The Wake Forest Plan and Its Results

1
The Wake Forest Plan and Its Results

• David G. Brown, VP Dean (ICCEL)
  Professor of Economics
  Provost (1990-98)
• February 23, 2000

2
THREE BASIC THEMES

• FOCUS on key concepts!
• BE POLITICAL!
• Stress LEARNING, not technology

3

• 3700 undergraduates
• 92 residential
• 500 each Med, Law, MBA, PhD
• 950M endowment
• Winston-Salem, NC
• Baptist Heritage
• 1300 average SAT
• 28th in US News World Report
• Top 35 Privates in Barrons Guide
• Rhodes Scholars

Click for Wake Forest Homepage
4
THE WAKE FOREST PLAN
Fresh/Junior Computer F99 IBM 390, 128 RAM 333
Mhz, 6GB CD-ROM, 56 modem
Soph/Senior Computer IBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233
Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem

• Plan for 2000
• Thinkpads for all
• Printers for all
• New Every 2 Years
• Own _at_ Graduation
• Wire Everything
• Standard Software
• Full Admin Systems
• IGN for Faculty

• 4030 New People
• 75 Faculty Trained
• 85 CEI Users
• 98 E-Mail
• 15 Tuition
• 1500/Yr/Student
• 4 Year Phase In
• Pilot Year, Now 4 Classes

5
1999 Software Load
Netscape 4.5 Dreamweaver 2 SPSS 9 Maple V
5.1 Windows 98 MS Office Prof 97
6
CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN

• Students First
• 2 Layers Threshold
• Rapid Change
• Communicate/Access (Not Present/Analyze)
• Standardization
• Academic Freedom
• Nomadic Learners

7
CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN

• Dominant Use After College
• Empower Existing Units
• Eager Faculty
• Students Change Agent
• Exposure, Not Mandate
• Partnership
• Marketable Difference

8
Consequences for Wake Forest

• SAT Scores Class Ranks
• Retention Grad Rates
• Satisfaction Learning
• Faculty Recruitment

9
Personal Use of Computers by Wake Forest
FacultySource 1998 HERI Survey

• 98 E-mail
• 91 Memos Letters
• 75 Scholarly Research
• 41 Presentations
• 36 Data Analysis
• 22 On Line Discussion Groups

10
Key Elements of Approval Process(Voted by
Faculty, Students, and Trustees)

• Faculty Committee Leadership---met rigorous
  requirements, joint trip to Crookston, elected
  policy group
• Many Implementation Centers---library,
  departments, deans, residence halls, CIT,
  bookstore, IS
• Administrative Leadership---team
• Open Discussion Votes

11
Key Elements of Approval Process(continued)

• Regular Planning Cycle---interim report
• 37 Item Package-- salary increase goals,
  liberalized leave policy, first year seminar,
  scholarships, etc
• 40 New Positions---more time more intimacy
• Lucky Timing---sympathetic board chair, weak
  computer environment, right national press

12
FIRST YEAR SEMINARThe Economists Way of
Thinking

• A Course Required of All Freshmen
• Wake Forest University

13
COURSE OBJECTIVES

• To understand a liberal arts education as an
  opportunity to study with professors who think by
  their own set of concepts
• To learn how to apply economic concepts
• To learn how to work collaboratively
• To learn computer skills
• To improve writing and

14
Learning is enhanced by-

• Collaboration among Learners
• Frequent student/faculty dialogue
• Prompt Feedback
• Application of Theory
• Student Self Initiatives
• Trustful relations
• Personal Individual Teaching

15
Browns First Year Seminar

• Before Class
• Video Text Self Tests
• Best URLs with Criteria
• Interactive exercises
• Lecture Notes in PP
• E-mail dialogue
• Cybershows
• During Class
• One Minute Quiz
• Computer Tip Talk
• Class Polls
• Team Projects

• After Class
• Edit Drafts by Team
• Guest Editors
• Hyperlinks Pictures
• Access Previous Papers
• Lecture Summary w Audio
• Other
• Daily Announcements
• Team Web Page
• Personal Portfolios
• Exams include Computer
• Materials Forever

16
Results Compared to OtherFirst Year Courses
More Same Less How much did you
learn? 2/3 1/3 -- How much time
did you spend? -- 2/3 1/3 How did
you enjoy the course? 3/3 -- --
17
THREE BASIC THEMES

• FOCUS on key concepts!
• BE POLITICAL!
• Stress LEARNING, not technology

18
Comments and Questions !!!