Rutgers departments share programmatic excellence award
Archived article from Jun 2, 2003
By Pam Orel
The department of animal sciences at Cook College and the department of sociology, anthropology and criminal justice on the Camden campus will share this year's Rutgers Award for Programmatic Excellence in Under-graduate Education.
The annual award, which includes a plaque and $5,000 for each department, was presented May 7 by President Richard L. McCormick. The award honors a range of innovations for undergraduate students.
The curriculum of the Cook department of animal sciences includes options in animal industries, laboratory animal science and preveterinary medicine and research. Students majoring in animal science take at least nine credits of experience-based education, triple the credit requirement for other Cook College majors. Many undergraduates conduct research in the laboratories of animal sciences faculty and also gain practical experience through cooperative education programs.
"The department of animal sciences has compiled an exceptional record in teaching, advising, experiential education, curriculum development and curriculum leadership," said Susan Forman, vice president for undergraduate education, whose office administers the award.
Camden's department of sociology, anthropology and criminal justice has worked hard at harmonizing its liberal arts programs with its students' desire for career preparation. It introduced a new criminal justice major and assisted in the development of new interdisciplinary programs in childhood studies and teacher preparation.
It restructured its curriculum in a skill-based and Web-enhanced direction. The department uses a single statistical software program across its curriculum and has created a broad array of online resources in an effort to ratchet Web-enhancement up from the course to the curricular level. The department was the first at Rutgers to introduce streaming audio and video capabilities.
"Although the faculty members come from different disciplines, their dedication to students and scholarly excellence has created a seamless educational whole," said Forman.
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