher education systems to meet regionally at intervals throughout the year in order to address policies, requirements, or procedures that may impede the smooth progress of transfer students. These meetings provide a forum where faculty may review and reconcile the prerequisites of course work both within their particular disciplines and between disciplines.

2 South and Metro regions attend the regional meeting scheduled on November 19th at LAX Sheraton Gateway, and North, Central, and Bay regions on January 21st at San Francisco Westin