This group is selected by the Chair of the UCC and currently consists of nine members who are current or past ISS faculty. Faculty proposing courses in the program are asked to submit a statement of the overall course philosophy, a tentative course outline detailing course material and methodology, and a comprehensive description of the manner in which the course meets each of the ISS and Liberal Studies Capstone objectives. Proposing faculty usually meet with one or more of the members of the working group prior to submitting the proposal in order to discuss the overall goals of the ISS program and how their course idea may fit. Proposals are read by all members of the working group who then discuss the goodness of fit of the new course to the ISS program. Members of the working group may meet with the proposing faculty member to clarify aspects of the proposal and to suggest modifications.
Detailed feedback is provided to the proposing faculty to assist with revisions if needed.
Once a course is approved for the ISS program, the working group attempts to schedule at least two offerings of the particular course in order that the instructor has opportunity to incorporate feedback in subsequent sessions. Each ISS course is evaluated using the standard teaching evaluation instrument as well as a separate comment sheet dealing specifically with ISS objectives. Comment sheets are available to the Chair of the UCC in order to provide feedback on the program as well as information to the course instructor. Scheduling of the ISS courses is handled by the respective Department Chairs in consultation with the Chair of the UCC and the relevant Associate Dean. Given the variety of approaches taken by faculty in this program, every course will not speak to each of the University learning goals in the same manner or to the same extent.