The Wake Forest Plan and Its Results

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

• February 23, 2000

THREE BASIC THEMES

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

• 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 Barron’s Guide• Rhodes Scholars

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THE WAKE FOREST PLAN

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

• 40+30 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

Soph/Senior ComputerIBM 380XD, 64 RAM, 233 Mhz, 4.1GB, CD-ROM, 56 modem

Fresh/Junior ComputerF99: IBM 390, 128 RAM 333 Mhz, 6GB CD-ROM, 56 modem

1999 Software Load

Netscape 4.5

Dreamweaver 2

SPSS 9

Maple V 5.1

Windows 98

MS Office Prof 97

CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN

• Students First• 2 Layers: Threshold +• Rapid Change• Communicate/Access (Not

Present/Analyze)• Standardization• Academic Freedom• Nomadic Learners

CONCEPTS BEHIND PLAN

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

Consequences for Wake Forest

•+SAT Scores & Class Ranks

•+Retention & Grad Rates•+Satisfaction & Learning•+Faculty Recruitment

Personal Use of Computers by Wake Forest Faculty

Source: 1998 HERI Survey

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

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

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

FIRST YEAR SEMINARThe Economists’ Way of Thinking

A Course Required of All Freshmen

Wake Forest University

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

Learning is enhanced by-

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

Brown’s 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

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 -- --

THREE BASIC THEMES

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

Comments and Questions !!!