UCLA continues to lead nation with innovations

  Judi Smith Smith is the vice provost for
undergraduate education and a professor of physiological science in
the College of Letters and Sciences.

UCLA undergraduates ““ Class of 2001 ““
congratulations! You have succeeded in reaching your goal of
graduating from America’s most popular university and one of
the world’s great research institutions. Looking back over
the past five years, we have participated in many exciting changes
in undergraduate education. UCLA is a leader in creating innovation
for undergraduates, and you have been the beneficiaries. Now, at
commencement, let’s look back at some of the changes that
have helped undergraduate education evolve at UCLA.

Diversity on Campus You and your undergraduate
colleagues have experienced the peaks and valleys of state law and
university policy that have affected the ethnic and cultural
diversity of the campus. UCLA has always viewed diversity as a mark
of excellence; a diverse student body is crucial to an educational
experience and to our society. Yet, because of policies implemented
by the UC Board of Regents (SP-1) and Proposition 209, we have been
challenged to maintain the diversity of our student population.
While staying within the law, we have worked hard to admit a
diverse class, and fortunately, in many categories, the diversity
of our student population has returned to near its levels before
Proposition 209. UCLA remains among the most diverse universities
in the nation, but we must do more. UCLA’s administration,
led by Chancellor Albert Carnesale, is strongly committed to
increasing the diversity of our student body, and we
enthusiastically endorsed the regents’ vote that rescinded
its policies banning affirmative action in admissions. While state
law enacted under Proposition 209 makes the regents’ action
symbolic, this step will certainly encourage faculty to redefine
admissions policies on each campus.

Innovations to Improve Undergraduate Education
Over the past five years, UCLA, and especially the College of
Letters and Science (where nearly 90 percent of our undergraduates
are enrolled), has made a serious commitment to improving the
quality of undergraduate education through new programs that are
changing the curriculum. Former Chancellor Charles Young and our
current Chancellor Carnesale provided more than $2.5 million
dollars in new permanent funds to improve lower division education,
especially general education. The result has been several projects
that provide new opportunities for students. One of the most
innovative of these projects is the general education
“clusters,” year-long courses designed for freshmen
that are organized around an interdisciplinary theme. Nearly 2000
freshmen over the past four years have enrolled in clusters. Over
35 of our most distinguished faculty have taught in clusters with
enticing course titles such as “Evolution of the Cosmos and
Life,” “Interracial Dynamics in American Culture,
Society, and Literature” and “Perception and Illusion:
Cognitive Science, Literature, and Art.” These innovative
classes have been nationally recognized and are received with great
enthusiasm by freshmen and faculty, as well as doctoral students
(called “teaching fellows”) who lead discussion
sessions and spring seminars. This year we offered six clusters,
next year we will offer two additional ones. Our eventual goal is
to sponsor 10 clusters annually; this will permit about 50 percent
of the freshman class to enroll in a cluster course. Another major
recent innovation is the requirement that every undergraduate take
a second writing course while at UCLA. This second course
concentrates on writing in a particular discipline. The requirement
has prompted departments across the College to redesign courses to
include a significant writing component and is one more step
towards assuring that our graduates have the high-quality writing
necessary for advanced graduate work and life.

Undergraduates and Research We are also
increasing the role of research in the undergraduate curriculum.
More than ever before, UCLA is a research university committed to
providing a high quality undergraduate experience. The most
powerful experience in education is the discovery process and
working with faculty scholars who are creating knowledge. Two
recently established Undergraduate Research Centers, one for Life
and Physical Sciences and one for Humanities and Social Sciences,
help students identify research opportunities. More students than
ever participate in the Student Research Program, and more students
are committed to completing independent research projects and honor
theses. Students now have opportunities to receive full-fee
scholarships as Undergraduate Research Scholars, and many publish
their projects in the “UCLA Undergraduate Science
Journal” or “Westwind,” UCLA’s journal for
creative writing and social science research.

UCLA in L.A. We are equally enthusiastic about
providing new opportunities for students to link their education
with the greater Los Angeles community. Literally thousands of UCLA
students are involved in service learning opportunities in the
community ““ working in schools, government agencies and
charitable organizations. In just one campus project, the Center
for Experiential Education and Service Learning (CEESL), more than
1,500 Bruins each create opportunities to connect their service,
career and personal interests with academics. We believe that
increasing these service learning opportunities is critical to the
enrichment of our undergraduate program.

A Revolution in Computing You are in the first
UCLA class to experience the full power of information technology
in your education. For years before you came to campus, the
university was creating innovative information technology services
and labs for undergraduates. Beginning in September 1997, the
College’s launch of the “Instructional Enhancement
Initiative” and “MyUCLA” brought previously
unheard-of access to computing and online information for students
and faculty. Today, UCLA is one of the world’s most wired
colleges and a leader in creating even more new uses for technology
in undergraduate education.

Keep Involved You are the first graduating
class of the new millennium. What does the future hold? We believe
you have been the standard bearers for many new undergraduate
projects that have begun to thrive at UCLA. Those who follow you as
Bruins can expect to find new and exciting programs that will make
their studies even more interesting, enlightening and challenging.
As you begin the next stage of your life, I wish you all the best.
Stay involved and active in UCLA ““ give back to your campus
as a concerned citizen and as a successful professional.