Progress summary:
- 3 Prerequisite courses are nearly done.
- Ecology (Biol), Physics, Chemistry, each built by a UBC Science Education Specialist.
- 19 Program core courses are in syllabus-design stage. Personnel:
- 14 courses being built by 5 in EOAS, Geog. or other UBC dep’ts;
- 4 courses being built by 2 with other affiliations.
- UCA Curriculum Review Committee begins this month.
- UBC team visited Tajikistan, October 2017.
- UBC team will visit again, likely May 2018 and Sept/Oct 2018.
Details:
- Funded by UCA & AKDN; contract between UCA & UBC.
- Coordinated at EOAS and UCA in Tajikistan & Kyrgyz Republic.
- Three prerequisite courses are well underway:
- Biology (genetics, evolution, ecology): to be taught Sept 2018.
- Physics: to be taught January 2019.
- Chemistry: to be taught February 2019.
- Syllabi currently (Feb 2018) under review with the newly formed UCA prerequisite Curriculum Review Committee.
- All thirteen 3-hour lessons, including class, lab, home and assessment work are essentially complete for chemistry and biology.
- Physics will be completed by end of April 2018.
- Curriculum Review Committee will offer feedback. Any adjustments to be completed by May 2018.
- Transfer to UCA instructors in summer 2019.
- Nineteen EES program core courses are at the syllabus-design phase.
- Seven course developers are working on 18 of 19 courses.
- Team meets weekly.
- Developers collaborate on related courses and course sequences.
- One developer still needed: Geodynamics/structures, or equivalent.
- 5 EES courses to be taught starting September 2019.
- 5 EES courses to be taught starting January 2020.
- Students take electives at a different campus, Sept. 2019.
- 9 EES courses to be taught starting January 2021.
Coming up:
- Visits to and from Tajikistan & Kyrkyz Republic
- UCA faculty and staff will likely visit UBC March 6, 7, 2018.
- UBC course developers will likely visit UCA May ~14-31.
- Prerequisite instructors will likely visit UBC, summer 2018.
- Second UBC visit likely in Sept/Oct 2018.
- New UCA faculty will likely visit UBC, summer 2019.
- Third visit is possible for senior courses, summer 2019.
- Opportunities
- EOAS, Geog faculty will hopefully advise on courses, lessons, activities and assessments (See benefits to UBC faculty).
- Faculty to be approached starting Feb. or Marc.
- Potential for Geog, EOAS, IRES, EESG (ubc-o), others to collaborate with new UCA faculty on research with Central Asian context.
- Student contributions (depending upon availability and funding): possibly 2 UBC worklearn summer students; possible opportunities for UCA students; volunteers (clubs?)
- For more information or to ask about contributing or helping out, please contact project coordinator Francis Jones.