Figure 3. Kellogg CRISTAL-ED Project Structure
The Curriculum Visions Group (CVG) serves as a steering committee for curriculum development generally. This group meets two to three times a month to plan for integration activities, discuss issues and pass them onto decision-makers, and charge new task forces and committees with exploration of vexing issues and making recommendations to faculty. CVG was responsible for the planning of two day-long retreats in the 1995-96 academic year that focused on dissemination, sharing, and integration activities connected with curriculum development for the six specializations. Up to a quarter of monthly, two-hour faculty meetings is sometimes given to Kellogg CRISTAL-ED business. Faculty meetings are especially important because such meetings are one of the few opportunities when all charter faculty are present for decision-making or targeted discussions.
In the midst of discussions about the School's new name, specializations, and mission statement, CVG recognized the need for a new communications body that would disseminate information about changes in the School and work in progress. CVG established the New Curriculum Council (NCC) in December 1995. The council meets every two and a half weeks for two hours on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. All SI constituencies are represented by two to three members; this includes students, faculty, alumni, and administrative staff. The first NCC meetings in January and February 1996 were summaries, progress reports, and updates from the many working groups charged with development of specializations, from pilot-project investigators, and from the chairs of special task forces on name and mission and core curriculum (Foundations). Since the second of two faculty retreats in late February, the agenda for NCC meetings has included time for reaction to ongoing activities from invited constituencies but the bulk of the time has been spent on discussing issues that the faculty needs to address in the course of developing curricula for the new school. This gives invited constituencies opportunities for reacting to complex issues well in advance of decision-making. It also demonstrates to them that faculty do not have their minds made up nor are they making decisions without considering many different viewpoints. Our constituencies get to experience the curriculum and the new school as a work in progress.
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